Liquid Crystal Digital Controller
Contents
1. 11 3 1 2 1 More on T N E 11 3 1 3 Sync Pulse Controls 14 3 1 4 External Input Controls 14 3 1 5 Waveform Display 14 3 1 6 Temperature Sensing and Control 15 3 1 7 Save Restore Controls 15 3 2 Additional Digital Interface Control Options 16 3 2 1 HyperTerminal Command Line Control 16 3 2 2 USB Control via C C Program 16 3 2 3 ASCII Command Conversions 16 3 2 4 Custom LabVIEW VIs Control 18 4 Frequently Asked Questions ass 19 Appendix A Configuring HyperTerminal 21 Appendix B Firmware Updater nas 24 Appendix C Software licensing aaa 28 Software License Agreement s 28 Trademarks merino 32 Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadowlark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions Page intentionally left blank Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Quick Start Guide Requires a computer running Microsoft Windows XP or later Place the included CD in the CD ROM drive wait for the CellDRI2. It is assumed that the customer has experience programming in LabVIEW and understands good programming practices Meadowlark Optics cannot offer customer support for LabVIEW application development If a developed or modified LabVIEW application is to be distributed in any way please contact Meadowlark Optics for licensing and copyright details Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 18 A gt Frequently Asked Questions The controller is not working Check the power supply is plugged in front panel switch is on and the green power light is steady If using a USB interface check the status of the controller under Windows Device Manager by looking for a Meadowlark Optics USB Device If using a serial interface double check RS232 connection and attempt a HyperTerminal session Occasionally it helps to turn off the controller wait a few seconds and then turn it back on Q I started the CellDRIVE software and then turned on the controller and now the software is behaving erratically What is happening The controller must be turned on and have completed its power on self test before starting the CellDRIVE software gt gt gt gt HyperTerminal commands do not seem to have any effect Confirm that HyperTerminal is properly configured as outlined in Appendix A NOTE HyperTerminal commands are only available through a COM RS 232
3. the liquid crystal molecules lie parallel to the glass substrates and maximum retardation is achieved lt Fused Silica lt ITO a Alignment Layer Maximum lt Spacer Retardance P V 0 LC Molecules b Minimum ee tee oa applied voltages Figure 1 Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder showing molecular alignment a without and b with applied voltage not to scale When voltage is applied liquid crystal molecules begin to tip perpendicular and as voltage increases molecules tip further causing a reduction in the effective retardance Molecules at the surface however are unable to rotate freely because they are pinned at the alignment layer causing a residual retardance even at higher voltage Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions We compensate for this residual retardance with a subtractive fixed polymer retarder called a compensator which is attached to the liquid crystal cell Figure 2 illustrates typical retardance as a function of voltage for an LCVR with and without an attached compensator We also have the ability to provide custom compensation to provide custom voltage operation The Swift LC devices use voltages up to 100V for operation but the general shape of the curves is still applicable and the voltage axis can be scaled by a factor of 5 for a good approximation 0 75 Uncompensated Compensated 0 50 0 2
4. 13 3 1 3 Sync Pulse Controls CellDRIVE 3100 provides the capability to output a TTL sync pulse high for approximately 1 usec on the front panel sync connector at specified points in the CellDRIVE generated waveform This sync pulse may be used for purposes such as triggering external lab equipment at specific times e Sync Out Toggles sync pulse generation on and off for the specified channel A visual indicator of sync pulse generation is shown as a brief spike on the graph of the generated waveform whenever a sync pulse is output see waveform 2 in Figure 5 Sync pulse generation may be enabled for any combination of channels It is up to the user to determine which sync pulses are associated with which channels NOTE The sync pulse is no t an actual volatge spike being sent to the LC device e Sync Out Phase Specifies at which point in the waveform the sync pulse is generated and is additive to any phase specified in the respective waveform control 3 1 4 External Input Controls CellDRIVE 3100 provides the capability to drive the channel outputs via an externally generated signal applied to the front panel external input connector The input DC signal must be between OV corresponds to a square wave of OV amplitude on the output channel and 5V corresponds to a square wave varying between 10V and 10V amplitude on the output channel As an example if the user desires a sinusoid on the output channel that varies between
5. STRICT LIABILITY OR NEGLIGENCE EVEN IF THAT PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES 7 Limitation on Recovery Under no circumstances shall the liability of Licensor to Licensee exceed the amounts paid by Licensee to Licensor under this Agreement 8 Indemnity Licensor shall indemnify and hold harmless Licensee from and against any claims based on infringement of any United States copyright or patent by the Software Licensee agrees to cooperate fully with Licensor during such proceedings Licensor shall defend and settle at its sole expense all proceedings arising out of the foregoing In the event of such infringement Licensor may replace in whole or in part the Software with a substantially equivalent computer program or modify the Software to avoid the infringement 9 Term and Termination a Term This license agreement is effective from the date of receipt of this agreement and shall remain in full force until terminated Without prejudice to any other right Licensor may terminate this agreement if you fail to comply with any of the terms and conditions of this license agreement b Procedure upon Termination Within ten 10 days after termination of this Agreement Licensee will return to Licensor at Licensee s expense the Software and all copies thereof delete or destroy all other copies of the Software and deliver to Licensor a Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0
