THORLABS CLD101 Series, Operation Manual

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CLD101x
2.3 Safety and Protection Features
The CLD101x incorporates a number of safety and protection features in order to prevent
damages to the laser diode and to protect the user.
Key lock switch
The key switch disables the laser current output. This feature complies with the CDRH (Center for
Devices and Radiological Health) requirements and prevents an unauthorized usage of the laser
driver.
Interlock
The interlock function provides several protection functions simultaneously.
·
Safety lock to prevent unintentional use
·
An external emergency switch may be connected
·
To connect your external automatic protection equipment, e.g. for temperature monitoring
The laser can only be operated with the interlock input shortened. Please refer to section Laser
Protection for details.
Softstart
The soft start function protects the laser diode against undesired peaks during the laser switch-on
process.
Laser current limit (hardware limit)
The maximum laser current can be adjusted by the laser current limit, that can be set in the Laser
Driver Setup menu.
Open circuit detection for the laser diode
If the connection to the laser is interrupted even for a short time during operation, an immediate
emergency switch off occurs.
Electronic short-circuit switch for the laser diode
With the laser driver output switched off, an electronic switch will short the laser diode so that no
voltage is applied to the laser contacts.
Temperature window protection of the laser diode
This feature protects the laser diode from unwanted operating temperatures in combination with
the integrated TEC controller: Defining a temperature window around the laser temperature set
point, the laser can be paused or permanently switched off, if the actual temperature is outside of
that window.
Please see TEC Driver setup and Laser Protection sections for details
Over-temperature protection
The CLD101x has an automatic over-temperature protection. If the allowed internal operating
temperature should be exceeded, the outputs will be switched off. After a temperature drop of
about 10 °C, the outputs of the CLD101x can be switched on again.
Defined states after switch-on
When turning on the CLD101x with the main switch, the laser and TEC output are by default
switched off. The setup allows to switch on the
LD and/or TEC output when starting the
device.
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