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SuperK EVO White Light Laser PRODUCT GUIDE Item 800-612-01...
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PRODUCT GUIDE This guide includes the following NKT Photonics Lasers: SuperK EVO Passively Cooled Supercontinuum White Light Laser in a Compact Form Factor SuperK EVO Air Cooled Supercontinuum White Light Laser with Regulated Cooling Fans SuperK EVO Water Cooled Supercontinuum White Light Laser with a Water Cooled Base SuperK EVO Product Guide Revision 1.1 11-2021 W-10456...
GUIDE OVERVIEW This product guide is intended to provide functional, operational and installation information for the SuperK EVO laser systems. The guide is divided into three sections: • SuperK EVO Description – introduces the laser’s theory and functionality, its interfaces, and chassis variants.
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Revision rolled back to 1.0 due to internal system requirements. November 2021 1.10 Minor errors corrected; updated language and figures throughout. Water cooled SuperK EVO – Hose and fitting connections are updated - see “Installing the water cooled chassis” on page...
CONTENTS Guide Overview ....................5 TABLES ....................13 FIGURES ..................15 PROCEDURES .................17 SUPERK EVO DESCRIPTION Section 1 1 Laser Description ..................21 Terminology ..................21 Accessories ..................21 CONTROL ..................21 Temperature regulation ..............21 Front panel interfaces................22 External bus ..................22 Mounting clamp slot ................
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Laser accessory management ............26 Status LEDs.................... 28 Chassis labels ..................29 2 Chassis Types ....................31 Passively cooled SuperK EVO ............... 31 Air cooled SuperK EVO ................31 Water cooled SuperK EVO ..............32 INSTALLING THE LASER Section 2 3 Mechanical Installation .................
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Connecting the External Bus ............. 46 Pulsed Output ..................47 OPERATING THE LASER Section 3 5 Communicating with the Laser ..............51 CONTROL software ................51 Installing the software ................ 51 Connecting the Laser to CONTROL ............51 USB connection ................. 51 Ethernet connection ................
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SuperK CONNECT................. 95 E CONTROL Software ..................97 Installing CONTROL ................97 F Troubleshooting and Errors ................ 103 Troubleshooting ..................103 Error codes and recovery ..............104 F Unpacking and Packing the Laser .............. 105 Unpacking the laser ................105 Accessory kit ..................
Figure 5: SuperK EVO status LEDs ..............28 Figure 6: SuperK EVO chassis panels ............30 Figure 7: Passively cooled SuperK EVO - heat conductive plate ....31 Figure 8: Air Cooled SuperK EVO - air flow ............ 32 Figure 9: Water cooled SuperK EVO - water flow ........... 32 Figure 10: Installing the passively cooled SuperK EVO .........
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Figure 42: SELECT connected to a SuperK EVO ........... 91 Figure 43: SELECT AOTF example output - 640nm central wavelength ..92 Figure 44: SuperK LLTF Contrast connected to a SuperK EVO ..... 93 Figure 45: SuperK SPLIT connected to a SuperK EVO ........94 Figure 46: SuperK CONNECT .................
PROCEDURES Procedure 1 Connecting the door interlock circuit........... 43 Procedure 2 Connecting power ............... 43 Procedure 3 Installing the collimator ............... 44 Procedure 4 Connecting over USB ..............52 Procedure 5 Connecting a PC to the laser using Ethernet......53 Procedure 6 Grouping connections in a collection ..........
SECTION 1 SUPERK EVO DESCRIPTION This section provides a description of the laser and its chassis types. • “Laser Description” on page 21 • “Chassis Types” on page 31...
Laser Description SuperK EVO lasers are a series of compact white light lasers (WLL) with passive, water, or air cooled variants. The lasers are Class 4 laser sources that generate a pulsed supercontinuum beam. The emitted beam is spatially coherent and composed of light frequencies from 400 to 2400 nm with a pulse rate that is customizable.
