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Sutter Lambda VF-5 Operation Manual

Tunable optical filter changer control system
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Lambda VF-5™
Tunable Optical Filter Changer
Control System
Operation Manual
Rev. 1.04a (20190606)
One Digital Drive
Novato, CA 94949
Voice: 415-883-0128 Web: www.sutter.com
Fax:
415-883-0572 Email: info@sutter.com

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Summary of Contents for Sutter Lambda VF-5

  • Page 1 Lambda VF-5™ Tunable Optical Filter Changer Control System Operation Manual Rev. 1.04a (20190606) One Digital Drive Novato, CA 94949 Voice: 415-883-0128 Web: www.sutter.com Fax: 415-883-0572 Email: info@sutter.com...
  • Page 2 Copyright © 2019 Sutter Instrument Company. All Rights Reserved. Lambda VF-5™ and Lambda VF-1™ are trademarks, and LAMBDA-10 ® SmartShutter ® are registered trademarks, all of Sutter Instrument Company. LAMBDA LS OPERATION MANUAL -– REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 5: Disclaimer

    Electrical  Operate the Lambda VF-5 using 110-120 V AC, 60 Hz, or 220-240 V AC., 50 Hz line voltage. This instrument is designed for connection to a standard laboratory power outlet (Overvoltage Category II), and because it is a microprocessor--controlled device, it should be accorded the same system wiring precautions as any 'computer type' system.

  • Page 6: Operational

    Failure to do this may result in damage to the electronics.  Operate only in a location where there is a free flow of fresh air on all sides. NEVER ALLOW THE FREE FLOW OF AIR TO BE RESTRICTED. LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    2.2.1 Vibrations ..........................11 2.3 Installation Instructions ........................ 12 2.3.1 Initializing the Lambda Vf-5 if Not Already Initialized or After Being Reset ....13 2.4 Setting the Wheel Rotation Speed (<LOCAL> <SPEED> <0> through <7>) ....17 2.5 Setting the Wheel Tilt Speed (<LOCAL> <SPEED> < λ > <0> through <3>) ....17 3.
  • Page 8 4.2 Main Status Screen ......................... 23 4.3 The Lambda VF-5 Keypad ......................23 4.4 Placing Lambda VF-5 into Local Mode ..................24 4.5 Immediate Key Control of Attached Devices (While in Local Mode) ........24 4.6 Main Menu (F1) ..........................25 4.6.1 Test Mode Menu (F1 2) ......................
  • Page 9 6.2 Input Command Set and Protocol ....................42 7. OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL CONTROL: USB INTERFACE............ 43 7.1 Installing the Lambda VF-5 as a USB Device on a Windows System........43 7.1.1 Installation Steps ........................43 7.1.2 Interactive USB Device Driver Installation ................45 7.2 Installing the USB Interface for Non-Windows Systems ............
  • Page 10 Table 8-2. Complete Command Reference..................... 61 Table 8-3. Filter command structure..................... 64 Table 8-4. Status Command Return Codes and Data................65 Table 8-5. “Get Controller Type and Configuration” Command Return Codes and Data....66 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 11: General Information

    1. GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Introduction The Lambda VF-5 is a filter wheel and shutter control system designed for rapid change and aperture control of wavelength, and comprises a controller and a filter wheel that is placed in the optical pathway(s) of your existing experimental setup. Next is a description on how this manual is organized and the manner in which its use is intended, followed by a general and functional description of the system.

  • Page 12: Figure 1-1 Anatomy Of The Lambda Vf-5 Filter Wheel

    The wheel has 5 positions for filters. In order to allow for possible future expansion the standard Sutter 10 position filter commands have been used. As a result, the available filter positions in this 5 position version have the values 0,2,4,6 and 8. The default position at power on is filter 0 with a tilt of 0 degrees.

  • Page 13: Table 1-1. List Of Supported Tunable Filters

    The filters are installed oriented so that the best optical performance is obtained with light directed into the optical port on the silver colored side of the housing and emerging from the VersaChrome ® is a registered trademark of Semrock ® LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 14: Systems

    Operations – External Control section of this manual. The following instructions are meant to help you set up the Lambda VF-5 and familiarize you with the manual mode of filter selection. More detail on controller functionality, filter installation and remote communications can be found in other sections of this manual.

