Page 2 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................... 3 Safety Terms and Symbols ................................................... 4 Quick Start............................................................................. 6 Installation ............................................................................. 7 Operation ..............................................................................
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 3 Introduction Thank you for choosing the 4200-DR Series LaserSource from Arroyo Instruments. The 4200-DR upgrades our popular 4200 Series with new features and improved performance, all coming from a company with years of experience in the field of current control for laser applications. With a large, crystal clear VFD display, USB computer interface, and small footprint, the 4200-DR will fit into almost any laser diode control application.
Page 4 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Accessories Arroyo Instruments also sells several accessories designed to work with the 4200-DR. These include: 1220B LaserSource Cable, 4A, 2m This cable has DB-9 male/female connectors for interfacing to the LaserMount or other connectorized fixtures, and shielded twisted pair conductors for improved modulation performance. A pigtailed version of this cable, with tinned ends for soldering into custom solutions, is available as p/n 1221B.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 5 Symbols Power Off Power On Caution, refer to manual Earth ground Caution, risk of electric shock General Warnings WARNING Potentially lethal voltages exist within this instrument. This instrument is intended for use by qualified personnel who understand the shock and laser hazards and are familiar with safety procedures required to avoid injury. Read this manual completely before attempting to use this product.
Page 6 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Quick Start The 4200-DR was designed with ease of use in mind, and you will likely have little need for this manual for almost all of the features the unit offers. This section will show how you can quickly get the unit up and running in almost no time. After unpacking the unit, ensure that the voltage selection on the Input Power Connector (IPC) on the back of the unit is set to the correct voltage.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 7 Installation Installation of the 4200-DR is very straightforward, as the quick start section above illustrated. This section will provide additional details and considerations for installing your 4200-DR. After unpacking the unit, make sure all packing materials have been removed and nothing obscures the ventilation ports on the side and bottom of the unit.
Page 8 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual CAUTION Do not exceed 250VAC on the line input. It is critical to select the proper voltage selection prior to applying power to the unit. If the actual voltage exceeds the voltage selection by +/-10%, damage to the unit may occur. Powering Up the Unit Once the correct voltage selection has been made, connect the AC power cord to the unit.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 9 Warm-up and Environmental Considerations In order to achieve the highest level of accuracy, the 4200-DR should be powered on for at least one hour prior to taking measurements. In addition, ensure that the unit is not operating outside the ambient temperature range or humidity conditions. Operation The Front Panel Operation of the 4200-DR is very straightforward.
Page 10 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Whenever an error is generated, the red Error LED will light, and the error will be displayed on the VFD display. There may be one or more errors, but only the first error will be displayed. To display the next error, press Menu button. To clear all errors, press the knob. A list of error codes can be found in the Error Messages section below. When the unit is in remote mode, the yellow Remote LED will be lit.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 11 DR can provide. By changing to 1mA resolution, adjustments are easier and quicker to make. The accuracy of the instrument remains the same, regardless of the resolution, so 85mA set point 1mA resolution is the same as 85.000mA set point at 0.005mA resolution. Status Messages The instrument will display status messages in the upper-right corner of the display indicating several different conditions that may be of interest to the user.
Page 12 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Settings and Menus All parameters of the 4200-DR can be viewed and changed within the menu. The menus are constructed with the most used parameters first. To change any setting, press Menu to enter the menu then rotate the knob to select the parameter to change. Press the knob to begin changing the value. As a visual indication that you are in edit mode, you will see an asterisk appear next to the value.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 13 Menu Description Factory Default Vf Limit This setting controls the maximum amount of forward current that can be delivered to the laser diode. This limit is implemented in hardware for high speed response. For more information about limits, see Hardware and Software Limits below. Maximum Vf Sense Selects the remote voltage sense lines for diode voltage measurement. The remote voltage sense pins must be wired to the diode.