Front panel interfaces The front panel houses all of the laser interfaces as shown in Figure Figure 2 SuperK EVO front panel External bus - 15 pin D-sub female 7 Pulse output – 50 ohm BNC 2 Mounting clamp slot (passive variant only) 8 DC power input 3 RS-232 serial port –...
Optical output • Removing the key and storing it securely prevents unauthorized emission. The switch also resets any interlock breaks once the interlock circuit has been restored. Also see – “Key switch and interlock safety” on page Status LEDs “Status LEDs” on page Pulse Output Connect external equipment to the port to synchronize it with the laser pulse.
Configuration and operation overview Figure 3 SuperK collimator Polarization spacer 12 mm Polarization alignment key 3.5 mm Configuration and operation overview You can operate the laser using either NKTP’s CONTROL application from a connected PC or with your own custom application using NKTP’s Software Development Kit (SDK).
Warning: Do not use the Output Control feature as a safety interlock. Note: The feature is by request only, contact NKT Photonics. Key switch and To enhance safety, the laser is equipped with an interlock interface and a keyed interlock safety switch.
The port outputs a signal that is synchronized external equipment to the pulsed oscillator inside the SuperK EVO. The signal is NIM compliant (see standard DOE/ER-0457) and ranges from 0 to approximately -1 V.
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Configuration and operation overview enabled unless the interlock circuit is in the closed state. See also “Connecting the External Bus” on page Note: The External Bus will only prevent the laser from operating when the Inter- lock circuit is connected as required by safety regulations either local or mandat-...
Status LEDs Status LEDs The front panel houses three status LEDs shown in Figure Figure 5 SuperK EVO status LEDs Emission Status Power Table 1 Status LEDs Condition Description Emission ON White The laser is ON and emitting Class 4 laser emisison from the collimator.
Chassis labels Chassis labels The SuperK EVO chassis includes multiple labels that indicate hazards, regulatory and manufacturing information. The labels are located on the panels, and collimator described in Table 2 with the panel locations shown in Figure Table 2 Chassis labels...
Air cooled SuperK EVO The air cooled chassis of the SuperK EVO laser uses a fan plenum shelf with dual fans to thermally regulate the laser operation. Cool air drawn from the front panel grill is forced across the laser components regulating the system temperature.
30 cm clearance 30 cm clearance Air flow considerations To avoid obstruction of the airflow, place the air-cooled SuperK EVO laser with at least 30 cm clearance at the front and rear panel vents. Water cooled SuperK EVO The water cooled variant is equipped with two 1/8 inch hose fittings connected to internal channels where chilled coolant flows to regulate the temperature of the laser.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING THE LASER This section describes how to install the laser and includes the chapters: • “Mechanical Installation” on page 35 • “Connecting the Laser” on page 41...
For reliable operation, do not expose the laser to corrosive agents, ex- cessive moisture, heat or dust. General installation Ensure to install SuperK EVO lasers on a level surface that is free from vibrations. The ambient temperature surrounding the laser should be stable and free from requirements anything that could cause temperature fluctuations.
Mounting Mounting surface considerations When mounting a passively cooled SuperK EVO, place the laser with its bottom plate secured to a flat metallic surface. Ensure that the mounting surface makes contact with the entire bottom plate of the laser. Ambient conditions...
Installing the air cooled chassis Figure 11 Bottom aluminum plate and screw hole locations 20 mm 196 mm 4 x M6 Installing the air cooled chassis Air cooled SuperK The air cooled variant uses forced air flow to regulate the laser temperature. The air is drawn in through the inlet vents on the front panel and blown out through the exhaust vents on the rear panel.
Installing the water cooled chassis Figure 12 Air cooled SuperK EVO – airflow clearance 30 cm CLEARANCE 30 cm CLEARANCE Air flow The air cooled chassis must have sufficient clearance at the front and back considerations panels for unobstructed air flow. The clearance and ambient operation...
Required water (coolant) flow rate and temperature may vary and is dependent on the actual optical system parameters. Caution: Only use anti-corrosive coolant suitable for use with copper tubing, some coolants may damage the laser. If in doubt, contact NKT Photonics - see “Support contact details” on page...
