PowerMax-Pro PC Software Installation and Quick Start Guide · PowerMax-Pro PC Software Installation and Quick Start Guide 8 8. [Graphics panel] Click the Trending window. 9. Expose

Software Installation andQuick Start Guide

PowerMax-Pro PC™

Software Installation and Quick Start Guide

PowerMax-Pro PC

27650 SW 95th Ave.Wilsonville, OR 97070

PowerMax-Pro PC Software Installation and Quick Start Guide

This document and software is copyrightedwith all rights reserved. Under the copyrightlaws, this document and software may not becopied in whole or in part or reproduced inany other media without the express writtenpermission of Coherent, Inc. Permittedcopies must carry the same proprietary andcopyright notices as were affixed to theoriginal. This exception does not allow copiesto be made for others, whether or not sold,but all the material purchased may be sold,given or loaned to another person. Under thelaw, copying includes translation into anotherlanguage.

Coherent, the Coherent Logo, LabMax, andPowerMax are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Coherent, Inc. All othertrademarks or registered trademarks are theproperty of their respective owners.

Every effort has been made to ensure that thedata given in this document and software isaccurate. The information, figures, tables,specifications, part numbers, schematics andsoftware contained herein are subject tochange without notice. Coherent makes nowarranty or representation, either expressedor implied with respect to this document andsoftware. In no event will Coherent be liablefor any direct, indirect, special, incidental orconsequential damages resulting from anydefects in its documentation.

ii


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Signal Words and Symbols in this Manual ......... ivSignal Words .............................................. ivSymbols .......................................................v

Preface ............................................................... vii

Software Installation....................................... 1

Quick Start ............................................................ 3Initial Setup Instructions .......................................3Taking a Standard-Speed Measurement................6Taking a High-Speed Measurement....................10Taking a Snapshot Measurement ........................15Measuring Real-time Integrated Energy using

Host Commands.........................................25Setting up the Cursor Feature .............................29

iii


Signal Words and Symbols in this ManualThis documentation may contain sections in which particularhazards are defined or special attention is drawn to particular condi-tions. These sections are indicated with signal words in accordancewith ANSI Z-535.6 and safety symbols (pictorial hazard alerts) inaccordance with ANSI Z-535.3 and ISO 7010.

Signal WordsFour signal words are used in this documentation: DANGER,WARNING, CAUTION and NOTICE.

The signal words DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION desig-nate the degree or level of hazard when there is the risk of injury:

DANGER!Indicates a hazardous situation that, if notavoided, will result in death or serious injury.This signal word is to be limited to the mostextreme situations.

WARNING!Indicates a hazardous situation that, if notavoided, could result in death or serious injury.

CAUTION!Indicates a hazardous situation that, if notavoided, could result in minor or moderateinjury.

iv


The signal word “NOTICE” is used when there is the risk of prop-erty damage:

NOTICE!Indicates information considered important,but not hazard-related.

Messages relating to hazards that could result in both personal injuryand property damage are considered safety messages and not prop-erty damage messages.

SymbolsThe signal words DANGER, WARNING, and CAUTION arealways emphasized with a safety symbol that indicates a specialhazard, regardless of the hazard level:

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe presence of important operating and main-tenance instructions.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of exposure to hazardous visibleand invisible laser radiation.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe presence of dangerous voltages within theproduct enclosure that may be of sufficientmagnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock.

v


This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of Electro-Static Discharge (ESD)susceptibility.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of crushing injury.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of a lifting hazard.

vi


PrefaceThis guide includes:

• Installation instructions for the LabMax-Pro PC software—a program that supplies an easy-to-use interface between the PowerMax-Pro USB/RS system and a PC. (This same software platform is used with LabMax-Pro SSIM hardware—it func-tions with both hardware platforms.)

• A separate Quick Start section that describes how to connect the system to a PC and start taking different types of measure-ments within minutes.

vii


viii


SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

To install the LabMax-Pro PC software and PowerMax-Pro USBdrivers:

1. Close all programs.

2. Insert the CD that shipped with the product into the CD-ROMdrive of your computer.

3. If Autorun is enabled on your system, installation willstart automatically; otherwise, double-click theSetup.exe file in the main folder on the CD.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

For complete operating instructions, refer to the PowerMax-ProUSB/RS User Manual (part number 1303659), available in Adobe®

PDF format on the CD-ROM sent with the product.

1


2


QUICK START

In this section:

• Initial setup instructions (this page)

• Taking a Standard-Speed measurement (p. 6)

• Taking a High-Speed measurement (p. 10)

• Taking a Snapshot measurement (p. 15)

• Measuring real-time integrated energy using host commands (p. 25)

• Setting up the Cursor feature (p. 29)

Initial Setup InstructionsComplete the following instructions before you use any of the QuickStart tutorials given in this section.