  • Page 15: Mechanical Description

    APPENDIX A: Stepping Motor Operation. 1.4.2 Rear Panel Connectors All electrical connections are all made on the rear panel of the Lambda VF-5. See the FIRST TIME USE chapter for details on connecting the power cord and filter wheel cable(s).

  • Page 16: Figure 1-3. Electrical Connections

    FILTER WHEEL POSITION AND ANGLE CONTROL – A 25 pin, DSUB connector used to link the Lambda VF-5 controller with the VF-5 filter wheel. USB PORT – A USB Type B receptacle used to connect the Lambda VF-5 controller as a USB device to a USB port of a host computer.

  • Page 17: Front Panel Controls

    Figure 1-4. Lambda VF-5 front panel controls. 1.4.3.1 Keypad There are 16 keys on the Lambda VF-5 keypad. Numerical keys 0 through 9: These keys are used to manually select filter positions and, with the # key, to choose between the eight pre-set speeds...

  • Page 18: Display

    W: 25MM F0 SP3 L S: WL-490 nm If the Lambda VF-5 controller has not been initialized for the first time or if the controller has been reset, the following screen will display for about 5 seconds, ENTER FILTER POS NO.
  • Page 19 The motor used in the LAMBDA VF-5 has 200 steps per revolution (1.8 degrees per step). There are usually two windings in the stator, and reversing the current on one of the windings produces a single step of rotation.
  • Page 20 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 21: Installation

     Microscope adapters (if ordered). The Lambda VF-5 is shipped to you in a prefabricated foam mold. Please take note of this method of packaging. Should it ever be necessary to ship the Lambda VF-5 to another location, the same method of packaging should be employed. Additional packing material may be purchased from Sutter Instruments Company.

  • Page 22: Installation Instructions

    7 may all produce more vibration at the end of a move with this load even though they are slower speeds. At a minimum, we recommend that the Lambda VF-5 should be firmly mounted to a solid surface by the support stand, which is included with each unit. Do not depend on the optical coupling between the microscope and the Lambda VF-5 to support and stabilize the Lambda VF-5.

  • Page 23: Initializing The Lambda Vf-5 If Not Already Initialized Or After Being Reset

    W: 25MM F0 SP3 L S: WL-490 nm If the Lambda VF-5 controller has not been initialized for the first time or if the controller has been reset, the following screen will display for about 5 seconds, ENTER FILTER POS NO.
  • Page 24 F0-F ? ; F1-F*** F2-F***; F3-F*** The base values (in nanometers) currently supported for the Lambda VF-5 are: 380, 440, 490, 550, 620, 700, 800. If one of these numbers is appropriate to be entered for Filter Position 0, then enter the three digits on the unit’s keypad. Pressing F2 key again, enters the wavelength value into the current position (if just previously keyed in), and selects the next valid filter position for editing.
  • Page 25 ON * If you wish to make more changes with the keypad or if simply wishing to operate the Lambda VF-5 in local mode, press <LOCAL> to change control of the unit from external USB control over to local mode.
  • Page 26 <2> (2-DEMO) ENTER TILT SPEED 0-3 FOR DEMO ... W: 25MM F0 SP3 L S: WL-400 nm T3 <F1> 1-VF# 2-TEST <F1> 1-VERSION 2-HOME <F1> VERSION: M-v3.16 SLAVE-v3.12 <F2> 1-DEVICE TYPE 2-BAUD RATE LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 27: Setting The Wheel Rotation Speed ( <0> Through <7>)

    2.5 Setting the Wheel Tilt Speed (<LOCAL> <SPEED> < > <0> through <3>) One of four Tilt Speeds can be selected for the Lambda VF-5. The Tilt Speed is selected while in LOCAL mode and while the main status screen is displayed. To select a Tilt Speed, press <SPEED>...
  • Page 28 (This page intentionally blank.) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 29: Operations - General

    Figure 3-2. Switch, fuse, and power connection. The Lambda VF-5 has a “universal” power supply that runs on 110 volts or 220 volts AC, 50 or 60 Hz. You do not need to change settings or fuses to suit local conditions. Make certain that the ON/OFF Switch located on the back panel of the Lambda VF-5 cabinet is turned OFF.