6. devices The CellDRIVE 3100 user interface with T N E mode configured on channel 4 Vrne 10V and Tryg 150 msec is shown in Figure 6 An example T N E output envelope is shown in Figure 7 the 2 kHz square wave is shown within the envelope the shaded region By considering positive voltage top half of the signal shown in Figure 7 one can distinguish a square wave varying between 3 and 7 volts Immediately preceding the positive going transition a 10 volt spike is observed Similarly immediately following the negative going transition a zero volt spike is observed The purpose of these spikes is to drive the state change in the liquid crystal faster than what would otherwise occur When the T N E waveform is selected the user may specify the duration of the T N E spikes as well as the magnitude of the positive transition spike the negative transition spike is always zero Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 11 USB Paused ooo S mertace ones runs Y Ea sure 000 Je 000 foo To aso sos 2 000 Jo ooo azo orense se 000 Js 00 Jgzo fa Le s Foo Je om zo o 1201 70 000 cal x o Air g E Numeric 4 Plot 2 Plots 3 Plots 4 Plots E AN s mp Temp Update Current Temp mm o Figure 6 T N E Waveform on LC channel 4 NLC Driver Signal volts Time arbitrary units Figure 7 T N E envelope Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meado
7. polarization solutions 30 10 11 12 13 certification signed by an officer of Licensee that the Software has been returned all copies deleted or destroyed and its use discontinued Force Majeure If performance hereunder other than payment is interfered with by any condition beyond a party s reasonable control including any Act of God the affected party shall be excused from such performance to the extent of such condition However if a force majeure detrimentally affects a party s performance of a material obligation hereunder for 14 days or more the other party can terminate this Agreement Mediation Arbitration The parties shall endeavor to resolve any dispute by mediation in Boulder CO under the CPR Mediation Procedure If the parties have not resolved this matter within 45 days from the selection of a mediator the parties shall settle any controversy arising out of this Agreement by arbitration to be held in Boulder Colorado in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association A single arbitrator shall be agree upon by the parties or if the parties cannot agree upon an arbitrator within thirty 30 days then the parties agree that a single arbitrator shall be appointed by the American Arbitration Association The arbitrator will apply the substantive law of the State of Colorado The arbitrator may award attorney s fees and costs as part of the award The award of the arbitrator sha
8. set channel 2 enabled bit 2 set channel 3 enabled bit 3 set channel 4 enabled ny combination is valid ontroller returns firmware version nd copyright string Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 17 3 2 4 Custom LabVIEW VI Control Several VIs are included in a library file on the CellDRIVE 3100 CD in the LabVIEW folder LabVIEW VIs that interface with the controller via the serial port are e Meadowlark Serial IO Example VI e Meadowlark Serial LLB o Meadowlark Serial Com VI o Meadowlark Serial Read Voltage VI o Meadowlark Serial Set Voltage VI LabVIEW VIs that interface with the controller by the USB port are e Meadowlark USB IO Example VI e Meadowlark USB LLB o Meadowlark USB Com VI Meadowlark USB Easy Close VI Meadowlark USB Easy Open VI Meadowlark USB Read Voltage VI Meadowlark USB Set Voltage VI oooO The serial and USB files are similar in that each includes a LabVIEW library file containing fundamental VIs and an example that implements them in a program that sets and reads controller voltages The LabVIEW back panels of the JO Example VIs are user accessible to facilitate independent development Programmers are encouraged to open and examine the JO Example diagram screens Please note that the LabVIEW development suite from National Instruments is required to use the included VIs and is not provided with any version of CellDRIVE software
9. the Software and any bug fixes enhancements updates or other modifications including custom modifications to the Software whether made by Licensor or any third party Transfers Under no circumstances shall Licensee sell license publish display distribute or otherwise transfer to a third party the Software or any copy thereof in whole or in part without Licensor s prior written consent Limited Warranty Support Services a Scope of Warranty Licensor warrants for a period of one year from the date of receipt of the Software against faulty workmanship or the use of defective materials and that such Software will conform to Licensor s accompanying written specifications This limited warranty shall be void in the event of failure from accident abuse or misapplication meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 29 b Disclaimer of Any Other Warranty THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION 5 a IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE 6 No Consequential Damages NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR RESULTING FROM LICENSEE S USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OF ACTION WHATSOEVER INCLUDING CONTRACT WARRANTY
10. 0 V and 8 V then the externally applied signal must be a sinusoid that varies between 0 V and 2 V amplitude e External Input Applying a signal to the front panel external input connector and selecting an external input button configures the controller to periodically sample the signal voltage generate the appropriate amplitude square wave and output it to the selected channel The externally applied signal will drive the output of every channel that has been selected by clicking on an external input button Sync out and waveform controls will be disabled for each channel that has external inputs active generation of sync out pulses is not possible if using external inputs Any channel that has not been selected may be controlled normally through the software including generation of sync pulses 3 1 5 Waveform display The right hand side of the user interface consists of waveform display options which include the row of tabs along the bottom of the display section The tabs provide choices for numeric or graphic display modes and the user controlled display options are Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 14 e Numeric Shows the instantaneous voltage for each channel and status lights that indicate updated voltages on each channel e n Plot s Specifies number of channels to plot on the displayed waveform For instance if only three channels are being used one m