1. Install the LabMax-Pro PC software (p. 1).

2. Attach the PowerMax-Pro USB/RS sensor to the PC through aUSB 2.0 High- Speed port, or a RS-232 port if using an RSmodel.

3. (USB model) The USB port supplies power. Note: If the USBport on your PC or hub does not provide sufficient current topower the device, you can provide power through the auxiliaryexternal 5V power input.

(RS model) Connect a 5V external power supply (optional accessory) to the PowerMax-Pro RS sensor.

The hardware turns on automatically when power is applied.

4. Start LabMax-Pro PC.

3


5. If a dialog screen similar to theone shown at right appears, clickOK.

6. [Main menu] Click Open Meter.

7. Select the COM port from thepopup screen. Click the Selectbutton to close the dialog.

8. View system information to confirm LabMax-Pro PC isdetecting the meter and the sensor.

4


WARNING!Follow all laser safety procedures. Block orswitch OFF the laser before you start any of thetutorials described in this section.

NOTICE!Do not exceed the power or energy densitylimits of the sensor.

The following illustration shows the areas of the graphical userinterface you need to access while using the tutorials in this section.

MainMenu

MeasurementsPanel

GraphicsPanel

StatisticsPanel

Quick AccessToolbar Tabs

Informationand Help

StatusBar

5


Taking a Standard-Speed MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take a standard (10 Hz sampling rate)power measurement.

Notes

• This mode gives almost instant average power readings.However, because data is sampled every 100 milliseconds,temporal pulse information is not displayed. Use High-Speed orSnapshot modes to view temporal information.

• Standard-Speed mode can be used for measuring the averagepower of CW or pulsed lasers. Use Standard-Speed mode whenmeasuring the average power of high repetition rate short-pulsed lasers, for example, picosecond, femtosecond, and nano-second lasers. In this 10 Hz sampling mode, PowerMax-Progives very fast average power readings on these lasers.(Because Ultrafast and q-switched laser pulses are too fast forPowerMax-Pro to resolve temporal pulse information, andHigh-Speed and Snapshot mode sampling rates alias with thehigh kHz pulse repetition rates, operate in Standard-Speedmode with these lasers.)

Procedure

1. Complete the “Initial Setup Instructions” (p. 3).

2. [Home tab] Verify the High-Speed Mode checkbox is notchecked.

3. Make sure the laser is in the OFF position or the beam isblocked.

6


4. [Home tab] Press the Zero button to zerothe sensor. A dialogue displays the zeroingprocess, which will only take a second ortwo.

5. [Measurement tab] Select yourlaser wavelength from the drop-down menu. If your laser wave-length is not available, select theone closest to it or, alternatively,type in your specific wavelengthto add it to the Wavelength Table.

6. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Capacity field that representsthe sample size you want tocollect. This is also the samplesize used to calculate Statistics.Check the Continuous Modecheckbox if you want data collec-tion to continue until you stop it.Uncheck the checkbox to have data collection end after the Databuffer is full (which is when it reaches the value that youentered in the Capacity field).

7. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Sample Count field. This valueshows how many samples aredisplayed in the Trending chart atone time.

7


8. [Graphics panel] Click the Trending window.

9. Expose the sensor to the laser beam.

10. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Press the Start icon to begindata collection.

8


During data collection, the data is visible in the Trending chart,statistics update in real time (based upon data entering the buffer),and the Measurements panel displays a live reading. Here is anexample output screen:

— End of tutorial. —

9


Taking a High-Speed MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take a high-speed (20 kHz samplingrate) power measurement.

Notes

• A data point is sampled every 50 microseconds, making thismode very useful for real-time visualization of temporal shapeof modulated lasers with pulse lengths hundreds of microsec-onds or longer. This mode also provides fast feedback aboutchanges in power output from CW sources.

• High-Speed mode is also used to set up Snapshot mode—primarily by confirming the meter is accurately triggering onthe laser pulses before moving into Snapshot mode. Refer to“Taking a Snapshot Measurement” (p. 15).

• To avoid aliasing effects between the meter sampling rate andthe laser pulses, do not use this mode with lasers modulated atover 2.5 kHz pulse repetition frequency.

Procedure


2. [Home tab] Confirm the High-Speed Mode checkbox is checked.

3. Make sure the laser is OFF or the beam is blocked.

10



5. [Home tab] Click the Range drop-down menu and select one of thethree ranges that are available:AUTO (for auto-range), and twofixed ranges signified by powerlimits (High and Low).