Connecting the Laser Before operating the laser, follow the procedures in this chapter to ensure correct and safe operation. For information on how to connect: • the Safety Interlock – see “Connecting the Safety Interlock” on page 41 • Power – see “Connecting Power”...
Open Interlock Monitor Reset Shutdown Laser Laser Control Circuitry Caution: Do not deliberately short-circuit the Interlock Lemo connector. Short-cir- cuiting the interlock circumvents safety regulations and NKT Photonics does not take liability for injuries or damage caused by doing so.
LEMO Plug The laser is shipped with a pre-wired LEMO interlock plug. If you need a new LEMO plug assembly contact NKT Photonics, see “Support contact details” on page Procedure 1 Connecting the door interlock circuit Action Install a switch that opens when the door accessing the laser enclosure is opened.
Connecting the optical output (collimator installation) Connecting the optical output (collimator installation) Warning: Ensure to mount the collimator so that the beam emitted is contained in a protected area without personnel or flammable material. Back reflection When building and connecting your optical system, avoid creating a path where Back Reflection (BR) can occur.
Connecting the optical output (collimator installation) Figure 16 Inserting a collimator into a holder Figure 17 Collimator installed into a SuperK accessory receptacle...
Connecting the External Bus and pulse interfaces Connecting the External Bus and pulse interfaces External Bus The External Bus port is both a data communication bus interface and 12 volt supply for connected accessories. When SuperK accessories are used with the laser, they are connected to CONTROL through the External bus connection with the laser.
Connecting the External Bus and pulse interfaces Figure 19 External Bus circuit - two or more accessories in a daisy chain Pulsed Output This port outputs a NIM level pulsed signal conforming to DOE/ER-0457 which represents the laser’s seed pulse. To obtain the best waveform of the output signal, connect the seed Pulse Output using the cable and connector specifications listed in Table...
Connecting the External Bus and pulse interfaces Figure 20 Pulse synchronization Pulsed Emission SuperK EVO SuperK EVO Pulse Output (RG223 Cable) Synchronizer Sensor Control Subject Target Sensor Output Sensor Trigger Delay Using the CONTROL user interface, you can delay the NIM output pulse by up to 10000 ps.
SECTION 3 OPERATING THE LASER This section describes how to manage and operate the laser and includes the chapters: • “Communicating with the Laser” on page 51 • “Turning on the Laser” on page 57 • “CONTROL Interface” on page 61 •...
Communicating with the Laser This chapter focuses on how to obtain and install the CONTROL application and connect a SuperK EVO laser to a PC using either Ethernet or USB serial connectivity. CONTROL software The laser is shipped with the CONTROL application installer on a USB key. For an...
If necessary (when first using the serial USB drivers), wait for the Windows device manager to install the USB drivers for the connection. Launch the CONTROL software by either: • clicking on Windows – Start – Programs – NKT Photonics –CONTROL – or – • double clicking the CONTROL shortcut on the desktop The CONTROL window opens.
Connecting the Laser to CONTROL USB cable directly from a PC using CONTROL and then configure it’s IP address - “Ethernet” on page Procedure 5 Connecting a PC to the laser using Ethernet Action Connect to the laser from your CONTROL PC using a USB cable as described in Procedure Using CONTROL - configure the laser’s IPv4 address and port - see Ethernet on page...
Connecting the Laser to CONTROL Action Click the Save button to save the configuration of the new Ethernet connection. To delete or modify a configured port: Highlight the port and: Delete Edit • click the delete button. - or - •...
Connecting the Laser to CONTROL Procedure 6 Grouping connections in a collection Action Access the laser from a CONTROL PC using a USB cable or Ethernet cable as described in Connecting over USB on page 52 Connecting a PC to the laser using Ethernet on page From the Connect drop down menu list, select Config to open the Port Configuration window.
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Connecting the Laser to CONTROL Action When you have added all connections to the collection, click Save. Open the Connect drop down menu and click on the collection. CONTROL scans only the ports included in the collection. NOTE: Collection groups are separated from connections by a thin grey line in the drop down menu.
