THORLABS NanoTrak KNA-IR Apt User Manual Download Page 5

Page: 5 / 47

Rev B Sept 2020

Page 3

Chapter 1 Overview

1.3.3 APT Config Utility

There are many system parameters and configuration settings associated with the operation of the APT Server. Most can be

directly accessed using the various graphical panels, however there are several system wide settings that can only be made

'off-line' before running the APT software. These settings have global effect; such as switching between simulator and real

operating mode and incorporation of calibration data.

The APTConfig utility is provided as a convenient means for making these system wide settings and adjustments. Full details

on using APTConfig are provided in the online help supplied with the utility.

Use of the APT Config utility is covered in the PC tutorial (Chapter 5) and in the APTConfig online help file, accessed via the

F1 key when using the APTConfig utility.

Summary of Contents for NanoTrak KNA-IR

Page 1: ...HA0388T KNA IR and KNA VIS K Cube NanoTrak Auto Alignment Controller APT User Guide Original Instructions ...

Page 2: ...dware 9 Chapter 4 Standalone Operation 10 4 1 Control Panel Buttons and Indicators 10 4 2 Overview 11 4 3 XY Scan Mode 17 4 4 Locking the Top Panel Controls 17 Chapter 5 PC Operation Tutorial 18 5 1 Introduction 18 5 2 Using the Software 18 5 3 Circle Position Window 20 5 4 Settings Panel 21 5 5 Programmed Operation NanoTrak 28 5 6 Preventive Maintenance 31 5 7 Troubleshooting 31 Appendices Append...

Page 3: ...unit is designed to take up minimal space and can be mounted to the optical table in close proximity to the driver units connected via short power leads Although the TPS002 has two outputs it should not be used to drive another K Cube as well as the KNA unit Doing so could exceed its current limits As a further level of convenience when using these controllers Thorlabs also offers the new K Cube C...

Page 4: ...ser to interact with a number of APT hardware control units connected to the host PC This program displays multiple graphical instrument panels to allow multiple APT units to be controlled simultaneously All basic operating parameters can be altered and similarly all operations such as setting the scan circle size can be initiated Settings and parameter changes can be saved and loaded to allow mul...

Page 5: ...re running the APT software These settings have global effect such as switching between simulator and real operating mode and incorporation of calibration data The APTConfig utility is provided as a convenient means for making these system wide settings and adjustments Full details on using APTConfig are provided in the online help supplied with the utility Use of the APT Config utility is covered...

Page 6: ...h as Excel and Word Consider the ActiveX Control supplied for a KNA NanoTrak K Cube unit This Control provides a complete user graphical instrument panel to allow the NanoTrak unit to be manually operated as well as a complete set of software functions often called methods to allow all parameters to be set and NanoTrak control operations to be automated by a client application The instrument panel...

Page 7: ... reference material on using the APT ActiveX Controls collection Additional software developer support is provided on our website 1 3 5 Software Upgrades Thorlabs operate a policy of continuous product development and may issue software upgrades as necessary The latest software can be downloaded from the services section of www thorlabs com ...

Page 8: ...product generates uses and outputs high voltages from the SMC connector HV Out 1 and HV Out 2 that are hazardous and can cause serious injury In any installation that uses the NanoTrak it is the user s responsibility to ensure adequate insulation and precuations are taken to avoid shock risk Cables for HV Out must be rated for 250 V RMS Spillage of fluid such as sample solutions should be avoided ...

Page 9: ...vailable see Section 1 2 for further details Full instructions on the fitting and use of the controller hub are contained in the handbook available at www thorlabs com Note When operating via a PC direct user interaction with the unit is accomplished through intuitive graphical user interface panels GUIs which expose all key operating parameters and modes The user can select multiple panel views d...

Page 10: ...gnment Controller 3 2 3 Using the Baseplate The baseplate must be bolted to the worksurface before the K Cube is fitted as shown below The K cube is then located on two dowels in the baseplate and secured by four clips Fig 3 1 Using The Baseplate ...

