Altechna WATT PILOT User manual

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WATT PILOT
Motorized Attenuator
QUICK START GUIDE

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I.Introduction
This guide is designed to help you quickly install Watt Pilot. When connected to
a host computer (operating system Windows 98 or further version) via USB
interface, Watt Pilot can be used as stand-alone device or integrated in custom
design systems.
Three optical components are used in Watt Pilot: two high-performance thin film
polarizers and a wave plate λ/2. Polarizers reflect s-polarized light while
transmitting p-polarized light. The intensity of the beam is continuously varied
without alteration of other beam parameters by rotating the wave plate.
Full specifications and explanations of the Watt Pilot features are given in Watt
Pilot Manual (coming soon).
Powder free gloves must be worn while mounting optical components. Avoid
touching and scratching optical surfaces.
II.Package
Check the package for damage and confirm that all parts have been delivered.
Figure 1. Watt Pilot package.
Package contains:
1. Zero order L/2 phase
retardation waveplate.
2. Two brewster type thin film
polarizers.
3. Adapter for polarizers.
4. Motorized waveplate
mount.
5. Control unit.
6. USB cable.
7. USB disk drive.
8. Power supply.

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III.Assembling
Figure 2. Assembling the Watt Pilot.
Watt Pilot assembling steps:
Step 1 Place polarizers into mechanical adapter. Polarizers must face each
other with surfaces coated with polarizing coating. Polarizing coating is
marked with an arrow, so you have to put the polarizers with the
arrows on the sides facing each other. Then fix polarizers with the
plastic bolts (use all 4 plastic bolts to fix one polarizer).
NOTICE: do not tighten up the bolts too much since it can bend the
polarizer and thus distort the laser beam.
Step 2 Put wave plate into attenuator between two mounting rings as shown.
Be sure the wave plate is immobilized tightly.
Step 3 Attenuator consists of two mechanical parts. You should assemble
both mechanical parts together.
Step 4 Use fixing screw for tightening both parts together.

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IV.Electrical connections
1. Connect attenuator to the controller box via RS232 plug from the micro step
motor.
2. Connect controller box to PC via USB cable or plug in TTL signal (see more
Watt Pilot Manual).
3. Connect control unit power supply.
V.Software installation
1. Launch WattPilotSetup.exe (from USB stick) program to install control
program.
2. Please notice that if you don't have Windows Framework installed, you will be
prompted to do that. Windows Framework can be downloaded from Microsoft
web page automatically or, alternatively, it can be found a copy in USB (file
dotnetfix.exe).
3. When the software is installed you can launch the controller program.
If the controller software does not detect attenuator hardware, please check
which USB Serial Port is used by Watt Pilot.
Figure 3. Detecting USB port
Right click My Computer (1) →Properties (2) →Device Manager (3) →Ports
(COM & LPT) (4). Find a port called USB Serial Port in the list (Watt Pilot
controller box must be connected to PC). Remember the number of this port
(e.g. COM9). Now open attenuator control software menu Configuration and
check if the serial port set correctly.