11. 5 Bt o ol Ceres Retardance waves ee ee ee eee eee pee Serer s l as Y 0 00 5 1 0 15 Voltage volts RMS Figure 2 Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder with and without compensator 1 2 Response time For a standard nematic LC device switching response time depends on several parameters layer thickness viscosity temperature variations in drive voltage surface treatment and the direction of the retardance change Typical response time for a standard visible LCVR is shown in Figure 3 It takes about 5 ms to switch from one half to zero waves low to high voltage and about 20 ms to switch from zero to one half wave high to low voltage The Swift LC devices have a more symmetric switching profile with switching speeds on the order of 150 usec At higher temperature LC material viscosity decreases contributing to a faster response Liquid Crystal Digital Controller User Manual rev 3 0 meadoulark optics polarization solutions Response to normal square wave Response to T N E waveform Figure 3 Transient response of standard LCVR Another control technique involves the Transient Nematic Effect TNE to improve response times This technique uses a very short duration high voltage spike to accelerate the molecular alignment parallel to the applied field Voltage is then reduced to achieve the desired retardance When switching from low to high retardance all voltag
12. File Save As Select a location and filename that will be convenient to remember 8 Test the connection by typing ver and pressing the RETURN key The controller should generate a response that includes the version number and copyright information Once the configuration is complete commands listed in Table 2 can be used to initiate controller functions Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 23 Appendix B Firmware Updater The user can reprogram the internal firmware when new versions are released Update is accomplished by using the firmware updater program included on the CellDRIVE CD In order to use the firmware updater program the controller must be powered on and connected to an available USB port on the host computer Perform the following steps to reprogram the controller firmware 1 Install firmware updater software on a computer running Microsoft Windows XP or later Place CellDRIVE CD in the CD ROM drive wait for the CD menu to appear and click on the Install Firmware Updater button Start the firmware updater software by clicking StartlProgramslIMeadowlark Optics Firmware updater The following screen will appear meadoulark optics Firmware Erasing Programming Updater O 2DE x File Name Cycle power on the controller in preparation For programming Do Not Disturb Power to the Controller While Programming Cycle power
13. ING Do Not Disturb Power to the Controller While Programming 8 After programming is complete the following screen appears When the controller power is cycled the status light should flash a pattern corresponding to the version number of the new firmware The new firmware version may also be determined by clicking the Meadowlark Optics logo in the upper left corner of CellDRIVE A Meadowlark Optics Firmware Updater E xj meadowlark optics Firmware FA Erasing Programming complete Cycle power on the controller Thank you for using the Meadowlark Optics Firmware updater Have a nice day File Name d3040_204 hex Do Not D Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 27 Appendix C Software Licensing IMPORTANT CAREFULLY READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE USING THIS SOFTWARE This Meadowlark Optics Inc License Agreement is a legal agreement between you Licensee and Meadowlark Optics Inc Licensor for the enclosed computer software and any associated media printed materials and online or electronic documentation Software By installing or otherwise using the Software Product you agree to be bound by the terms of this License Agreement If you do not agree to the terms of this License Agreement do not use or install the Software Product you may however return it to your place of purchase for a refund S
14. OFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT This Software License Agreement Agreement is entered into between Meadowlark Optics Inc Licensor and you as Licensee Licensee 1 Definitions a Software The term Software shall mean the enclosed computer software and any associated media printed materials and online or electronic documentation The term Software includes any corrections bugs fixes enhancements updates or other modifications including custom modifications to such computer programs 2 License a Grant of License Licensor grants Licensee pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement a limited revocable non exclusive non transferable license to use the Software which has been built with National Instruments LabVIEW Application Builder b Restrictions on Use Licensee agrees to use the Software only for Licensee s own business Licensee shall not i permit any parent subsidiaries affiliated entities or third parties to use the Software ii process or permit to be processed the data of any other party iii use the Software in the operation of a service bureau or iv allow access to the Software through any terminals located outside of Licensee s Site c Copies Licensee solely to enable it to use the Software may make one archival copy of the Software computer program provided that the copy shall include Licensor s copyright and any Liquid Crystal Digital Controll
