Basic Sensor Finder Program
This is our original Sensor Finder program...
Via StarLab it’s easy.
Via RS232: We do not provide RS232 commands for starting the logging on the meter, so this is not directly possible.
However, the customer can use the Simulate Key-press command to provide a virtual keypad control in order to set up and start the logging on the meter. Extracted from our “Remote Control” documentation:
By Gary Wagner, General Manager, Ophir (U.S.)
Additive manufacturing has restructured prototyping, development, and advanced design of mechanical components. Direct Metal Laser Melting, also known as Selective Laser Sintering or 3D Metal Printing, is quickly becoming the standard for designs that cannot be fabricated with traditional metal removal techniques. To create consistent, strong structures using laser-based additive manufacturing processes that meet flyable DOD standards or FDA requirements, the metallurgy must be...
Since the Scientific Revolution of the 1500’s and the Industrial Revolution of the 1700’s, both science and industry have moved and merged at a rapid pace. Every time you look through a trade journal, listen to the daily news, or explore the Web, you see announcements about discoveries and inventions. Remember thinking how fantastical the technologies showcased in the movie Star Wars were? Yet today we are beginning to see some of them emerge. What was once deemed science fiction or fantasy is now becoming reality.
...Since the late 1950’s, lasers have rapidly evolved from a somewhat simplistic physics laboratory curiosity to a complex, multifunction tool that is a mainstay in many industries and research institutions. Most of us have used laser pointers, played a game of laser tag, or seen lasers used at light shows or concerts. But few people know that lasers are also commonly used for such important applications as communications, navigation, automotive welding and cutting, general industrial, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, analytical instruments,...
Measuring optical signals in the femtowatt (10-15) to nanowatt (10-9) range can be a daunting task. Signal levels this low are lost in typical detector noise levels and swamped by background light. The noise floor for photodiode detectors operated with a small bandwidth (~10 Hz) is on the order of 1 picowatt (10-12). Further narrowing of the bandwidth by filtering or averaging will only provide a small additional reduction in the noise level....
The selection of an appropriate sensor to measure the power of a laser seems to be a simple and straightforward process. The sensor technology doesn’t seem to be too complex, the physical setup of the sensor seems easy enough. Yet, more often than not, the sensor turns out to NOT be the right one. As a result, inaccurate measurements are obtained, the sensor exhibits premature failure, and costly full disc replacement and recalibration are required. |
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Introduction
An integrating sphere collects electromagnetic radiation from a source usually external to the optical device, usually for flux measurement or optical attenuation. Radiation introduced into an integrating sphere strikes the reflective walls and undergoes multiple diffuse reflections. After numerous reflections, the radiation is dispersed highly uniformly at the sphere walls. The resulting integrated radiation level is directly proportional to the initial radiation level... |
Small beams are used in many critical applications yet often they are not directly profiled. While obtaining good beam profiling data on beams under 10 μm has its challenges, they can be overcome with proven techniques.
Profiling beams under 10 μm in size is one of the more challenging beam profiling applications. There are numerous reasons for this, including the very small size. Focal plane arrays commonly used in beam profiling have pixel dimensions of 3 to 10 μm, which are too large to reasonably profile...
Introduction
Ophir Pyroelectric Energy Sensors and Photodiode Energy Sensors can measure pulse energy from pico-Joules to 10's of Joules, and up to 25kHz pulse rates. They support pulse widths from nanoseconds or below, up to 20ms. They are compatible with most Ophir Meters and PC Interfaces, including the Nova II, Vega, StarLite, StarBright, Centauri, Juno and EA-1 meters.
Most of the time, measurements in digital format are adequate, either in the form of measurements displayed on a screen, or data logged...
With the introduction of BeamGage the capability of using the built in photodiode trigger in the SP camera series is now available. However, some customers may not know how to use it or that they even had this capability.
With the recently released BeamGage version 5.4 this capability is now available. Some cameras may need to have their firmware upgraded where others just need to update to the latest version of BeamGage. To see if your camera has the latest firmware make sure you are using BeamGage 5.4 and connect your camera to the computer. Launch BeamGage and when it...
The scientific community is often faced with the requirement of testing, validating, or merely qualifying several laser sources planned for a particular project.. Such testing is needed to:
This task puts a financial...
Ophir Photonics offers a number of solutions for profiling UV laser beams. Spot sizes from 0.15mm to over 25mm can be safely profiled without the risk of camera sensor damage or degradation. Laser beam analyzer accessories based on wavelength conversion materials permit spatial profile analysis of UV lasers with wavelength in the range of 193nm to 360nm.
* Maximum measurable spot size is 4 times the CCD...
You can now measure high average powers using moderate power sensors, using a new feature in the StarBright meter called “Pulse Power Measurement”. Thermopile sensors are often used to measure single shot pulse energy; the instrument can easily calculate instantaneous pulse power from this if it knows the pulse width (since power = pulse energy / pulse width). With the StarBright set to “Pulse Power” mode (supported from StarBright firmware version 1.30), the user enters the length of the pulse, fires the pulse, and StarBright then displays the instantaneous power...
Logging periods and limitations, both for when logging on-board the meter, and when logging on a PC with StarLab.
BeamGage is a multiple process application which requires local (not network or internet) port access to communicate. This allows for a great amount of flexibility when using multiple camera or multiple analyzer configurations. By default the port range in use is TCP 10100-11100. This can be reconfigured if these ports are already in use by another program or system.
BeamGage has three process types which will run. Spiricon.ConsoleService.exe is a Windows Service process that launches the connections to cameras. Spiricon....
Laser Information
Laser Measurement Products
Commercially available laser beam profiling products are used throughout the world to research, develop, manufacture, and test the quality of lasers and systems that use lasers. These measurement systems are also commonly employed to test and evaluate the spatial intensity distribution of other light sources.
Laser beam profiling products are typically composed of a 2-dimensional sensor array, optical imaging and attenuation optics, and software that displays, analyzes, and records the visual representations of the distribution of light for measurement,...
A quote attributed to Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, states that change is the only constant in life. Change often comes as a surprise and is seen as a painful part of life; however, that is not always the case. At Ophir-Spiricon we believe that change can be positive. We continuously look for ways that we can improve the customer experience, and often, we succeed.
One of our customers, Inter-Coastal Electronics, recently sent equipment to us for recalibration. Their buyer shared her experience with us and...