Page 14 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Menu On Delay Comm Menu Description Factory Default The delay, from the time the Output button is pressed to when the output is actually energized. 3000ms Communications Menu Set While Rmt To disable changing the set point while in Remote Mode, set this value to “No”. To enable changing the set point while in Remote mode, set this Value to “Yes”. No Err While Rmt To turn off the display of errors while in remote mode, set this value to “No”.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 15 Menu Description Advanced Advanced Settings Menu Factory Default Off if Io Lim Turns off the laser output if the Io limit is active No Off if Im Lim Turns off the laser output if the Im limit is exceeded Yes Off if Po Lim Turns off the laser output if the Po limit is exceeded Yes Off if OutTol Turns off the laser output if the laser goes out of tolerance No User Cal User Calibration Menu (located in Advanced Menu) Edit Cal Set to “Yes”
Page 16 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Saving and Restoring Configurations Using the Main Menu » System Menu » Config menu item, or the *SAV and *RCL commands over the computer interfaces, 4200-DR allows you to save up to four configurations. Each configuration will store all of the instrument settings (except scripts and the function key definitions), and allow you to quickly recall them.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 17 select the target monitor diode current, and the 4200-DR will drive exactly enough forward current through the laser diode to generate the selected monitor diode current. Only low frequency modulation (10Hz or less) is possible in Im mode due to the feedback latencies of the photodiode itself.
Page 18 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Power and Cable Connections LaserSource Rear Panel Laser Output Connector The laser Output connector is a female DB-9, and has the following pin-out: DB-9 Pin Description 1 Interlock+ 2 Interlock – 3 Earth Ground 4 Laser Cathode Voltage Sense 5 Laser Cathode 6 Photodiode (PD) Cathode 7 Photodiode (PD) Anode 8 Laser Anode Voltage Sense 9 Laser Anode Shell Earth Ground Output Connector (DB-9 Female) Arroyo Instruments has followed industry conventions for l
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 19 Connecting to the 4200-DR A laser diode is very sensitive to electro-static discharge (ESD), over-voltage, and over-current conditions. When connecting a laser to the 4200-DR, make sure proper ESD procedures are taken. In addition, it is critical that the proper current limit and voltage limit be set for the laser diode.
Page 20 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Below is a table that provides wire gauge recommendations based on operating current: Current (A) 1 or less 2 Recommend Wire Gauge 24 AWG 22 AWG Remote Mode Operation Remote mode operation is when the 4200-DR is being controlled by a computer over the USB interface. When in remote mode, the 4200-DR behaves differently, preventing you from affecting the operation of the instrument, such as changing the set point, unless enabled in Comm menu.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 21 Grounding Considerations A key feature of the 4200-DR is the optical isolation of both the photodiode and modulation inputs. By isolating there inputs, earth grounding of the photodiode anode or cathode, or earth grounding the modulation input, cannot cause a ground loop through the instrument. Likewise, the laser anode and cathode connections are also isolated from earth ground.
Page 22 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Using Limits The 4200-DR provides several limit features for protection of the laser diode. These include current, voltage, intermittent contact, photodiode current, and photodiode power limits. Both the laser current and voltage limits are implemented in hardware, providing for fast response to changes in laser diode operation. When a voltage limit is detected, the output is immediately shutdown.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 23 Compensating for Voltage Loss All cables and connectors have a small, but measureable, resistance. When driving current through them, this resistance causes a voltage loss in the cable, and if not compensated for, will result in errors in laser or LED voltage measurement. In many cases, this is not a problem, as highly accurate voltage measurements are not required, and the error can be ignored.
Page 24 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual It is the first of these two drawbacks that is of the biggest concern. In order to protect against this fault, the instrument always monitors the local voltage at the connector as well as the remote voltage, and if the difference is too great, a warning message is displayed. Once the warning is displayed, it will not be displayed again until the output is turned off and back on. The warning can be disabled in the menu by setting the Vf Sense Warn to No.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 25 Short the Connection at the End of the Cable A second method, which does not require a DMM and can be done with just the 4200-DR, is to short the anode and cathode wires at the end of the cable (nearest the laser diode), drive current through the cable and note the indicated voltage on the 4200-DR. The resistance is found using a simpler version of the formula above: Cable R Vf I AMPS Note that the current is expressed in amps, not milliamps.
