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INTUN Tunable Laser 

 

12372-D02, 12/15/2007 

Page 18 

www.thorlabs.com 

4.1.  Triangular Generator TL-F 

The INTUN TLX-T comes with a TL-F control box, which provides all the power and control signals 
needed to run the laser.  

Connecting the TL-F 

To detach the TL-F from the INTUN, remove the screw at the back (see arrow in the picture below), lift 
up, and then out. The TL-F does not need to be attached to the INTUN to work so long as the signal 
cable is connected. 

 

Figure 11:  Connecting the TL-F with the INTUN 

There are three connectors on the back of the TL-F and INTUN as shown above. One cable is connected 
to both the INTUN and the TL-F (cream cable), enabling signals to be transferred between the two while 
the other is for connecting the power adapter (black cable). 

Summary of Contents for INTUN TL 1550-T

Page 1: ...TL T INTUN Tunable Laser Manual...

Page 2: ...faces 12 Grounding Issues 14 Part 4 Power Supplies 16 4 1 Triangular Generator TL F 18 Connecting the TL F 18 Controlling the INTUN with a TL F 19 4 2 Digital Control and Status Signals 20 Analog Cont...

Page 3: ...Figure 9 INTUN TL T recommended connections for electrical power and analog signals 15 Figure 10 TL F control box for the INTUN TLX T laser 16 Figure 11 Connecting the TL F with the INTUN 18 Figure 12...

Page 4: ...or outdoor use Do not expose the equipment to dust dusty air condensation or high humidity Always store and use the INTUN TL T in a vertical position as further described in the manual Handle with car...

Page 5: ...ning i e small tuning speed variations no backward movements and no mode hops is important for many applications such as interferometry and fiber sensing The narrow linewidth is a prerequisite for hig...

Page 6: ...ually refers to the technical design of the laser itself Therefore TLS encompasses a larger number of products than ECL since an ECL is not necessarily tunable TLS s are frequently used in various mea...

Page 7: ...the laser diode as shown in Figure 2 above The output beam is collimated and sent through an optical isolator before the beam is launched into the optical fiber Due to the analog interface the INTUN...

Page 8: ...al and a layer of thermal isolating material In addition a magnetic shield constructed from a high permeability material prevents external magnetic fields from interfering with the motor coils All las...

Page 9: ...INTUN Tunable Laser 12372 D02 12 15 2007 Page 9 www thorlabs com Figure 3 The INTUN TL780 T case...

Page 10: ...werful laser source in a small footprint The front and side views of the INTUN TL T are shown in Figures 4 and Figure 5 respectively Figure 4 Front view of the INTUN TL780 T Figure 5 Side views of the...

Page 11: ...ion to form on the optical equipment leading to a negative influence on the device s performance In order to ensure specified performance the unit is designed to withstand the following ETSI European...

Page 12: ...or 3R depending on model Refer to the label on the laser itself for classification Laser safety classifications as outlined in IEC 825 Exceptions and Extensions to Standards Compliance Operating tempe...

Page 13: ...ting the optical output power level see page 26 Setting appropriate digital control signals 0 V 5 V logical levels see page 20 Reading the status of appropriate digital status signals 0 V 5 V logical...

Page 14: ...al Status TRUE 0 V FALSE 5 V _OPTICAL_POWER_ ERROR Digital Status TRUE 0 V FALSE 5 V Grounding Issues Prior to connecting the INTUN TL T to any electrical power or signal source care must be taken to...

Page 15: ...must be made The three analog control voltages TUNING_VOLTAGE OPTICAL_POWER and FINE_TUNING are connected to differential input stages having a high common mode rejection ratio CMRR Hence grounding is...

Page 16: ...for the INTUN TLX T laser Alternatively three user supplied external power supplies can be used to run the INTUN TL T unit If using this option to power the INTUN laser the DC Power Supply table below...

Page 17: ...ircuit board ground DC Power Supply Requirements Nominal Voltage Input Voltage Max Voltage Ripple Max Operating Current Comment 5 V 4 9 to 5 2 V 25 mVpp 2 A Current surge at power on C 100 nF 15 V 14...

Page 18: ...the screw at the back see arrow in the picture below lift up and then out The TL F does not need to be attached to the INTUN to work so long as the signal cable is connected Figure 11 Connecting the T...

Page 19: ...imum output power To totally extinguish the output power you need to use the shutter 2 Wavelength Sets the wavelength between its minimum and maximum values or at the center wavelength for the sweep S...