Page 11: ...EXT IN SMA connector Used to receive a piezo feedback signal from signal source such as the K Cube KSG101 Strain Gauge Reader 0 to 10 V range 10 k input impedance HV OUT SMC connector 0 to 150 V These outputs provide the drive signal to the associated piezo actuators The max voltage is set to 75 V or 150 V in software see Section 5 4 2 MONITOR These outputs mirror the associated HV OUT 10 V being ...

Page 12: ...xternal Input 0 to 2 V When used as an external input the input signal is amplified and presented as a drive signal at the HV OUT connectors on the rear panel I O 2 SMA connector This output is dual purpose It can be used as a Trigger Input Output 0 to 5 V or as a External output 0 to 2 V e g for use in a dual NanoTrak set up see Section 5 5 2 3 3 3 Supply Voltage and Current Requirements Thorlabs...

Page 13: ...diode The units can also be used with external detector heads which incorporate a PIN p type intrinsic n type diode 3 4 1 Using an External Power Meter The internal power meter of the NanoTrak is not calibrated and external power meters are available that may give greater sensitivity and accuracy If this is required the output of the detector should be connected to the power meter and the power me...

Page 14: ...y wait approximately 30 mins for the unit to thermally stabilize to the environment Caution During items 3 to 6 the instructions should be followed in the order stated Problems may occur if the process is not performed in the correct sequence Note The USB cable length should be no more than 3 m unless a powered USB hub is being used Caution During item 5 ensure the power switch on the front panel ...

Page 15: ...trength resulting from misalignment of the input and output optical devices and makes positional adjustments output DC offsets to maintain maximum throughput When in LATCH mode scanning is disabled and the piezo drives are held at their present position DC offsets fixed and no sinusoidal dithering i e the piezo actuators are stationary The top panel display shows Tracking Latched when LATCH mode i...

Page 16: ...ee Section 4 2 8 Turn AC Boost ON see Section 4 2 9 Turn the XY Scan ON see Section 4 2 10 Set the wheel adjustment rate see Section 4 2 11 Set the display brightness see Section 4 2 12 Display information see Section 4 2 13 O P T I O N M E N U U s e m e n u w h e e l 2 O U T 1 V O L T A G E P r e s s m e n u t o 4 O U T P U T S E N A B L E P r e s s m e n u t o 3 O U T 2 V O L T A G E P r e s s m...

Page 17: ...tting 4 2 3 Menu Option 3 OUT2 VOLTAGE This option is used to set the drive voltage output from the HV OUT 2 connector as a percentage of max voltage Press the MENU button then use the wheel to scroll through the menu options Press the MENU button to enter the 3 OUT2 VOLTAGE option Use the wheel to set the required voltage as a percentage of max voltage in the range 5 to 95 Press MENU to save the ...

Page 18: ...Input option should be used when NanoTraking to optimise a voltage feedback signal connected to the front panel I O 1 SMA connector 2 V max Typically these inputs are selected when using an external power meter e g PM100D which generates a voltage output In this case the internal amplifier circuit is bypassed and ranging functionality as displayed on the GUI is inoperative Press MENU to save the s...

Page 19: ...d and the maximum power position maintained This option is used to set the latch mode for both output channels Press the MENU button then use the wheel to scroll through the menu options Press the MENU button to enter the 8 OUTPUTS LATCH option Use the wheel to select either NORMAL or FEEDBACK as required Press MENU to save the setting Caution FEEDBACK operation is only possible if an external pos...

Page 20: ... data is then shown as an intensity map 96 pixels x 96 pixels During the scan auto ranging is disabled and the range is locked at the range in use when the Scan was started See Section 4 3 for more details Press the MENU button then use the wheel to scroll through the menu options Press the MENU button to enter the 10 XY SCAN option The scan starts automatically The unit performs the XY Scan and d...

Page 21: ...l through the menu options Press the MENU button to enter the 12 BRIGHTNESS option Use the wheel to adjust the brightness then press the MENU button to store the selection and return to the main display 4 2 13 Menu Option 13 INFORMATION This option is used to display the present Software version number Press the MENU button then use the wheel to scroll through the menu options The INFORMATION opti...

Page 22: ...easures the optical power in a grid 96 x 96 points The power data is then shown as an intensity map 96 pixels x 96 pixels The scan can be initiated from the top panel setup menu see Section 4 2 10 from the Diagnostics tab on the GUI Settings panel see Section 5 5 or via a software method call see the online help file During the scan auto ranging is disabled and the range is locked at the range in ...