15. TUS LED will flash a number of times pause and then flash again designating the firmware version for the controller On the D3060HV the HIGH VOLTAGE LED has three states off high voltage and outputs inactive turn on key switch orange high voltage on normal operation red high voltage circuitry overheated turn off key switch and allow unit to cool contact us if this happens regularly Start the CellDRIVE software by clicking Start All Programs gt Meadowlark Optics CellDRIVE 3100 If using a D3060HV controller turn the keyswitch on to enable the LC outputs Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 1 Nematic Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder Basics 1 1 Physical architecture Typical nematic Liquid Crystal Variable Retarders LCVRs such as Meadowlark Optics LVR and LRC series are constructed using two optically flat fused silica windows coated with a transparent conductive coating A thin dielectric layer is applied over this coating which is the molecular alignment layer The two windows are then assembled creating a cavity that is filled with a birefringent nematic liquid crystal material The Swift LC devices do not use an alignment layer the alignment is accomplished by shearing the two substrates relative to each other For more information please visit our website www meadowlark com for an application note on the technology With no voltage applied
16. Test active when waveforms are off Initiates a read write test of controller The status light illuminates yellow during the test then green or red upon completion A green light indicates Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 10 proper communication between the controller and the computer and a red light indicates unsuccessful communication In the event of a red light 1 Check the cable connections 2 Exit CellDRIVE turn the controller off and back on wait for the status LED on the controller to stop flashing then restart CellDRIVE 3 Try a different USB or serial cable 4 Try running the unit with a different computer 5 If all else fails contact Meadowlark Optics for assistance e Run Stop Toggles waveform generation between the on Run and off Stop states In Stop mode the port test may be executed e Exit Quits CellDRIVE The last voltages generated by CellDRIVE will remain on the controller outputs until the controller is powered off The temperature will also be maintained until the controller is powered off 3 1 2 Waveform Control In addition to the time invariant setting CellDRIVE 3100 provides the capability to select from and configure a variety of CellDRIVE generated waveforms for each individual output channel Table 1 lists configuration parameters available with each waveform 3 1 2 1 More on T N E Not useful with Swift LC
17. VE menu to appear and click on the Install CelIDRIVE button If you are using the USB interface the USB driver will need to be installed prior to connecting the controller to the computer The driver installers are on the CelIDRIVE CD in the following directories 32 bit Windows XP amp newer USB DRIVERS 32 bit 64 bit Windows Vista amp 7 USB DRIVERSW64 bit Plug either the USB or serial cable into the appropriate connector on the digital interface controller Plug the other end into an appropriate USB or RS232 port on the computer Connect up to four Meadowlark Optics liquid crystal LC devices to appropriate connectors on the controller back panel The D3060HV high voltage controller can control up to two Swift LC devices If a liquid crystal device has the temperature control TSC option installed connect the temperature control cable to the five pin LEMO connector The controller including D3060HV is capable of TSC on any single channel If additional LC devices require TSC please contact us to inquire about our TC3051 Stand alone Temperature Control unit Plug the power supply into the appropriate connector on the controller back panel Connect the power to a properly grounded outlet Turn on the controller power NOTE The D3060HV controller also has a key interlock switch to enable the LC voltage outputs The green POWER LED should illuminate and remain on until the power is turned off The orange STA
18. e is momentarily removed allowing the liquid crystal molecules to undergo natural relaxation Due to the technology involved TNE 1s not useful for switching Swift LC devices Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 2 Hardware Setup and Configuration 2 1 Laboratory and computer requirements e One to four voltage controlled liquid crystal cells with SMA to SMB cables to connect the LC cells D3060HV controller can interface with up to two Swift LC devices which are hardwired and terminated with FAKRA SMB connector Please note that LC cells are not included with the controller e 100 240 VAC 47 63 Hz 500 mA power e A computer with an available USB or serial port e Minimum computer system requirements to run the included CellDRIVE 3100 software are 32 MB RAM 20 MB hard drive space 800x600 pixel 16 bit color graphics display a CD ROM drive and Microsoft Windows XP Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 A Microsoft HyperTerminal configuration is also included HyperTerminal is a component of Microsoft Windows XP and earlier meadoulark ptics LIQUID CRYSTAL power STATUS DIGITAL INTERFACE D3050 EXTIN External Input Sync Output SMB Jack SMB Jack USB B DB9 serial SMA connectors LEMO Power connector connector connector Figure 4 D3050 Front and back panel connections 2 2 Using the digital controller 1 Unpack controller and cables from
19. eously sets modulation voltages on all LC channels Converts each integer i to square wave amplitude voltage Query voltage settings on all channels Simultaneously sets modulation voltages on all LC channels E Converts each binary integer i to square wave amplitude voltage Activate TNE switching on channel n Oey the TNE duration and amplitude voltage setting on channel n F Produces sync pulse high low ion front panel sync connector Enables output channels to be i driven by signal applied to front i panel external input connector Query current temperature of temperature controlled LC Sets temperature setpoint for i temperature control Query current temperature i setpoint Query firmware version n LC channel 1 2 3 4 16 bit integer 0 65535 LC channel 1 2 3 4 ontroller returns 16 bit integer i ach i 16 bit integer 0 65535 ontroller returns four 16 bit ntegers i ach i 16 bit binary integer 0x0000 OXFFFF no comma and leading zeroes must be inserted for i values lt Ox1000 Idx is the only ommand that takes binary data as ut parameters duration of TNE pulse 0 255 ms t 0 turns off TNE feature 16 bit integer specifying mplitude of TNE pulse NE pulse duration in ms and 16 it integer i o parameters integer 0 15 specifies output hannel s enabled for external nput bit O set channel 1 enabled bit 1