  • Page 30: Basic Operation

    3.2 Basic Operation 3.2.1 Initialization At power on the Lambda VF-5 will rotate the filter wheel to filter position 0. If the wheel does not rotate to this position as detected by a Hall effect sensor, the display will indicate that there is an error.

  • Page 31: Make It Go

    USB port with properly installed software, the USB port will be selected as the default remote control interface. 3. The Lambda VF-5 will be in the on-line mode at power on, ready for serial port or USB port commands. However, it will need a valid remote-control command to pass control to the correct input.
  • Page 32 (This page intentionally blank.) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 33: Operations - Manual Control

    10-position, high-speed 4-position and high- current 10 position (32 mm). At power on, the Lambda VF-5 rotates the filter wheel to filter position 0. If the wheel does not rotate to this position as detected by a Hall Effect sensor, the display will indicate that there is an error.

  • Page 34: Placing Lambda Vf-5 Into Local Mode

    Figure 4-1. The Lambda VF-5 keypad for manual (local) control. 4.4 Placing Lambda VF-5 into Local Mode Once the unit has initialized, it is ready for USB input, as indicated by the U at the right side of the first display line. Serial input can be activated as noted in the section on the serial port.

  • Page 35: Main Menu (F1)

    In order to access the main menu in the local mode, press F1. There will be a brief display of the message: PRESS KEY 0 TO EXIT ANYTIME! The main menu, shown below, then quickly replaces the momentary screen shown previously: 1-VF# 2-TEST LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 36: Test Mode Menu (F1 2)

    4.6.1.2 Demo (F1 2 2) The Demo selection places the Lambda VF-5 in demo mode, whereby the all the features of the filter wheel are cycled through, in continuous mode. When DEMO is selected, a prompt is displayed next that asks for the Tilt Speed (0 through 3) to use with the demo.

  • Page 37: Error Detection And Recovery

    An ERROR signal is reported to the active interface. 4.10 Movement Errors: Causes and Solutions Filter Weight vs. Speed: The LAMBDA VF-5 is optimized for the fastest exchange of 2 filters in research applications. One element of the LAMBDA VF-5’s overall design that contributes to its superior performance is the acceleration and deceleration profiles that are pre- programmed into the microprocessor commanding the motor.

  • Page 38: Helpful Tips About Movement Errors

    There is a tendency for users to test the LAMBDA VF-5 in their system using little, if any, delay between commands even though a pause occurs during an actual experiment.

  • Page 39: Operations: External Control: General

    5. OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL CONTROL: GENERAL 5.1 Principles of Operation The remote control of the Lambda VF-5 can be achieved by issuing commands on a remote computer and transmitting them to the Lambda VF-5 over a serial (RS-232) or USB (direct or via a Virtual Com Port (VCP).

  • Page 40: Input Command Structure

    Most of the commands described in this chapter are ones that are sent from the computer to the Lambda VF-5. Some of these commands will cause the Lambda VF-5 to return certain special codes or one or more bytes of data. Some commands must be followed by one or more bytes containing parameters.
  • Page 41 Resets the controller 11111011 Set Filter Set if command is followed by F0 – F9 Position Base (position 0 through 9) and then two bytes Wavelength containing the base wavelength in 11111100 Assignment nanometers. LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 42: Command Descriptions

    NEW NM NUMBER IS NOT AVAILABLE... Commands sent to the controller via the serial or USB interface are structured in a one-byte (8-bit) signal. Some commands are followed by one or more bytes containing additional LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 43: Filter Wheel Commands

    • The filter wheel selection is specified in the most significant bit of the byte (Bit 7). Because the Lambda VF-5 supports only one filter wheel, Bit 7 of the command byte is always set to 0. Special Commands. These commands are used to control various aspects of the controller ...

  • Page 44: Filter Wheel Command Byte Encoding

    10 through 15, then the controller treats the entire byte as a “special command”. NOTE: Because the Lambda VF-5 supports a total of five filter wheel positions, only even- numbered filter position values (out of 0 – 9) are valid (0, 2, 4, 6, & 8).

  • Page 45: Set Wavelength Command Encoding

    Special commands are those that are not specifically related to the control of filter wheels. They are used primarily for the control, and the obtaining of status, of the Lambda VF-5 controller. These commands make use of all eight bits of the command byte, and begin with the value of 204 (decimal) or CC (hexadecimal).

