Pangolin FB4 User Manual
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Pangolin FB4 User Manual

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FB4
User Manual - BETA
Pangolin Laser Systems

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  • Page 1 User Manual - BETA Pangolin Laser Systems...
  • Page 2 Copyright 2015, Pangolin Laser Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Due to our policy of continuous product improvement, information in this manual is subject to change without notice.

  • Page 3: Getting Started

    The power connector is located at the top of the FB4 as shown. A stripped and tinned wire must be firmly pressed into each round hole found on the connector.

  • Page 4: Connecting To A Projector

    FB4 User Manual If you need to remove the power wires from the FB4, each wire may be released by inserting a very small pin or tip of an X-ACTO knife into the small slots adjacent to each hole. Connecting to a Projector The FB4 has "Axis output"...

  • Page 5: Software Setup

    QuickShow or BEYOND. When you start the software, it should automatically detect the FB4 and show it on the status bar. Within the Projector Settings dialog box, use the test patterns to...

  • Page 6: Power Input Connector

    X-ACTO knife trough the small slits adjacent to each hole, and then pull on the wire. FB4 requires +5 to +30 volts DC, at 2 watts. If you use the optional DMX or ILDA daughterboards, 2.5 watts of power should be...
  • Page 7 Appendix A FB4 Connections Axis (X and Y scanner) Outputs Axis Output Signal name Voltage level Y Positive + -5V to +5V Y Negative - -5V to +5V X Negative - -5V to +5V X Positive + -5V to +5V...
  • Page 8 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual Color Outputs Color Output Signal Name Voltage level Color 1 (Red) 0 to +5V Color 2 (Green) 0 to +5V Color 3 (Blue) 0 to +5V Color 4 (Deep Blue) 0 to +5V Color 5 (Yellow)
  • Page 9 Appendix A FB4 Connections ILDA DB-25 Pinouts If you want to connect FB4 Axis and Color outputs to an ILDA DB25 connector, the relevant signal names, pin numbers, and voltage levels are described below. Signal name Voltage level / Notes...
  • Page 10 10 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual Shutter Actuator Output Connector FB4 has a built-in PWM output which may be connected directly to an actuator, for the purposes of implementing a redundant mechanical shutter. The signals are described below. Shutter Actuator Output...
  • Page 11 These functions are selectable and adjustable in the FB4 menus. When implemented, the scanner's position signals may be fed into the FB4 as described below. If this signal is not implemented, the connector should be left unplugged.
  • Page 12 FB4 may be connected to an optional daughterboard which provides ILDA-Input and ILDA-Through capability. When this daugherboard is used, FB4 can direct the ILDA Input through FB4 circuitry for signal modification, before forwarding those signals to the Axis and Color outputs on the FB4. The signal modification includes the ability to adjust the color level and color shift as well as the orientation of the ILDA input.
  • Page 13 FB4 may be connected to an optional daughterboard which provides DMX-Input and DMX-Through capability. When this daugherboard is used, FB4 can receive DMX signals and trigger content stored on the removable SD memory card, as well as adjust the size, position, rotation, color and other parameters.

  • Page 14: Status Indicator Lights

    14 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual Status Indicator Lights GREEN - Power & SD card status - OFF: No Power - FLASHING: Not used at the moment - BLINKING: No SD Card - SOLID ON: SD Card Present YELLOW - Network status...
  • Page 15 Appendix A FB4 Connections RED - Laser Emission status - OFF: No laser output (and no connection to QS or BEYOND) - SLOW BLINKING: QS or BEYOND active, Laser output disabled - BLINKING: QS or BEYOND active and Laser output is enabled...
  • Page 16 Appendix B The following article appeared in the 2012 edition of The Laserist magazine. It is provided below as guide to connecting the FB4 with the other projector components. Making the right connections for a perfect image Incorrect connections can lead to distorted images and other problems, which are then mistakenly blamed on poor scanner tuning or poor component performance.

  • Page 17: Power Connections

    Appendix B Making The Right Connections Power Connections Figure 1 general manner in which power connections should be made between the various components.
  • Page 18 18 FB4 User Manual We will discuss the connections for the scanner power supplies first, because they are at the top of the diagram, and also because once that foundation is laid, the other power connections can be easily understood.
  • Page 19 Appendix B Making The Right Connections understand. Basically, any component inside the laser projector that requires a ground connection should make a “home-run” to the “Central Grounding Point”. This connection scheme is called a “Single-Point Grounding Scheme” which is also known as a “Star Grounding Scheme”.
  • Page 20 20 FB4 User Manual Power Connections For the Laser In addition to showing the connections for the scanner power supply, Figure 1 also shows the connections for the lasers. However, unlike the connections for the scanner amplifiers, the connections shown for the lasers are intended to be more conceptual than literal.
  • Page 21 Appendix B Making The Right Connections provides an easy mechanism for laser operators to prevent laser output when needed. The interlock portion of the ISP standard is intended to help prevent light from coming out of the projector if the projector is mistakenly connected to a non-laser signal source.

  • Page 22: Signal Connections

    22 FB4 User Manual Signal Connections Figure 4 We will now discuss the connections that are related to the ILDA DB- 25 signals, starting with a discussion of the scanner amplifiers. The ILDA DB-25 connector primarily contains signals that control the motion of the beam (i.e.
  • Page 23 Appendix B Making The Right Connections The motion- and color-related signals are arranged as differential pairs. For the purpose of the laser projector, the word “differential” means that the laser projector must derive the actual signal level by taking the difference between two signals (i.e. by subtracting). For example, ILDA DB-25 pin 1 contains the X+ signal, and pin 14 contains the X- signal.
  • Page 24 Pangolin’s PASS safety system does have a differential position input, but most others do not. The scan-fail monitor would also be connected to a shutter or to the laser diode drivers, but the method of connection depends on the exact scan-fail monitor being used.
  • Page 25 Appendix B Making The Right Connections One easy way to do this is with a difference amplifier, as shown in Figure 5, below. A single op-amp along with four resistors can be used to receive the differential signal from the X, Y, R, G, or B signal, and generate a “single ended”...
  • Page 26 26 FB4 User Manual projector is disconnected from the signal source, there should be NO light coming out of the laser projector (because there would be no difference between the differential color signals). I have recently seen several projectors that used laser diode drivers that used TTL modulation inputs rather than analog modulation inputs.
  • Page 27 Appendix B Making The Right Connections offers an additional layer of safety for the laser projector, and thus it is a desirable thing to have. Unlike the motion control signals, and color control signals, the shutter signal is not considered to be an “analog” signal. It is TTL in nature, and thus, the shutter is either fully opened, or fully closed.
  • Page 28 28 FB4 User Manual Beware of the Phantom Ground Connections Above we have discussed the benefits of using a single-point grounding scheme. One thing to be aware of is that even when the wire-connections are made carefully, it is possible that the...
  • Page 29 Appendix B Making The Right Connections A key-switch is required for laser projectors because, under the wrong  circumstances, laser projectors could be hazardous, and should be used only by trained laser operators. To prevent untrained personnel from operating the laser, a key-switch is used.
  • Page 30 Often times these two features are implemented in the form of an electronic circuit made by the projector manufacturer. As a point of interest, Pangolin’s Professional Audience Safety System...
  • Page 31 Appendix C FB4 Engineering Drawings...
  • Page 32 FB4 User Manual...
  • Page 33 Appendix C FB4 Engineering Drawings...
  • Page 34 FB4 User Manual...
  • Page 35 Appendix C FB4 Engineering Drawings...

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