20. er meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 28 Liquid Crystal Digital Controller other propriety notices The Software delivered by Licensor to Licensee and the archival copy shall be stored at Licensee s Site Modifications Reverse Engineering Licensee agrees that only Licensor shall have the right to alter maintain enhance or otherwise modify the Software Licensee shall not disassemble decompile or reverse engineer the Software Material Terms and Conditions Licensee specifically agrees that the terms and Conditions of this Section 2 are material and that failure of Licensee to comply with these terms and conditions shall constitute sufficient cause to terminate this Agreement Data Conversion Support a Data Conversion Licensee shall be solely responsible for data conversion data entry and verification of data Support Licensor may provide Licensee with support services related to the Software Use of Support services is governed by the Licensor policies and programs described in the Service Level Agreement Any supplemental software code modifications or enhancements provided to you as part of the Support service shall be considered part of the Software and subject to the terms of this License Agreement Ownership a Title Licensee and Licensor agree that Licensor owns all proprietary rights including patent copyright trade secret trademark and other proprietary rights in and to
21. erature Control unit 4 Turn on the front panel switch and observe the LEDs The green power LED remains illuminated as long as the controller is powered on The yellow status LED flashes the firmware version number and then remains off On the D3060HV the HIGH VOLTAGE LED has three states off high voltage and outputs inactive turn on key switch orange high voltage on normal operation red high voltage circuitry overheated turn off key switch and allow unit to cool contact us if this happens regularly 5 If using USB the USB driver must be installed prior to connecting controller to the computer The installers are located in the USB drivers directory of the CD Please choose the 32 bit or 64 bit installer as appropriate for your Windows version Windows XP Vista 7 and 8 are all available in either 32 bit or 64 bit versions Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 3 Computer Control There are several computer based methods by which to control the amplitude of the 2 kHz square wave 13 kHz for D3060HV output signals Therefore signals and waveforms in this manual refer to an amplitude envelope about a 2 kHz or 13 kHz square wave For instance a driver signal described as invariant actually refers to a square wave with a steady amplitude the envelope is unchanging in time but the signal itself if measured with an oscilloscope oscillates about the zer
22. ications HyperTerminal 2 The HyperTerminal title screen will appear briefly and then the Connection Description dialog box will appear The dialog will prompt you for a name and an icon for the new connection to be created Type an appropriately descriptive name such as Digital Interface Controller in the Name field Click on one of the icons displayed to choose a connection icon Click on the OK button to continue 3 The Connection Description dialog box will close and the Connect To dialog box will open There are four fields in this dialog box three of which refer to dial up modem connections and are therefore not relevant Click on the bottom most field labeled Connect using and select the COM port to which the controller is connected Click the OK button to proceed 4 The Connect To dialog box will close and a dialog box labeled COMn Properties where n is the COM port number selected in the previous step will appear The COM port connection parameters illustrated below are Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 21 COM1 Properties s Port Settings Bits per second 38400 Data bits 8 Parity None Stop bits 1 Flow control None Restore Defaults J Caca J Ay J e Bitspersecond 38400 e Data bits 8 e Parity None e Stop Bits 1 e Flow Control None When the port settings are comple
23. ight select 3 Plots If two channels are driven by time invariant values while a third is driven in T N E mode one might choose to plot only the T N E channel The choice of display has no effect on output to the LC channel choosing to display channel 2 does not affect the signal output of channel 3 e Legend The waveform plotted on a particular graph is selected by clicking left of the number on the plot legend Clicking right of the number on the plot legend gives a menu of options for displaying a plot e Y This button auto scales the vertical axis or axes to a range of 0 10 V e X This button auto scales the horizontal axis to show the most recent 5000 voltage values or to all of the voltage values if less than 5000 have been acquired e Zoom Pan Includes a variety of zoom and pan features for viewing the graph e Horizontal Scroll bar Enables scrolling back to review 5000 most recent voltage values e Vertical Axis Values These may be double clicked and edited to change the vertical axis range 3 1 6 Temperature Sensing and Control The temperature control interface includes the following e Set Temp Allows user to set the temperature C at which a temperature controlled LC is to be maintained e Temp Update Flashes when temperature measurement displayed on the screen is updated e Current Temp Displays present temperature of a temperature controlled LC If the temperature is within 1 degree of the set poi
24. ll be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction Notices Any notice under this Agreement will be in writing and delivered by personal delivery overnight courier confirmed facsimile confirmed e mail or certified or registered mail return receipt requested and will be deemed given upon personal delivery day after deposit with an overnight courier 5 days after deposit in the mail or upon confirmation of receipt of facsimile or email Notices will be sent to a party at its address set forth at the end of this Agreement or such other address as a party may specify in writing pursuant to this Section Entire Agreement Amendment Waiver This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement of the parties and supersedes any and all oral or written agreements or understandings between the parties as to the subject matter of the Agreement This Agreement may be changed only by a writing signed by both parties The waiver of a breach of any provision of this Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 31 14 15 Agreement will not operate or be interpreted as a waiver of any other or subsequent breach Severability Headings If any provision herein is held to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason the remaining provisions will continue in full force without being impaired or invalidated in any way The parties agree to