  • Page 46: Status

    000 - 111 Filter 0 – 9 Position (Bits 3, 2, 1, & Position 0): Even-numbered 0 – 9 values out of 0 – 9 (0, 0000 - 1001 2, 4, 6, or 8) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 47: All Motors Power On

    5.8.4 Transfer to On Line This command is the equivalent to pressing the ON LINE key on the Lambda VF-5’s keypad. If the controller is in local mode (i.e., it is off line), this command will cause the controller to go on line (the opposite of local mode), enabling it to respond to other commands from the remote computer.

  • Page 48: Reset

    Transfer to On Line command. 5.8.6 Reset Causes the Lambda VF-5 controller to reset, changing all settings back to their defaults. After the reset has completed, status information similar to that returned by the Status command is returned to the remote computer.

  • Page 49: Preparing The Command Byte

    USB port connections. ¹ Note that the Lambda VF-5 supports the connection of only one filter wheel. Therefore, the filter wheel selector stored in Bit 7 of the command byte must always be 0. LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 50: Confirmation Command Echo

    A short period after the last byte of a command has been echoed back, the Lambda VF-5 sends a confirmation byte (described next) that indicates the operation associated with the command completed.

  • Page 51: Operations: External Control: Serial Rs-232 Interface

    6.1 Connecting to the Serial Port The serial interface connector on the back of the Lambda VF-5 controller cabinet is a DB-9 female connector. The connections are arranged so that a standard DB-9 serial cable can be used to connect the controller to a PC serial port. The port operates on a minimal RS-232 protocol where only the signal ground and the two data lines (transmit and receive) are connected;...

  • Page 52: Input Command Set And Protocol

    Note that the CHR$ function allows the actual number to be sent rather than the ASCII numbers of the characters that represent the number. Sending “;” disables the automatic addition of characters such as a linefeed or a space. LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 53: Operations: External Control: Usb Interface

    7.1 Installing the Lambda VF-5 as a USB Device on a Windows System The Lambda VF-5 can be used as a USB device with a remote computer that is installed with the necessary USB hardware and is running one of the following versions of Microsoft Windows.

  • Page 54: Figure 7-1 -- The Usb Cable Device Connector

    1. Make sure that the Lambda VF-5 is plugged into a power source and that its power switch is set to OFF. 2. Connect the “device” connector of the USB cable to the USB receptacle in the back of the Lambda VF-5.

  • Page 55: Interactive Usb Device Driver Installation

    Sutter Instrument Company instrument with a USB interface (such as a Lambda 10-3, a Lambda SC, an MPC-200, or even another Lambda VF-5) is already connected and configured with your computer. If this is the first time the Lambda VF-5 USB device drivers are being installed, it is then quite likely that Windows will display the dialog box shown in the following figure.

  • Page 56: Figure 7-7 -- Specifying Location Of Driver Files

    Windows remembered it had last copied a USB device driver. This may or may not be the path that currently contains the necessary files for the Lambda VF-5 USB interface installation. You have the following three choices for this dialog box: 1.

  • Page 57: Installing The Usb Interface For Non-Windows Systems

    This completes the description for installing the Lambda VF-5 as a USB device connected to a Windows system.

  • Page 58: Figure 7-9 -- Usbtest Main Screen

    Once you have the program up and running, and the screen in the previous figure is displayed, you can use the program to first identify whether or not one or more Lambda VF-5 units are installed as USB devices. This is accomplished by first clicking the Search button which causes USBTest to scan the USB for the device requested.

  • Page 59: Uninstalling The Usb Driver For The Lambda Vf-5

    USBTest program also makes use of a library called FTDIXXX .DLL that is freely available from FTDI, the manufacturer of the USB chip set used in the Lambda VF-5 and which gets installed on your system when the USB device driver for the Lambda VF-5 is installed. The FTDIXXX .DLL is “bound”...

  • Page 60: Remote Commands And The Usb Interface

    The same set of commands described in the Remote Commands and Remote Commands: Serial port chapters are available for use when the Lambda VF-5 is connected to a computer as a USB device. The following paragraphs summarize the entire Lambda VF-5 command set for use with the USB.