Page 23: ...custom software applications offline Any number of virtual control units can be combined to emulate a collection of physical hardware units For example an application program can be written then tested and debugged remotely before running with the hardware To create a simulated configuration proceed as follows 1 Run the APT Config utility Start All Programs Thorlabs APT APT Config 2 Click the Simu...

Page 24: ...hnology means that programming of the unit can be achieved in any compatible language LabVIEW Visual Basic etc without the need for an extensive library of language specific functions Using the methods and properties described in the APTServer helpfile the NanoTrak K Cube can be programmed as part of an automated alignment application see the APTServer helpfile for more details on the various meth...

Page 25: ...ing modes can be initiated Hardware configurations and parameter settings can be saved to a file which simplifies system set up whenever the software is run up This tutorial shows how the application provides all of the functionality necessary to operate the hardware 5 2 1 Initial Setup 1 Install the software as detailed in Section 3 1 2 Connect the controller to the actuators see Section 3 3 4 an...

Page 26: ...ration factor set using the Voltage calibration parameter on the Input Output tab of the Settings panel e g if the calibration factor has been set to 20 a 1 V signal into a 2 V input range SMA will display a value of 10 Digital Display The main display shows the feedback signal level being measured The lower part of the display gives a convenient indication of the feedback signal level When the in...

Page 27: ...entering a value in the Settings panel or by calling a software function Phase Angle Displays the phase compensation values in degrees for the horizontal and vertical components of the circle path Values can be entered in the settings panel Tracking tab Note If the phase compensation adjustment mode is set to Auto the actual phase offset may be different to the diameter displayed see Section C 1 4...

Page 28: ...rcle diameter remains at the value set by the user either in the User Diameter parameter or by calling the SetCircDia method If LUT Adjust is specified the circle diameter is adjusted automatically using a table of range dependent diameter values set in the Diameter LUT field to the right and described below 1 diamter per range value or by calling the SetCircDiaLUTVal method Diameter LUT this sett...

Page 29: ... taking place The threshold setting can be obtained by calling the GetTrackThreshold method Persist Settings to Hardware Many of the parameters that can be set for the NanoTrak T Cube can be stored persisted within the unit itself such that when the unit is next powered up these settings are applied automatically This is particularly important when the driver is being used manually in the absence ...

Page 30: ...nfigured to have 75V or 150V maximum outputs This dropdown list allows the HV output ranges to be selected For example if Chan 1 75V Chan 2 75V is selected then both HV outputs have a 75V limit Similarly if Chan 1 75V Chan 2 150V is selected then HV OUT 1 and HV AMP 2 have maximum voltages of 75V and 150V respectively User IO Connectors These parameters specify the operation of the User I O input ...

Page 31: ...e control panel display Enter a value from 0 to 255 Wheel Step Size The thumbwheel on the to panel is used to control the HV outputs HV OUT 1 and HV OUT 2 selected using the menu system on the unit This parameter sets the sensitivity of the thumbwheel to Low Mid or High where Low Most turns of the thumbwheel to control output voltage highest resolution High Least turns of the thumbwheel to control...

Page 32: ...for each axis in NT units or microns determined by the Display Units parameter If Display Units is set to NT Units the Horizontal and Vertical increments can be set from 0 01 to 2 NT units If Display Units is set to microns the Horizontal and Vertical increment limits are dependent upon the travel of the piezo actuator see the Microns NT Units Calibration parameter Note NanoTrak Screen Lower Displ...

Page 33: ...nge Change Limits When autoranging the NanoTrak unit continually adjusts the TIA range as appropriate for the input signal level When the relative signal on a particular range drifts below the limit set in the Lower parameter the NanoTrak unit decrements the range to the next lower setting Similarly when the relative signal rises above the limit specified in the Upper parameter the unit increments...

Page 34: ...ss uses a single frequency and a highly selective discriminator similar to a radio receiver It is possible to use more than one NanoTrak controller in a single optical path and with a single detector For example with two control units set to different scanning frequencies e g 30 Hz and 40 Hz it is possible to couple fibers both into master NanoTrak and out of slave NanoTrak an integrated optical d...