25. m The user can write a program that communicates directly with the controller through a USB connection Included on the CellDRIVE CD Source Code folder is a source code file usb_ver cpp that initializes a USB connection to the controller sends a ver command and reads the status response after sending any command status must be read before another command can be sent This program may be used as a starting point and modified as necessary to perform the desired task s Header file usbdrvd h must be included in the source code and the library file usbdrvd dll both included on the CellDRIVE CD must be linked in the final program If a user developed or modified application program is to be distributed in any way please contact Meadowlark Optics for licensing and copyright details 3 2 3 ASCII Command Conversions To convert the 16 bit integer i and 14 bit integer t values in Table 2 use the following conversion formulae Convert to voltage V i 6553 5 Convert Set point to temperature C T t 500 16384 273 15 Convert Set point from temperature C t C 273 15 16384 500 Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 16 Table 2 ASCII commands for the Digital Interface Controller ld n i lt CR gt Ly D i 1 lt CR gt extin i lt CR gt Sets the modulation voltage on i the specified LC channel Converts integer i to a square Simultan
26. meadowlark ptics polarization solutions adowlark optics ne Liquid Crystal Digital Controller Manual Revision 3 1 Information in this document is subject to change without notice Meadowlark Optics may have patents patent applications trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Meadowlark Optics the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property Please contact Meadowlark Optics for a list of applicable patents trademarks and or copyrights O 2013 Meadowlark Optics Incorporated All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Table of Contents Quick Start Guide a 3 1 Nematic Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder Basics 4 1 1 Physical architecture 4 1 2 RESPONSE Ume sorasa 5 2 Hardware Setup and ConfiguratiON ooonccnccnonononononcnonononononinnnnnncnnnons 7 2 1 Laboratory and system requirements 7 2 2 Using the digital interface controller 7 3 Computer Controle ini nadia 8 3 1 CellDRIVE 3 00 2 l SU G Suyu doc cronos 9 3 1 1 Control Panel aasan asha 10 3 1 2 Waveform Control
27. nt the number will be in green text otherwise it will be red NOTE If more than one device requires TSC operation please contact us to inquire about our TC3051 Stand alone Temperature Control unit 3 1 7 Save Restore Controls The settings may be saved and restored using the save and restore buttons e Save Settings Allows user to specify a file into which present waveform sync out external input and set temperature values will be saved Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 15 e Restore Settings Allows user to specify a file from which waveform sync out external input and set temperature values will be loaded 3 2 Additional Digital Interface Control Options The user has several other digital interface control options via a HyperTerminal session a user created program to communicate with the controller via USB or by using custom LabVIEW VIs supplied by Meadowlark Optics Table 2 details a complete list of ASCII firmware commands that may be used when performing USB or HyperTerminal control Note that all commands are lower case 3 2 1 HyperTerminal Command Line Control The HyperTerminal interface is available only through a COM port RS 232 connection After initiating a HyperTerminal session see Appendix A for details text commands are issued directly to the controller and responses are printed to the HyperTerminal screen 3 2 2 USB Control via C C Progra
28. o voltage axis It is important to note that the square wave is always symmetric about the zero voltage axis thus time invariant does not actually mean that a DC voltage is applied to a liquid crystal cell As previously mentioned zero offset is critical for nematic liquid crystal cells Voltage levels herein refer to the amplitude envelope of a 2 kHz 13 kHz for D3060HV square wave with near zero DC offset Applying any significant DC component to a liquid crystal cell may significantly decrease lifetime of the device The most common methods of interfacing to the controller are 1 Using CellDRIVE 3100 nematic liquid crystal driver software package from Meadowlark Optics or using the external input capability 2 Typing command line ASCII control codes through a terminal interface Microsoft HyperTerminal for example 3 Using a C C program that communicates with the controller via USB 4 Developing a custom LabVIEW application using sub VIs included on the CellDRIVE CD 3 1 CellDRIVE 3100 CellDRIVE 3100 provides for internal or external waveform generation amplitude modulation of the square wave and temperature sensing and control options A closed loop proportional feedback control circuit in the digital interface controller implements the temperature control feature with a user entered set point and measured temperature monitoring through the user interface Active heating and passive cooling of the liquid cr
