Features

State-of-the-Art Laser Diode Current Source

The current source topology uses an innovative, proprietary control loop and incorporates the latest techniques for signal filtering and circuit board shielding. Adjustable voltage limit and faster shutoff help prevent dangerous reconnect transients that can occur from intermittent connections between controller and laser diode. Investment in this instrument provides assurance for safe, worry-free testing and control of higher power laser diodes. Operational modes including constant current in low or high bandwidth or constant optical power are selectable from the front panel or via the remote interface. Measurement of the laser diode forward voltage is provided with 4-wire accuracy for production environments where longer cable runs are common. A single, rear panel modulation port* provides direct modulation of each channel’s laser current and supports external modulation bandwidths of up to 1MHz (lower current modules).

*If interested in individual modulation, contact an ILX Sales Engineer for details.

Wide Variety of Controller Modules

A wide variety of laser control modules are available including laser controller modules, dual channel laser current source, and dual channel temperature control modules. Controller modules source up to 1.5A of laser current with an integrated 9W temperature controller. Dual laser current source modules, with two isolated outputs, source up to 1A per channel, while dual temperature control modules provide two independent 9W outputs for control of up to 32 laser diodes per mainframe. Remote operation for independent control of all 16 channels is provided through an IEEE488 GPIB interface or RS-232 serial interface.

Powerful GPIB Interface

A powerful master processor platform drives the LDC-3916 controller, communicating with all sixteen microprocessor-controlled modules. When coupled with the HS488TNT chipset GPIB technology from National Instruments®, the LDC-3916 provides all of the necessary processing capabilities for automated production testing. With microprocessors on each module, the mainframe master manages 16 independent control channels quickly and reliably. Free LabVIEW™ instrument drivers are available.

Front Panel Interface Provides Simple Operation

The bright vacuum fluorescent display is readable from almost any angle. Status screens show four channels at once and scroll both directions to easily view any channel. You can monitor operations, change setpoints, and turn any output on or off from the status menu. Plus, you can define any two parameters displayed on the status screen for each channel. For initial or detailed setup, simple and intuitive menus supported by screen specific soft keys quickly configure and operate each channel. Menu depths have been limited to keep the front panel operation concise, while more sophisticated operations are reserved for the GPIB interface. An "All Channel" menu facilitates initial setup, and 10 storage bins allow you to save and recall all instrument settings. Setpoints and other values can be entered through a numeric keypad, up/down arrow keys, or the rotary adjustment knob.

Support Future System Expansion

Designed to provide the most efficient and safest control available for multiple laser diodes, each module's control functions are managed locally and communicated to the master processor. On-board intelligence simplifies future addition of modules since all operational and calibration data is stored in the module. Simply plug in the new module and power up the system. The mainframe never needs to leave the rack.

High Stability TEC Control

Achieve up to ±0.007°C temperature stability with the low noise temperature controller modules. The temperature control circuits optimize temperature settling times with a smart integrator control loop with expanded gain setting ranges. All TEC control modules for the LDC-3916 include voltage measurement capabilities and internal thermistor current selection via front panel or remotely for control over a wide temperature range.

Flexible Control Over a Wide Range of Applications

By combining true modularity and high channel density, the LDC-3916 easily adapts to a wide variety of applications. This system can be used for controlling multiple pump lasers in amplifier test or low channel count burn-in applications. When coupled with ILX’s LDM-4616 16-channel laser diode mount, the LDC-3916 can provide a cost effective DWDM optical source test set. For picometer tuning of wavelengths, select the LDC-3916371 module with 0.01 °C temperature setpoint resolution.

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