Do not turn on the laser if it has been exposed to temperature and hu- midity beyond the operating specifications. The SuperK EVO is designed to oper- ated in a non-condensing environment from +18 to +30°C. Before turning on the laser, allow it at least 30 minutes to reach room temperature.
Controlling the laser emissions Controlling the laser emissions Turning on the laser Follow the steps in Table 7 to turn on the laser. Procedure 7 Turning on the Laser Action On the front panel of the laser, turn the key switch to the ON position.
Controlling the laser emissions Turning off the laser Follow the steps in Table 8 on page 59 to turn off the emission. Procedure 8 Turning off the Laser Action Turn off emission by clicking the Emission button. The Emission button light turns from RED (ON) to green (OFF).
CONTROL Interface CONTROL overview The CONTROL user interface includes multiple panels and a selection of menu drop down items in the upper left corner. Using the drop down menu, you can add or remove panels. The panels can also be repositioned within the main window or into separate windows.
CONTROL overview Relocating panels You can be drag the different panels of CONTROL to any location within the main interface or into a separate floating panel. Procedure 9 describes how to relocate a panel within the main window: Procedure 9 Relocating panels Action Left click and hold the top title bar of the panel.
CONTROL overview Toggling the panels Click Menu > Window and check or uncheck the items in the drop down menu. Checking (clicking it) an item shows the panel and unchecking the item (clicking it visible again) removes it from view. Figure 25 Toggling panel visibility Check the panels to Device...
Status panel Status panel The status panel provides status indicators, error messages, emission control function and a CONTROL settings menu. Figure 27 Status panel Status Indicators The panel displays the following indicators: Interlock Indicates the status of the Interlock circuit and whether emission can be turned on or not.
Status panel • ON RED – There is a fault, laser emission is shutdown and cannot be turned ON. A fault message is displayed when the indicator turns ON RED: Fault Message Action Interlock opened while emission on a) Cycle the key switch to OFF and then ON b) Close the external interlock circuit Watchdog timeout Reconnect NKTP CONTROL and reset the interlock...
CONTROL Settings CONTROL Settings CONTROL settings are accessible by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner of the status panel. Clicking the icon displays a drop down menu of setting items as shown in Figure Figure 28 CONTROL settings Click the gear icon to access the menu Setting Item...
CONTROL Settings System port The System port sets the port address the laser uses for reception of TCP or UDP packets. The System Port address set in the network connection of CONTROL must match this address – default: 10001. Host IP address To help prevent unauthorized access, the laser can be configured to only accept packets from a single IP address assigned to the CONTROL PC.
CONTROL Settings Clock You can view and set the laser system time and date using this setting panel. Click the Set button to synchronize the laser system clock with the PC time and date. The clock setting is used when time stamping the recorded system logs. Figure 31 Clock settings Click to synchronize the laser system clock...
Procedure 10 Using the Key Updater tool Action Enter a key code in the field “Enter key code”. NOTE: Key codes are generated by NKT Photonics. In the list of modules, check the box on the right of each applicable module.
NKT Photonics support personnel. Log Downloader If your laser requires support from NKT Photonics, our support engineers may request you send them log files collected by the laser. You can use the log downloader tool to save laser log files to your CONTROL PC.
CONTROL Menu Procedure 11 Using the Log Downloader Action Click the Tools menu and click on Log Download to start the Log Downloader tool. The tool displays all connected modules with log capability. To decrease the download time of the module log files, CONTROL continuously collects module log data and stores this log data in a local database on the...
Use this tool to view the installed extensions (similar to plugins) that are included Overview with CONTROL. The extensions are found in the following folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\NKT Photonics\NKTP CONTROL\Plugins To view the extensions, open the Tools menu and click on Extensions Overview. The Extensions Overview window is launched as shown in...
The PubEVOLib.dll details highlighted in Figure 34 shows the version of the .dll file (1.1.2.303), the included extensions (SuperK EVO Extension) and which module types they support. Note: Multiple extensions for a wide range of NKTP lasers types are typically in- stalled when using the default installation of CONTROL.