29. on the controller to ensure the USB connection is properly made Wait until the front panel status LED is done flashing before clicking OK If the power is not cycled or the OK button is clicked before the front panel status LED is done flashing the following error will be displayed If this error appears close the firmware updater program and re run it Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 24 4 Meadowlark Optics Firmware Updater xi meadowlark optics Firmware Dh Era LabYIEW An exception occurred within the external code called by a Call Library Node This might have i corrupted LabVIEW s memory Save any work to a new File location and restart LabVIEW WI loader vi was stopped at node 0x1C48 of subVI 4 Lookin GamE o o J emda File name 83040 204 Files of type Custom Pattern d _ hex My Network P 5 Choose the new hex file and click OK The program will check if the new firmware file is valid for the controller if not the following error screen will appear At this point the user may elect to choose a different file or go ahead and program the controller with the chosen file Extreme caution should be exercised when deciding whether to program the controller with a file that may not be compatible If there are questions about choosing the appropriate file please contact Meadowlark Optics at 303 833 4333 Liquid Crys
30. port A controller connected to a USB port will not respond to a HyperTerminal session Liquid crystal cells are not changing state Check SMA connections and measure LC cell end of the cable with an AC true RMS voltmeter or oscilloscope Default values after power up before running either of the CellDRIVE applications are 555mV 5 55V for Swift LC devices An oscilloscope will show a 2 kHz 13 kHz for Swift LC devices square wave with 1 12V peak to peak amplitude 11 2V for Swift LC devices ALTERNATELY Double check optical alignment of cell Some cell orientations won t affect polarization if they happen to align with an Eigen axis fast or slow axis of the liquid crystal retarder I can t use the SMA connectors on the back of the device I need BNC BNC jack to SMA plug adapters are available from Meadowlark Optics Meadowlark Optics can also provide SMA to SMB custom cable adapters to attach Meadowlark Optics LC cells I need a particular waveform generated Use HyperTerminal and a text file editor to generate a piecewise approximation using 1d or 1dd commands Transfer text file through HyperTerminal to the controller Or develop code using LabVIEW development suite and VIs included on the CellDRIVE CD We can custom program any waveform into CellDRIVE 3100 please contact us for details ALTERNATIVELY Use a signal generator with the external input capability of CellDRIVE 3100 Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meado
31. replace any invalid provision with a valid provision that most closely approximates the intent and economic effect of the invalid provision Headings are for reference purposes only and in no way define limit construe or describe the scope or extent of such section Governing Law This Agreement will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado without giving effect to conflict of laws principles Both parties submit to personal jurisdiction in Colorado Trademarks National Instruments LabVIEW and NI VISA are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation Microsoft Windows and MS DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation LEMO is a registered trademark of LEMO USA Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 32 meadouwlark optics polarization solutions 5964 Iris Parkway P O Box 1000 US Mail Frederick Colorado 80530 303 833 4333 sales meadowlark com www meadowlark com
32. shipping container Please verify that your shipment included e Controller e Controller to LCVR cable not included with D3060HV e 12V power supply and power cables Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions USB cable or Serial cable Temperature sensing control cable CellDRIVE software CD User s manual 2 Install the CellDRIVE 3100 software e Place the CellDRIVE CD in the CD ROM drive e Wait for the CellDRIVE menu to appear and then click on the Install CellDRIVE button If autorun doesn t work double click on setup exe on the CD 3 Hardware configuration of the controller e Connect the 12VDC supply to the controller Plug the power supply into a properly grounded AC outlet e For USB interface attach USB cable to USB connector on rear of controller and connect other end to USB port on computer For serial interface attach serial cable to DB9 connector on controller and connect other end to serial port on computer e Connect cables to attach up to four liquid crystal cells to controller D3060HV can control up to two Swift LC devices e If applicable connect temperature sensing and control TSC cable to the five pin LEMO connector on the temperature enabled controller The controller including the D3060HV is capable of TSC on any single channel If additional LC devices require TSC please contact us to inquire about our TC3051 Stand alone Temp
33. tal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 25 Zj meadowlark optics Firmware Erasin A xi 9 WARNING Specified hex file is For a product File Nai other than the controller that is to be programmed d3040_204 Continue Do Not Choose a different file While Programming 6 After the hex file is loaded and passes validity tests the ready screen appears Click the Program button to reprogram the controller firmware If a final check is desired before reprogramming the firmware the Meadowlark Optics logo may be clicked to display a screen showing the old and new firmware versions Meadowlark Optics Firmware Updater j gt a 7 As the firmware is being erased and reprogrammed the status will be displayed as shown DO NOT disturb power to the controller while it is erasing or reprogramming If power is disturbed the controller s memory will be corrupted requiring the unit to be returned to Meadowlark Optics for reprogramming Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 26 FA 4 Meadowlark Optics Firmware Updater meadowlark optics Firmware Erasing Programming Updater File Name c Size d3040_204 hex WARNINGI Do Not Disturb Power to the Controller While Programming 4 Meadowlark Optics Firmware Updater meadowlark optics Firmware Erasing Programming Updater File Name at Size d3040_204 hex WARN
