Power Meters FAQ's

Laser Power Meters

Vega & Nova II

Can I upgrade my Nova-II or Vega software by myself or do I have to send it in to an Ophir distributor?

06/09/14

The Power and Energy Meter's software can be upgraded by the customer using Ophir's StarLab PC application available for download from the Ophir website.

1. Attach the Power and Energy Meters to your PC with the USB cable provided with the Power and Energy Meters.

2. Go to the bottom of the StarLab page and download the firmware for your Power and Energy Meters

3. Run the StarLab application

4. Select your Power and Energy Meters device and press Diagnostics

5. Select your meter and press the Upgrade button

6. Follow all the on-screen instructions to successfully reprogram the display.

 

These instructions, including screen captures, can be found at https://www.ophiropt.com/laser-measurement-instruments/laser-power-energy-meters/software/upgrade-firmware

 

If the field-upgrade process fails (example, unplug of the USB cable during the upgrade), the Power and Energy Meters will not function properly. Therefore, when turning on the Power and Energy Meters the user gets a blank screen. Note: The Power and Energy Meters can still communicate with the PC. Try to reinstall the Power and Energy Meters software as described above.

How do I turn my Ophir meter on?

05/26/15

All Ophir meters (except the Nova and Laserstar) have a momentary push button switch to both turn them on and turn them off. The push button action to turn them on is a press-and-release-quickly action. The push button action to turn them off is a press-and-hold action, until the meter turns off. A short press when the meter is on will turn on the backlight.

My Nova-II or Vega doesn't turn on.

05/26/15

This can sometimes happen when the battery of the Power and Energy Meters is completely discharged and then the charger is plugged in. The Power and Energy Meters is powered up but the contrast voltage on the LCD is not functioning, so it looks as though it is off; and usually the backlight switches on and off normally.

The solution is to first switch OFF the Power and Energy Meters properly by pressing the On/Off button for 4-5 seconds, and then switching it back ON by momentarily pressing the On/Off button, as normal.

The Power and Energy Meters will also fail to operate if you attempted to download a software upgrade and there was a malfunction in the download, see the question "Can I upgrade?" below.

Do you want to see some of the functionality of a power meter with different sensor types?

05/08/17

You can try our Nova II demo online. It can be found here. You can use this demo to connect to different sensor styles and check the meter’s and sensor’s functionality. You can also simulate a laser by imputing exposure levels. This simulator does not allow you to try every sensor, but it can give you an idea how the meters work and how sensors interface with the meter.