Application Log panel Table 8 Operating modes Mode Description Normal In this mode, the External control input port is disabled: Operation • Current level of the laser pump is set by the Output control slider. • Enabling and disabling emission is controlled by both the Emission ON/OFF button and Interlock.
Device Monitor Device Monitor The device monitor shows a live streaming display of transmit and receive parameters for the laser’s communication ports and any connected device modules. The display parameter values are continuously updated and are useful to help debug issues with connected devices. The parameters are described in Table Table 9 Device monitor parameters Parameter...
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Device Monitor Parameter Description Total number of received telegrams with CRC failures. Total number of communication errors with framing or protocol errors. Hover over the icon to list more details. Busy Total number of busy responses from the module. Busy responses occur when a module receives a message but cannot process it due to its current work load.
Configuring External Control This chapter includes information for: • “Configuring external feedback” – describes how to connect a feedback circuit to the laser to stabilize the output power level. • “Configuring External enable”– describes how to connect an external logic signal to the laser to turn ON or OFF the laser emission.
External enable Configuring To vary the laser output level using an external analog signal, set the laser to external feedback External feedback mode. Figure 39 shows the Operating mode drop down menu, select External feedback. Figure 37 Setting External feedback mode Note: When External feedback mode is selected and no digital signal is applied at the External Control Input connector, the laser resumes normal operation.
External enable Figure 38 External Enable Trigger vs optical output rise TTL CMOS Trigger External Control Input SuperK EVO Detector Configuring Set the laser to External enable mode with a logic signal applied to the port. External enable Figure 39 shows the Operating mode drop down menu, select External enable to turn on the feature.
APPENDICES The appendices include: Appendix A on page 83 Specifications • Appendix B on page 85 Service and Support • Appendix C on page 87 Firmware Upgrade • Appendix D on page 89 Accessories • Appendix E on page 97 CONTROL Software •...
Specifications Table 11 Optical Parameter All SuperK EVO models 20 – 78 MHz Repetition Rate 410 – 2400 nm Spectral Coverage < 10 W Total Power < 2000 mW Total VIS Power ± 1% RMS Total Power Stability Unpolarized Polarization...
Table 13 Mechanical dimensions Chassis Model Passive Air Cooled Water Cooled 80 x 200 x 372 mm (3.15 x 166.5 x 200 x 325 mm (6.54 93 x 200 x 346 mm (3.66 x Size (H x W x D) 7.87 x 14.65 in) x 7.87 x 12.80 in) 7.87 x 13.63 in)
Figure 40 Warranty void label WARRANTY VOID IF SEAL IS BROKEN OR REMOVED Support contact details If you need help or have questions regarding your SuperK EVO laser or its accessories, contact NKT Photonics through the support website below: Support website 1. Go to: https://www.nktphotonics.com/lasers-fibers/support/technical-support-and-...
Firmware Upgrade Upgrading the firmware NKTP upgrades firmware periodically to support new functionality and occasional fixes. Follow the steps of Procedure 12 to upgrade your laser to the latest firmware. Procedure 12 Upgrading the firmware Action Download the Firmware updater tool from the NKTP support website to a PC : https://www.nktphotonics.com/lasers-fibers/support/software- drivers/...
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Upgrading the firmware Action 7 For each Module type listed, compare its Module firmware revision with the firmware revision listed under Available firmware. If the available firmware revision is higher, the laser can be upgraded. To upgrade: • for each Module type, click the Upload Firmware button. - or - •...
This appendix provides a brief overview of the accessories available for your laser. Table 16 lists the accessories and their functions with a link to a description of it. Table 16 SuperK EVO accessories Advanced Accessories Function Part Number VARIA...
VARIA accessories act as bandpass filters when connected to the collimator of a SuperK EVO laser. A portion of the beam from the SuperK EVO is diverted to the VARIA’s bandpass filter which removes the light wavelengths that fall outside a variable wavelength range.
