PF32 QUICK START GUIDE. v1.4.9

Transcription

1 PF32 QUICK START GUIDE v1.4.9

2 WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMERS Use of this product and the associated software implies acceptance of the Photon Force terms of use. Bare electronic components are susceptible to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Failure to employ good practice in handling the hardware, or to observe and comply with the warnings and handling precautions stated in this guide will void the product warranty. This product may not be used in military, aerospace, medical or other safety critical applications without the express written permission of Photon Force Ltd. Any such use is undertaken entirely at the customer s own risk. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Page 2 of 19

3 CONTENTS Warranty and disclaimers... 2 PF32 QUICK START GUIDE... 4 Software Installation Microsoft Windows... 4 Java Runtime Environment Installation... 5 PF32 Test Program Installation... 8 PF32 Test Program First Run Connecting the camera for TCSPC mode Page 3 of 19

4 PF32 QUICK START GUIDE SOFTWARE INSTALLATION MICROSOFT WINDOWS The PF32 application and USB driver are designed for Windows 10, but are also compatible with older versions of 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. Software installation is performed in two steps: 1. Obtain up-to-date Java Runtime Environment (JRE). 2. Install PF32 application. Page 4 of 19

5 JAVA RUNTIME ENVIRONMENT INSTALLATION The PF32 Java application requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). If not installed already, please download the JRE from the Oracle Java web site: To install Oracle Java Runtime Environment, and download and run the Windows Offline (64- bit) installer. The installation of the JRE requires the following steps: 1. Run the installer and provide the necessary administrator rights to allow the installation. 2. Accept the license agreement. Page 5 of 19

6 3. Wait for the installer to finish. Page 6 of 19

7 4. Close the installer and proceed to the installation of the PF32 Test Program. Page 7 of 19

8 PF32 TEST PROGRAM INSTALLATION Regular updates for the USB driver and test program are offered to Photon Force customers. Run the PF32 Test Program installer. The latest version for Windows is called: PF win64.exe 1. The installation will require Administrator permission. Press "Yes" when the following window appears and provide the Administrator password if required. 2. The installer might not start immediately and you may need to provide the appropriate permissions along the way. If windows will guide the process. The following window may appear before the installer starts. Click the "More info" link to proceed. Page 8 of 19

9 3. A new button "Run anyway" appears. Click this button to override the default Windows security setting. 4. Once again, you might be asked for the permission to install the Test Program. Press Yes to proceed. Page 9 of 19

10 5. Start the installation. 6. Accept the license agreement. Page 10 of 19

11 7. Choose the installation folder. 8. Choose the start menu folder in which Photon Force shortcuts will be created. Page 11 of 19

12 9. Choose the components to install. The options include the PF32 camera API. This is the software interface to the camera. The Java application is a standalone test program to run the camera. The USB driver is required for operating system communication with the camera. 10. Wait for the installer to finish. Page 12 of 19

13 11. Provide permission to install the driver. 12. Finish the installer. Page 13 of 19

14 PF32 TEST PROGRAM FIRST RUN USB3 and Power Connection Included within the PF32 carry-case are the 5V power supply (PSU) and the USB3 cable. It is crucial that no other PSU is used since an incorrect voltage, polarity, or current may irreversibly damage the PF32. Please connect the USB3 cable and PSU. Windows will then perform a driver installation the first time the board is connected. Start the PF32 Java Win_x64 application. Windows may prevent the application from loading the first time you attempt to run it. This is due to an inbuilt security feature preventing the execution of unverified programs. Permission will have to be granted to run the PF32 Test Program as explained below. If the program does not start at all, ensure that the Java Runtime Environment is installed first (see here). 13. The following window will appear on the first run of the PF32 Java Win_x64 test program. Click the "More info" link to proceed. Page 14 of 19

15 14. A new button "Run anyway" appears. Click this button to override the default Windows security setting. 15. Finally, one last prompt window appears, where permission to run the software must be granted. This may require an Administrator password. Page 15 of 19

16 16. Once the application starts, the following window appears. If it does not start at all, ensure that the Java Runtime Environment is installed first (see here). 17. Ensure the PF32 system is connected and powered on. 18. Click Choose bitfile and select the PF32_USB3.bit file provided, which contains the camera firmware. Note that other controls in the application are unresponsive until the camera firmware has been programmed, and the connection status will display NO. If programming is successful, the connection status will change to YES and the FPGA type, serial number and system operating mode will be displayed. By default, the system is configured in a photon counting mode, which does not provide timing information. Settings may be changed by selecting the desired mode of operation from the dropdown menu and pressing configure, or by changing the appropriate settings in the control tabs. At this point, in order to see an image within the software, you should attach a lens to the PF32. The PF32 has a CS-mount on the front. Should you wish you to use a C-mount lens, an appropriate spacer should be used. To use any other lens, adapters must be purchased separately. Page 16 of 19

17 CONNECTING THE CAMERA FOR TCSPC MODE The instructions for connecting the USB3 and PSU are shown here and should already have been followed. In order to synchronise your camera with a pulsed light source, there are a number of options available to the user. The most common of these is for the camera to be used in slave mode, whereby the timing reference is provided by an external source as shown in the example below: PF32 Camera in slave TCSPC mode where the timing synchronisation is provided by the same clock as the light source. In this case, the laser driver provides an electrical synchronisation reference pulse to the camera at the same time as the laser sends a pulse of light (to the target/ sample depending on application). The camera, as standard, accepts +3.3V (measured with 50 Ω load) pulses as reference through the SMA connector labelled SYNC, but can be configured to accept other signals (NIM, for example) upon request before it is shipped to the customer. Care should be taken to ensure that the limits for synchronisation signal are not exceeded to prevent damage to the electronics and sensor. Note, in the above example, the laser driver can also be triggered by an external source. In this case, the external source could trigger both the PF32 and the laser, provided the electrical pulse is within the limits stated in the PF32 SYNC Input Configuration document (supplied separately according to the SYNC options chosen by the customer). If the laser control unit does not include a synchronisation output, a portion of the outgoing beam can be split off (using an appropriate beam splitter) and directed on to a fast photodiode with circuitry that can provide an appropriate output signal. Photon Force can advise on the choice of trigger detector. Please contact us if you have any queries in this area. Page 17 of 19

18 PF32 camera in slave TCSPC mode where the timing synchronisation signal is provided by an optical detector (fast photodiode, for example) with an appropriate output. With the SYNC signal connected to the camera, open the Java software. As before, program the FPGA by clicking on Choose bitfile, then select PF32_USB3.bit. Check that the sync rate displayed matches the expected value. In the box Select mode of operation select TCSPC (laser master) then click Configure. Navigate to the TCSPC tab. The simplest test to observe time-correlated data is to direct the pulsed light source, safely and diffusely, at a wall or scattering surface and image this surface with the camera. Within the TCSPC tab, click on Capture TCSPC. The default measurement time is 5 seconds, after which, the measurement will stop. Next, select which pixel s histogram you which to see by selecting a Row and Col value and click Update Histogram. Below is an example of a TCSPC histogram. Page 18 of 19

19 Photon Force Ltd. 34 Melville Street, Edinburgh Scotland, UK, EH3 7HA