6. [Measurement tab] Select yourlaser wavelength from the drop-down menu. If your laser wave-length is not available, choose theone closest to it or, alternatively,type in your specific wavelengthto add it to the Wavelength Table.

11


7. [Data Buffer tab] Confirm thatthe Enable Snapshot Modecheckbox is not checked.

8. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Capacity field that representsthe sample size you want tocollect. This is also the samplesize used to calculate Statistics.Check the Continuous Modecheckbox if you want data collec-tion to continue until you stop it.Uncheck the checkbox to have data collection end after the Databuffer is full (which is when it reaches the value you entered inthe Capacity field).

Tip: If the application displays a “Missing” warning, data waslost while transferring the data in real time from the meter'sbuffer to the PC. This usually occurs because the computer cannot keep up with the high rate of data continuously streamingfrom the meter. If this warning occurs, make sure the USBconnection is a USB 2.0 High-Speed port and close other openapplications. Another option is decrease the Capacity buffersize. You can also export the data file to examine the error indi-cators to determine where and how much data was lost.

9. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Sample Count field. Thisvalue represents the number ofsamples you want displayed in theTrending window at one time.

12


10. [Graphics panel] Click the Trending window.


12. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Press the Start icon to begindata collection. Note the loadingindicator( ) turnsgreen while the data is loading.

13


During data collection, the data is visible in the Trending chart,statistics are updated in real time (based upon data entering thebuffer), and the Measurements panel displays a live reading. Here isan example output screen:


14


Taking a Snapshot MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take a Snapshot (625 kHz samplingrate) power measurement.

Notes

• This is a special acquisition mode that captures bursts of high-speed data at 625 kHz or 1.6 microseconds per sample (capturerate to the internal buffer inside the hardware). Because of thehigh rate of data acquisition in this mode, it is necessary totemporarily store the data in the instrument's hardware buffer,as it is not possible to upload it in real-time via USB. When thedata acquisition is complete, the instrument uploads the data tothe PC, where it is put in the Capture buffer and displayed in thesoftware.

• To avoid aliasing effects between the meter sampling rate andthe laser pulses, do not use this mode with lasers modulated atover 80 kHz pulse repetition frequency.

Process

During Snapshot mode, the hardware waits for a trigger event beforeacquiring data. The process works like this:

1. You define the data acquisition settings (including triggersettings), enable Snapshot mode, and press Start.

2. The meter searches for a trigger and the user interface waits forthe meter to start sending data.

3. When a trigger is found, the meter starts filling its own Capturebuffer.

4. When the buffer is full, the data is sent to the user interface,which displays it.

15


Procedure

The first part of the procedure is to define the data acquisitionsettings, including trigger settings. This is done in High-Speedmode.


2. [Home tab] Confirm the High-Speed Mode checkbox is checked.

3. Make sure the laser is OFF or the beam is blocked.


5. [Home tab] Click the Range drop-down menu and select one of thetwo fixed ranges (which signifythe maximum power limits foreach range).Note: Snapshot does not supportAuto ranging.

16


6. [Measurement tab] Select yourlaser wavelength from the drop-down menu. If your laser wave-length is not available, choose theone closest to it or, alternatively,type in your specific wavelengthto add it to the Wavelength Table.

7. [Data Buffer tab] Confirm thatthe Enable Snapshot Modecheckbox is not checked.

8. [Data Buffer tab] Confirm thatthe Continuous Mode checkbox isnot checked then enter a value inthe Capacity field (20,000represents one second of datacollection, which should beadequate to set up Snapshotmode). The purpose of this step isto confirm good data collection and proper pulse triggering.

9. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a SampleCount of 1500 and an UpdatePeriod of 0.5. These are goodvalues with which to start.

17


10. [Trigger tab] Entera Level setting inWatts that representsa level approxi-mately 50% between zero and the peak power you expect eachpulse to have. If you do not know peak power, enter a Levelsetting between zero and the average power. Verify that Sourceis set to Internal, Edge is set to Positive, and Delay is set to 0(zero).

11. [Trending window] Verify the Show Trigger Markerscheckbox is checked (Settings drop-down menu, under theViews tab). This lets you to confirm the meter is auto triggeringon the pulses, which is required before entering Snapshot mode.


13. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Press the Start icon to begindata collection.

18


14. [Trending window] After data collection is complete, confirmthat each pulse has a trigger marker, represented by a redvertical line plotted at each trigger event. The green linerepresents the trigger threshold level. If the red trigger markersare not visible, or are not consistently triggering on each pulseevent, go back and adjust the Trigger Level setting in theTrigger tab. Keep repeating this process until trigger eventsoccur as expected.