SuperK SELECT SuperK SELECT accessories can be fitted to extract multiple specific light wavelengths from the broadband spectrum output of the SuperK EVO laser. The SELECT accessory uses Acousto-optic Tunable Filter (AOTF) technology using tellurium dioxide crystal(s) that diffracts the desired beam wavelength. The specific wavelength diffracted by each crystal is tuned by applying an RF signal to it.
Figure 43 SELECT AOTF example output - 640nm central wavelength Note: For further detailed information regarding the SuperK SELECT, refer to the SuperK SELECT Product Guide. Ranges subject to change, refer to the latest NKT Photonics datasheet.
NIR tuning ranges. Note that a separate PC-based GUI application is required to provide filter tuning control using USB 2.0 connectivity. The LLTF Contrast connected to a SuperK EVO is illustrated in Figure...
SuperK SPLIT Use a SuperK SPLIT to divide SuperK EVO emission into two separate spectral outputs. A SPLIT is a passive filter and it is available in two standard models where the spectral outputs are configured as either: • VIS/IR – Visible and Infrared –...
SuperK CONNECT A CONNECT is a single mode fiber coupling device which can terminate to a collimator and an FC /PC or FC/APC connector. As a fiber delivery system, CONNECT can be used with the laser or its accessories. It combines high coupling efficiency with power handling up to 500 mW over a spectrum from 400 to 2000 nm.
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Note: For further detailed information regarding the SuperK CONNECT, refer to the SuperK Fiber Delivery System including CONNECT Product Guide.
CONTROL Software Installing CONTROL Download the software from: https://www.nktphotonics.com/lasers-fibers/support/software-drivers/ Follow the steps of Procedure Procedure 13 Installing CONTROL Action On your PC, launch the installer package and click the Installer Run button. The installation wizard appears. Click Next to continue.
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Installing CONTROL Action Click Next to accept the default installation directory or select another directory by clicking the Browse button and then clicking Next once the new directory is selected. Uncheck any components not required. By default, all components are checked and installed. Click Next to continue.
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Installing CONTROL Action The wizard creates a start menu folder with program short-cuts. Use the default name or enter a new name for the folder. Click Next to continue. Check the box to create a desktop shortcut to access CONTROL. Click Next to continue Check the Silicon Labs driver installation (recommended) and click Next.
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Installing CONTROL Action Click Install to install NKTP CONTROL software on your Click Cancel to abort the installation. The wizard displays a progress meter for the installation. NOTE: a normal install should only take a few seconds. Click Next to install the UART drivers for the PC USB port. Read the end-user License Agreement, and select “I accept this agreement”.
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Installing CONTROL Action A drivers installation window appears. Wait for the installation to finish. The Silicon Labs drivers is installed successfully. Click Finish to end the installation wizard. CONTROL is now installed. Check the Run... box to launch CONTROL when the Finish button is clicked.
Disconnect the power to the laser. Locate and remove the ground. interlock circuit short to ground. Turn on the SuperK EVO system and reset the interlock with the key switch. No Power Check the AC mains and the AC power cord/power supply.
Set to 0% power (slider all the way to the left in CONTROL software) Enable the laser by clicking the Emission button on. Slowly increase power to 100%. If the problem is not resolved contact NKT Photonics. See Appendix Any other code Contact NKT Photonics. See...
Unpacking and Packing the Laser Unpacking the laser Note: NKT Photonics recommends that you save the original packaging in a se- cure dry location. The packaging is designed to help prevent damage to your la- ser for future shipping or storage requirements.
Prepare and pack the laser for shipping Caution: NKT Photonics recommends to use the laser’s original packaging. Us- ing any other packaging may increase the chance of shipping damage to occur. Contact NKT Photonics support if you require replacement packaging.
Prepare and pack the laser for shipping Procedure 15 Packing the laser Action Remove all packing material from the shipping carton except for the bottom foam. Put the accessory foam on top of the laser and carefully place the collimator and armored fiber cable into the foam. Put the laser and accessory foam into the anti-static bag and then seal the bag.
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Prepare and pack the laser for shipping...
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SuperK EVO Product Guide Revision 1.1 11-2021 W-10456...