  • Page 61: Maintenance

    8. MAINTENANCE Routine cleaning of the Lambda VF-5 system is required to prevent excessive dust accumulations. This is done by wiping all exterior surfaces with a dry, soft, cotton cloth. All retaining rings should be inspected occasionally to be certain that they are seated into the filter holders and cups.
  • Page 62 (This page intentionally blank.) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 63: Appendix A. Limited Warranty

    APPENDIX A. LIMITED WARRANTY  Sutter Instrument Company, a division of Sutter Instrument Corporation, limits the warranty on this instrument to repair and replacement of defective components for two years from date of shipment, provided the instrument has been operated in accordance with the instructions outlined in this manual.
  • Page 64 (This page intentionally blank.) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 65: Appendix B. Accessories

    Tunable filter, 550-620nm with 14nm bandwidth CO-O573700 Tunable filter, 620-700nm with 13nm bandwidth CO-O573800 Tunable filter, 700-800nm with 12nm bandwidth B.2. Other Accessories O629950 Male-to-male C-mount adapter for mounting SmartShutter® to Lambda VF-5/ VF-1 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)
  • Page 66 (This page intentionally blank.) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 67: Appendix C. Fuse Replacement

    Replace the active fuse with the spare and re-install the fuse holder and power cord. If the controller fails to power up with the new fuse installed, call Sutter Instrument technical support personnel for assistance.
  • Page 68 (This page intentionally blank.) LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 69: Appendix D. Technical Specifications

    Bussmann GDC-1A or S506-1R (RoHS); or Littelfuse 218 001 or 218.001.P (RoHS)) Fuse holder contains two fuses. If a fuse is blown, both fuses should be replaced. Power cord 10A, 250V , with safety ground plug LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 70: Table 8-1. Controller Cables

    Not connected BNC female receptacle S1 OUT Not used Not connected BNC female receptacle S2 IN Not used Not connected BNC female receptacle S2 OUT Not used Not connected BNC female receptacle LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 71: Appendix F. External Control Command Reference

    0010 1000 Alt-0040 Move to physical Position 4 at Speed 2 0010 1001 Alt-0041 0010 1010 Alt-0042 – – 0010 1111 Alt-0047 Move to physical Position 0 at Speed 3 0011 0000 Alt-0048 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)
  • Page 72 Move to physical Position 2 at Speed 6 0101 0100 Alt-0100 0101 0101 Alt-0101 Move to physical Position 3 at Speed 6 0101 0110 Alt-0102 0101 0111 Alt-0103 Move to physical Position 4 at Speed 6 0101 1000 Alt-0104 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)
  • Page 73 Set Wavelength/Set Microsteps 1101 1111 Alt-0223 command. 1101 1111 Alt-0223 – 1110 1101 Alt-0237 On Line 1110 1110 Alt-0238 Local 1110 1111 Alt-0239 1111 0000 Alt-0240 – 1111 1010 Alt-0250 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 74: Table 8-3. Filter Command Structure

    1111 1110 Alt-0254 1111 1111 Alt-0255 NOTE 1: All commands indicated with “*” are not available in early versions of the Lambda VF-5 (those prior to Revision D). NOTE 2:The Lambda VF-5 supports only one filter wheel (Wheel A). Therefore, Bit 7 should always be set to 0.

  • Page 75: Table 8-4. Status Command Return Codes And Data

    * NOTE: Range shown for the filter wheel command/status byte is not 100% inclusive. Table 8-2 Please refer to Table 5-3 for an explanation of how the byte is encoded, and to a list of valid byte values. LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

  • Page 76: Table 8-5. "Get Controller Type And Configuration" Command Return Codes And Data

    For the command return data terminator (ASCII carriage return (13 decimal, 0D hexadecimal), generally no character will be displayed, although the carriage return is acted upon in most cases in text-based console programs. NOTES LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)
  • Page 77 ..........65 connection ............6 power switch ............21 installation............12 power up sequence..........25 fuse precautions ............. iii holder ..............65 electrical .............. iii location ............21, 65 replacement ........... 6, 65 LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)
  • Page 78 ..............67 stepper motors ............9 support base ............22 support base clamps ..........22 warranty ..............61 support rods ............22 weight ..............67 controller ............67 technical specifications controller NOTES LAMBDA VF-5 OPERATION MANUAL – REV. 1.04A (20190606)

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