Now that trigger events are occurring and pulses are correctlydisplaying, it is time to move into Snapshot mode.

The laser does not need to be firing onto thesensor during the next several steps of thistutorial. You will fire the laser again in step 20.

15. [Data Buffer tab] Check theEnable Snapshot Mode checkbox.

19


16. When Snapshot mode is activated, a warning dialog such as theone shown below will appear if particular settings (such asRange and Data Buffer) are not set up correctly. If this occurs,click the Confirm Changes button and the application will auto-matically adjust those settings for you.

17. [Data Buffer tab] Click theChange Settings button.

20


18. [Data Buffer tab] Adjust the capacity up or down by typing ina new value or using the slider. How long a Snapshot you needdepends on the laser pulse length and how many pulses youwant to capture.

In this example, the default setting is the maximum capacity of25000 samples, which is collected in 40000 milliseconds. Addpre-trigger examples if you want to capture the portion of thefirst pulse before the trigger event. (If this is 0 (zero), Snapshotwill begin at the time the trigger event occurs, which is after thefirst pulse begins.) Click the Save button to close the dialog.

Tip: Reducing the number of samples lets pulses be viewed withhigher resolution in the trend chart. If you do not see as high aresolution as desired, try setting the capacity duration lower, forexample, ten times the pulse repetition period.

19. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Press the Start icon to begin datacollection. A Snapshot Mode icon( )appears in the Status bar at thebottom of the application anddisplays a red oscillating bar until thelaser fires and a trigger event isdetected.

21


20. Fire the laser. If no trigger event is detected, the Snapshot iconwill remain in the red waiting mode. If this occurs, there are twooptions: 1) Press the Force Trigger button (to the right of the redoscillating bar). This will force the meter into collecting Snap-shot data, regardless of whether or not it finds a trigger.2) Press Stop and readjust the trigger settings in High-Speedmode. If a trigger event is detected, the Snapshot Mode icon( ) turns green and activelydisplays the progress of loading the data from the internal Snap-shot buffer in the meter to the PC application. This can takeseveral seconds, depending upon the size of the SnapshotCapacity setting.

After the Snapshot data is loaded, the result is plotted in theTrending window. Zoom in to observe detailed temporal pulse infor-mation, as shown in the examples below.

There are three ways to zoom a view:

1. Drag the mouse to define a portion of the display.

2. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in or out.

3. Use the scroll bar to define a portion of the display (by draggingeither the left or right handle of the scroll bar) or scroll thedisplay (by dragging the scroll bar to the left or right).

22


23



24


Measuring Real-time Integrated Energy using Host CommandsThis mode provides real-time pulse-to-pulse integrated energy read-ings through direct host commands. The hardware samples thePowerMax-Pro output at 40 MHz and begins integrating pulsesupon an internal or external trigger signal. After each pulse is inte-grated the value is available in the host interface buffer.

This feature enables high-speed measurement of high pulse energymodulated lasers (such as QCW fiber lasers) real-time within laserprocessing systems.

An eleven-line com port utility is used to demonstrate the hostcommand sequence in the following example. It shows what atypical host command sequence looks like using this mode.

Lines shown in bold are the required command sets and requiredsequence to collect an energy measurement. Entering thesecommands out of sequence causes error codes.

25


Answer:

CMD>SYST:*IDN?REPLY>OK SYSTEM INFORMATIONCMD>CONF:PRI,FLAG,SEQ,PERREPLY>OKCMD>CONF:MEAS:SOUR:SEL FASTREPLY>OKCMD>CONF:MEAS:MOD JREPLY>OKCMD>TRIG:SOUR:INTREPLY>OKCMD>CONF:ZEROREPLY>OKCMD>TRIG:LEV MINREPLY>OKCMD>CONF:MEAS:WIN 20000REPLY>OKCMD>STARREPLY>OKCMD>STOP

The SCPI commands shown below give additional information onthe commands used in the exercise just discussed. For a completelisting of user commands, refer to the “Host Interface” section of thePowerMax-Pro USB/RS User Manual (1303659), available inAdobe® PDF format on the installation CD sent with your system.

SCMD>SYST:*IDN?

The first command validates the connection settings. A standard*idn? queries the sensor for its identity. If the sensor does not returnwith a response, then the connection is not valid.

26


CMD>CONF:PRI,FLAG,SEQ,PER

In this example the user samples the incoming period (rep rate) ofthe incoming pulses. This command lets you clearly read the energylevel, sequence number, and rep rate in the sample. More informa-tion is available under “Data Item Select” in the “Host Interface”section of the PowerMax-Pro USB/RS User Manual.