Page 26 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Field Calibration (User Cal) The 4200-DR is typically calibrated annually, and calibration can be done one of two ways: the instrument can be returned to the factory for a full recalibration, or the User Cal menu can be used for simpler slope/offset calibration.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 27 Menu Entry I Set LoM I Set LoB I Set HiM I Set HiB Im Set M Im Set B V Set M V Set B V Set Rm M V Set Rm B I LoM I LoB I HiM I HiB Im M Im B VM VB V Rem M V Rem B Description Io set point, low range, slope Io set point, low range, offset (mA) Io set point, high range, slope Io set point, high range, offset (mA) Im set point, slope Im set point, offset (μA) Vf local sense set point, slope Vf local sense set point, offset (V) Vf remote sense set point, slope
Page 28 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual To correct the set point, you need to adjust the offset value for the high range Io set point, which is the I Set HiB menu entry. Considering that you need to raise the set point by 1.4mA, then the I Set HiB menu entry should be adjusted to +1.4mA (the I Set HiM menu entry should be set to 1.000). This will compensate the set point by increasing it 1.4mA and bring it close to 300.0mA.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 29 You can validate your calculations by applying the formula to one or both of the data points to confirm the compensation is correct. Consider the 300mA set point … if we apply the values just calculated, we should get a compensation that increases the set point by slightly over 1.4mA to bring it up to 300mA. Let’s check: 300mA test point = 1.0147 * 300 − 2.9934 = 301.4166mA – check! Likewise, the 100mA set point should be lowered by slightly more than 1.
Page 30 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual Specifications 4201-DR SET POINT LASER CURRENT (ACC) Range (mA) Maximum Resolution (mA) Accuracy (±[% reading + mA]) Stability (ppm, time) Temperature Coeff (ppm/°C) Noise/Ripple (μA rms) Transients (μA) Compliance Voltage (V) PHOTODIODE CURRENT (APC) Range (μA) Resolution (μA) Accuracy (±[% reading + μA]) Stability (ppm, time) Temperature Coeff (ppm/°C) PD Bias (V) LASER VOLTAGE (AVC) Range (V) Resolution (V) Accuracy (±[% reading + V]) Stability (ppm, ti
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 31 Error Messages Error Code Description Cause E-100 General Error E-102 E-123 E-124 Message too long Path not found Data mismatch E-201 Data out of range E-202 Invalid data type E-204 Suffix not valid E-501 Interlock shutdown output E-504 Laser current limit disabled output.
Page 32 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual E-534 E-535 E-536 Po mode selected with PD Response set to zero Calibration cancelled Intermittent contact fault W-800 Remote voltage sense is low E-998 Command not supported Non-specific error E-999 Attempted to select Po mode and PD Response was zero, or LaserSource was in Po mode and PD Response was set to zero. The active calibration process was cancelled. The instrument detected an intermittent contact and shut down the laser output.
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 33 Maintenance and Service Maintenance The 4200-DR requires no regular maintenance other than product calibration. To clean the instrument, use cotton cloth that is only damp (not wet) with a light solution of soap and water. Fuses Under normal operation, you should never need to replace a fuse. However, if either fuse does blow, use only T 250V, 1A, IEC 60127-2 5x20mm metric fuses as replacements.
Page 34 · 4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual European Community Declaration of Conformity EC Declaration of Conformity I/We Arroyo Instruments of 624 Clarion Court San Luis Obispo, CA USA declare that 4200-DR Series LaserSource Laser Diode Driver In accordance with the following directives EMC Directive: 89/336/EEC Low Voltage Directive: 73/23/EEC RoHS Directive: 2002/95/EC89/336/EEC has been designed and manufactured to the following specifications: EMC Directive Test Standards EN 61326 Electrical
4200-DR Series LaserSource User’s Manual · Page 35 NOTES:
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