Hubner C-FLEX, Owner'S Manual

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OWNERS MANUAL | C-FLEX | D0579-B DECEMBER 2019
Operation via data port
To connect a C-FLEX laser combiner to a data port use USB-B connection. The appropriate cable is provided with all
lasers.
Data port connections
To connect a C-FLEX to a data port use the USB-A/USB-B cable from the laser combiner to the PC/workstation. Since
there are two ways to connect a laser internally there are two kinds of drivers that may need to be installed depending
on the laser configuration: Cobolt USB driver or a FTDI-Chip driver for the serial connection (if not automatically
installed by the operating system). For installing the Cobolt laser USB driver, please refer to the USB driver section
below. If the drivers for the serial connection are not installed automatically, please follow the instructions in the
below section FTDI Chip driver. It may be necessary to install the drivers for each laser individually due to the fact that
they are recognized by the system as individual laser units.
FTDI Driver for Serial Connection
Download the latest and most appropirate driver from http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm consider the
operating system of the computer being used for controlling the C-FLEX. Unzip the files into a known location
and install the drivers using the windows routine. If the driver installation was canceled when C-FLEX was first
connected, use device manager to update the driver using the previously downloaded drivers.
Handshaking
Under no circumstances does a laser initiate communication; it only transmits characters in response to a
message. Every message generates a response, either a numerical value or the acknowledgment string “OK”.
In the event that the system receives a message that it cannot interpret, it responds: “Syntax error: illegal
comm and”. Eve ry system response is terminated by a carriage return (ASCII 13) and a full stop is used with
floating numbers.
USB driver
When using Cobolt Monitor™ with Windows 10, the USB device is automatically detected. When using Windows
8 or earlier (e.g Windows 7, Vista, XP) it is necessary to install the Cobolt signed USB driver. To be able to connect
to a Cobolt laser integrated into a C-FLEX via USB, a USB driver may need to be installed on the computer. The
USB driver can be downloaded from the Cobolt website (www.coboltlasers.com). When installed, a virtual COM
port will be created to communicate with the laser.
To install the USB driver in Windows 7 follow the instructions below.