CMD>CONF:MEAS:SOUR:SEL FAST

This command puts the PowerMax-Pro into a fast measurement (20kHz). Use this command before setting the meter to Joules mode andsetting up the trigger. The PowerMax-Pro defaults to SLOW unlesstold to run in FAST mode.

CMD>CONF:MEAS:MOD J

This command prepares the sensor for an energy measurement. TheJoules mode is set and default ranges based on the sensor are auto-matically applied.

CMD>TRIG:SOUR:INT

The Trigger source is now set to Internal and the Sensor tries tocapture pulses based on a trigger level. Default trigger levels areapplied. External triggering is also possible in this mode. For setupdetails, refer to the trigger parameters in the “Host Interface” sectionof the PowerMax-Pro USB/RS User Manual.

CMD>CONF:ZERO

Always zero the sensor before taking measurements. Make sure thelaser is gated off when you configure Zero. Having any laser powercauses a bias and, more importantly, this bias also determines therange of the energy permitted in the software. Low and high rangesare based on the sensor first and then on the bias applied during thezeroing operation.

27


CMD>TRIG:LEV MIN

This command selects the value of the trigger level used in themeasurement, based on the range found in an earlier step. Theminimum range in this mode is essentially an autoset trigger level.The meter analyzes the baseline noise and sets a minimum triggerabove the noise. When using Joules mode, try the MIN internaltrigger setting before you try to enter absolute trigger percentages.The MIN internal trigger also makes the most efficient use of thepre-trigger (buffer). The trigger level can be set at minimummaximum in addition to percentage values. You can query the valuesof any given setting. For more information, reference the hostcommands in the “Host Interface” section of the PowerMax-ProUSB/RS User Manual.

CMD>CONF:MEAS:WIN 20000

The configure measurement window sets the range where thePowerMax-Pro looks for and integrates a pulse. Always set awindow that is just slightly longer than the laser pulse length, but notso long that the next pulse arrives before the window closes. If thewindow is set shorter than the laser pulse length, not all of the pulsewill be captured and integrated. The algorithm integrates baselinenoise if the window is set longer than the laser pulse length. This islikely to result in a low amount of error, so caution on the side of aslightly longer pulse length window than one that is too short. Thevalue is in microseconds. In the above example, to set a measure-ment window of 20 milliseconds enter CONF:MEAS:WIN 20000.You can increase and decrease this value based on the application.

CMD>STAR

The Start command tells the system when to start collectingmeasurements. There are variations of commands for how manylines to collect and different times to use. For more information onSCPI, refer to the “Host Interface” section of the PowerMax-ProUSB/RS User Manual.

CMD>STOP

The Stop command discontinues the measurements.

— End of tutorial —

28


Setting up the Cursor FeatureThis tutorial describes how to set up the Cursor feature within theLabMax-Pro PC software.

The Cursor feature is a powerful tool for analyzing pulses that arecaptured in the LabMax-Pro software. You can use it after stoppinglive data collection or after importing a saved data file into the soft-ware.

Procedure

1. [Graphics panel] Right-click in the Graphics panel to open theTrending Window Options menu.

Right-click in this generalarea to open the Trending

Window Options menu.

Trending WindowOptions menu

29


2. Click the Show Selection Bounds Cursors checkbox in thedrop-down menu.

Cursors are dragged within the trend screen to fit around certainpulse shapes or features.

Selection Boundcursors

30


Based on the region of the plot selectedby the cursors, the Selection Boundsstatistics automatically update. Youcan use the Time Axis - Widthmeasurement to determine pulsewidth, rise-time, or fall-time of a pulsein the plot. The software also shadesthe area under the curve within thecursors and calculates the energy of apulse or pulses within that region.

The Energy Baseline setting can be used to determine if the pulseenergy calculation is based on the 0 mW baseline level or the lowercursor level.

31


The Snap To Triggers setting can be used to set the cursors to thetrigger point at the start of successive pulses. Then the Time Axis -Width measurement can be used to determine the period betweenpulses.

To reset the cursors to their original positions, make sure Snap ToTriggers is not checked, then uncheck and recheck the Show Selec-tion Bounds Cursors checkbox. This will reset the cursors in theTrend display.

— End of tutorial —

Trigger points

Original position of cursors

uncheckuncheck/recheck

32

PowerMax -Pro PC Software Installation andQuick Start Guide

©Coherent Inc., 11/2015, printed in the USAPart No. 1303658 Rev. AA

™

Documents

PowerMax-Pro PC Software Installation and Quick Start Guide · PowerMax-Pro PC Software Installation and Quick Start Guide 8 8. [Graphics panel] Click the Trending window. 9. Expose