Page 20: ...ctive able and with 5 V HIGH as OFF FALSE inactive disable Important If the input signal is not connected its default logical state is 5 V i e disabled Digital Control Signals The digital logic contro...

Page 21: ...ready to accept and respond to wavelength tuning using the analog control WAVELENGTH_TUNING control discussed on page 24 When the _WAVELENGTH_TUNING_ENABLE signal is set to HIGH 5 V the wavelength CAN...

Page 22: ...tus Signals The digital status signals are defined with 0 V LOW as ON TRUE ERROR and 5 V HIGH as OFF FALSE Safe The digital status signals can be read form the interface Carefully read the Definition...

Page 23: ...in its normal operation mode Please note that the _SYSTEM_ERROR may be TRUE during the startup phase This is quite normal If a _SYSTEM_ERROR occurs during operation it can only be reset by switching...

Page 24: ...the INTUN TL T unit can still be used the optical power and wavelength may not meet specifications When the digital status signal _TEMPERATURE_ERROR is FALSE HIGH 5 V the unit is at the correct laser...

Page 25: ...ry Analog Control WAVELENGTH_TUNING Provided that the _TUNING_ENABLE signal is set to TRUE LOW the wavelength can be set and tuned by applying a voltage to WAVELENGTH_TUNING and WAVELENGTH_TUNING as s...

Page 26: ...rter resolution is better than log2 110 000 16 7 bits Hence we recommend using a D A converter with an 18 bit minimum capacity Analog Control OPTICAL_POWER Provided that the _OPTICAL_POWER_ENABLE sign...

Page 27: ...POWER_ERROR will change its logical state to TRUE LOW 0 V Additional increases in the OPTICAL_POWER signal will for some laser units further increase the optical output power The amount of power incre...

Page 28: ...all digital and analog signals The figure below shows the pin configuration of the two connectors The electrical power connector carries all the required DC power lines The table below lists the signa...

Page 29: ...nal use only Service 9 _TEMPERATURE_ERROR Status Signal 29 Service 5 internal use only Service 10 _CONSTANT_CURRENT_ENABLE Control Signal 30 Service 6 internal use only Service 11 TBD Status Signal 31...

Page 30: ...commends 30 AWG 7 38 AWG Amphenol Spectra Strip Part Number 191 3005 040 4 3 Optical Interface Shutter The optical port is protected by a mechanical shutter Beam The beam exiting the INTUN TL T is col...

Page 31: ...n be tuned to a specific wavelength or jump between a random sequence of fixed wavelengths 5 1 Switching ON the INTUN TL T The wavelength and optical output power of the laser are controlled using the...

Page 32: ...of the output power that occurs at the onset of lasing as well as at the threshold current the output power can only be controlled between the threshold of lasing and the point at which saturation occ...

Page 33: ...nal _POWER_ENABLE to turn on the optical power The general purpose start up and calibration procedures given are recommended by Radians for their tunable laser source modules Start Up The purpose of t...

Page 34: ...eps below The method is illustrated in the figure below Perform the start up procedure before starting calibration Set the OPTICAL_POWER to the desired value Measure the actual optical power using a p...

Page 35: ...ations ETS 300 019 1 1 1 Storage in partially temperature controlled locations where the temperature is always between 10 to 50 C 14 to 122 F ETS 300 019 1 2 1 Very careful transport The INTUN TL T sh...

Page 36: ...ion 7 1 Troubleshooting Step By Step No Output Power is Detected 1 Check that the digital status signal _POWER_ENABLE is TRUE Section 0 defines the logical states 2 Check that the digital status signa...

Page 37: ...nm Step 150 ms Max 100 ms Typical 100 nm Step 1000 ms Max 800 ms Typical Wavelength Resolution 1 pm Max 0 6 pm Typical Wavelength Repeatability 2 pm Max 1 pm Typcial Absolute Wavelength Accuracy 10 pm...

Page 38: ...roducts such as Pure OEM products that means assemblies to be built into a unit by the user e g OEM laser driver cards Components Mechanics and optics Left over parts of units disassembled by the user...

Page 39: ...ada and South America Thorlabs Inc sales thorlabs com techsupport thorlabs com Europe Thorlabs GmbH europe thorlabs com France Thorlabs SAS sales fr thorlabs com Japan Thorlabs Japan Inc sales thorlab...

Page 40: ...Thorlabs Inc 435 Route 206N Newton NJ 07860 USA Phone 973 579 7227 Fax 973 300 3600 www thorlabs com...

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