Page 35: ... master unit Fig 5 7 Dual NanoTrak connections Note A difference of at least 10 Hz is recommended between this frequency and that set at item 5 This is to ensure adequate frequency separation between the bandpass filters of the two NanoTraks Note With SMA input source selected the internal TIA circuit is bypassed and therefore autoranging is not required Also the Tracking Indicator on the GUI pane...

Page 36: ... covers or attempt any repairs or adjustments Maintenance is limited to safety testing and cleaning as described in the following sections laser source input fiber output fiber waveguide O P piezo drive connections I P piezo drive connections MONITOR 1 OPTICAL INPUT MONITOR 2 HV OUT 1 0 150V HV OUT 2 0 150V EXT IN 1 0 10V EXT IN 2 0 10V 900 1700 nm 1 5 mW MONITOR 1 OPTICAL INPUT MONITOR 2 HV OUT 1...

Page 37: ...nels have not been swapped Although the green TRACKING LED is on the circle appears to wander across the display screen Increase the size of the scan circle diameter Increase the gain Adjust the phase offset Check the connections see Section 3 3 4 Check using a dial gauge that the stage moves in the horizontal and vertical axes perpendicular to the fiber axis when the manual control knobs on the P...

Page 38: ...ly can result in the sensitive electronic inside the cube getting damaged invalidating warranty The K Cube uses a standard mini DIN type of input connector the corresponding plug is available from most standard electronics suppliers The picture below shows the mini DIN socket as viewed by looking at the rear panel of the cube The pin numbering follows the standard for mini DIN connectors The pin f...

Page 39: ...ition Range 1 to 99 Max Piezo Extension Circle Diameter Adjustment Modes Automatic or Manual Piezoelectric Input Output HV OUT Connectors SMC male Voltage Output 0 150 VDC Channel Output Current 7 5 mA Channel MONITOR Outputs SMA 0 10 VDC EXT IN Analog Inputs SMA 0 10 VDC Other Input Output I O 1 and I O 2 Auxilliary Input Output I O 1 Trigger Input Output 0 to 5 V or as External Input 0 to 2 V I ...

Page 40: ...ch other Fig C 1 Alignment of optical fibers In Fig C 1 one of the fibers is fixed the other is mounted on a piezo actuated stage that moves the fiber in the horizontal and vertical axes The NanoTrak must adjust the position of the moving fiber until the power transmitted between the two is maximized Fig C 2 shows a block diagram of the NanoTrak control loop In many applications a waveguide or sim...

Page 41: ... which direction to move When the circle is centred in the ideal position the power signal contains no modulation at the scanning frequency However at position A the signal has a phase difference with respect to the modulating signal The power signal is Fourier analysed and the result of the computation is passed to an algorithm which drives the circle to the correct position However piezo transdu...

Page 42: ... polarity of the error signals corresponds to the relative position of the two fibers and consequently the signals can be used to drive the piezos until the fibers are aligned and the error voltages fall to zero Once the NanoTrak has found the position of maximum power if one of the fibers is moved slightly due to mechanical creepage or thermal drift the NanoTrak detects the subsequent drop in pow...

Page 43: ...ed the system uses values in a LUT to modify circle diameter in relation to the input range currently selected This LUT diameter adjustment mode allows appropriate circle diameters to be applied on an application specific basis The loop gain can also effect system stability If the gain is too high the circle moves erratically whereas too low a setting results in the circle floating around the edge...

Page 44: ...e activated only after a threshold power sufficiently above the background noise level has been located See the table below for details of the three modes of operation Mode Description Button LED Tracking indicator Latch Drive outputs held in constant position Latch ON OFF Track mode not yet tracking The drive outputs wander and the circle drifts around the display Track ON OFF i e below threshold...

Page 45: ...harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be req...

Page 46: ...go see right were sold to and are currently owned by a company or institute within the EC and are not dissembled or contaminated Contact Thorlabs for more information Waste treatment is your own responsibility End of life units must be returned to Thorlabs or handed to a company specializing in waste recovery Do not dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site USA Canada ...

Page 47: ...www thorlabs com ...

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