34. te click the OK button to proceed A HyperTerminal screen will now open At this point the terminal connection has been established and properly typed commands issued from the COMPUTER will be detected and appropriately followed by the controller The steps that follow are necessary to correctly display the ASCII commands and responses in the HyperTerminal window 5 Click FilelProperties and a dialog Properties box will open The dialog box will have two tabs at the top Connect To and Settings Click the Settings tab Click the button called ASCII Setup 6 In the ASCII Setup page the following settings must be enabled Y Echo typed characters locally y Wrap lines that exceed terminal width These settings are activated by placing a check in the appropriate boxes as shown in the below figure Click OK to close the ASCII Setup screen and click OK again to exit the Properties dialog box Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 22 ASCII Setup J gt ASCII Sending C Send line ends with line feeds Echo typed characters locally Line delay lo milliseconds Character delay milliseconds ASCII Receiving C Append line feeds to incoming line ends C Force incoming data to 7 bit ASCII Wrap lines that exceed terminal width 7 To save this configuration for future terminal sessions click
35. ulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 12 Table 1 CeIIDRIVE 3100 waveform options off i i Output is 0 0 V Invariant envelope that varies sinusoidally E between V and V over user specified period Phase relative to other output i channels can also be varied Output is a square wave within an i envelope that varies linearly from V to E Vo and back to V over a user specified period The phase relative to the other i output channels can also be varied i Output is a square wave within an envelope that varies instantly between i V and V over user specified period i The phase relative to the other output i channels and duty cycle ratio of positive voltage duration to total period expressed as percent can also be varied Output is a square wave within an i envelope that rises linearly to V or V gt i i whichever is greater over user Sawtooth i specified period and then drops i instantly to lower voltage The phase i relative to the other output channels can i also be varied i Transient Nematic Effect Identical in i behavior to square wave with the i following exception a voltage spike i occurs for a brief interval immediately i following a positive transition and i similarly the voltage drops to zero for a i brief interval immediately following a i negative transition Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions
36. ulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 19 gt gt How do I uninstall the CellDRIVE software Use the Add Remove Programs option in the Windows control panel ALTERNATIVELY Insert the CellDRIVE CD into the CD drive on the computer Once the menu appears click on the Install CellDRIVE button The software uninstaller will then run Can I use multiple controllers to control more than four LC cells Yes The CellDRIVE 3100 program is designed to handle up to four controllers connected to USB ports giving a total of 16 channels of control Waveform generation is limited to four channels one controller at a time Q In TNE mode the graphical display shows that TNE spikes are sometimes gt missing from the waveform Extremely short TNE spikes are occasionally misrepresented on the CellDRIVE 3100 interface but viewing the output with an oscilloscope will verify that they are consistently produced and delivered to the LC cell What are the power on default voltage and temperature values After powering on the controller each LC channel will have a 2 kHz 13 kHz for Swift LC devices 555mV 5 55V for Swift LC devices zero to peak amplitude square wave The temperature set point is initialized to 0 C so the cell will not heat Once CellDRIVE 3100 Advanced is started the temperature set point on units equipped with temperature sensing and control is initialized to the LC temperat
37. ure detected when the controller was powered on Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions 20 Appendix A Configuring HyperTerminal The interface between the host computer and controller consists of ASCII commands issued from the computer and ASCII responses issued by the controller When the RS 232 interface is used ASCII commands and responses can be respectively issued by and read from a terminal application HyperTerminal is a terminal application that is included with the Microsoft Windows operating system and can be installed from any Windows CD Note that HyperTerminal supports only communication over the COM ports USB communication is not supported through HyperTerminal A HyperTerminal configuration file that configures the terminal interface for use with the controller is included on the CellDRIVE CD In this appendix the configuration parameters for ASCII terminal communications are detailed so that users may configure alternative terminal programs If HyperTerminal has already been configured for use with a controller on a given computer or if the HyperTerminal configuration file from the CD is used these steps do not need to be followed 1 Confirm that a controller is connected to one of the COM ports of the computer powered on and the computer is booted into with Windows XP or newer Launch the HyperTerminal program from StartIPrograms Accessories Commun
38. ystal cell achieve temperature control The user interface Figure 5 consists of a control section left hand side and a waveform display section right hand side Clicking the Meadowlark Optics logo displays the software and firmware version numbers Liquid Crystal Digital Controller meadoulark optics User Manual rev 3 0 polarization solutions Controler 1 f interface Port Test Runstop ea Ese 2000 o 000 zo go Srs 2000 o coo zo go rage 2000 Eo ooo azo Saus 2000 Es 000 azo Figure 5 CelIDRIVE 3100 User Interface 3 1 1 Control Panel Along the top of the control section are buttons and indicators that operate as follows e Controller n USB interface selected Selects between multiple controllers connected to the same computer This control does not appear when a serial interface is used _ OR T O COM n Serial interface selected Selects COM port to which the controller is connected Note that although LPT n options appear on this pull down menu the controller is not configured for connection to a parallel port e Status Light Mluminates as follows also see Port Test below Green waveforms on Port status OK when last checked Green waveforms off Last user initiated port test passed Yellow waveforms off User initiated port test underway Red waveforms off Last user initiated port test failed e Interface Selects between USB and serial interface e Port
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