Apex Digital MP113 User manual

www.apexanalog.com © Apex Microtechnology Inc.
All rights reserved
Jul 2019
MP113GMU Rev B
Manager GUI Manual
®
MP113
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Before you Get Started................................................................................. 1
UART Cable Connection ............................................................................... 1
Installing the MP113 Manager .................................................................... 3
General Restrictions when Using the MP113 Manager .............................. 3
First Time Start ............................................................................................ 3
The Main Screen .......................................................................................... 6
MP113 Configuration and Status Information ............................................ 6
Single or Dual Color Print Head ................................................................... 8
MP113 Status Options ................................................................................. 9
Tools Menu................................................................................................... 9
MP113 Configuration ................................................................................... 9
Current MP113 Operation Mode ................................................................. 10
Power On Options ....................................................................................... 10
Module I2C Address .................................................................................... 10
D/A Offset Adjustment ................................................................................ 11
Waveform Sanity Check .............................................................................. 11
Waveforms .................................................................................................. 11
Creating and Editing Waveforms ................................................................. 12
Waveform Definition Table ......................................................................... 13
Waveform Segment Settings ....................................................................... 14
Function Buttons ......................................................................................... 14
Power Dissipation vs Print Frequency Tool ................................................. 14
Scaling the Waveform ................................................................................. 15
Firing Test Pulses ......................................................................................... 16
Test Patterns ............................................................................................... 17

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INTRODUCTION
The MP113 Manager is a graphical user interface that permits configuration and test operation of the
MP113 without a print data server. The MP113 Manager provides all functions required to successfully pre-
pare the MP113 for its operation, including the definition of the output waveforms and the setup of its I2C
address.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
A USB to serial converter cable is required for the MP113 Manager to communicate with the MP113. The
components you need to build a cable are listed below.
UART CABLE CONNECTION
The MP113 Manager communicates with the MP113 through a serial communication link. The connector
J5 (“CUST_PROG”) on the MP113 is used to connect an external digital UART to serial interface converter. The
signals at J5 are as follows:
Item MFG Part # Digikey Part #
USB to serial converter UM232H 768-1103-ND
USB 2.0 cable, Type A to mini Type B AK672M/2-1 AE1450-ND
24-30 AWG Wire
Female connector terminal, 24-30 AWG 0016020096 WM2562-ND
Connector housing, 2x3, 100 mil 0022552061 WM2520-ND
Pin Number Name I/O Description
1 5V -
5V Voltage. Do not connect if 5V is provided by the 64-pin card
edge connector. Pin 1 of J5 is marked with a white dot on the
board.
2 GND - Ground for UART signals (TXD, RXD). Also Ground to 5V if sup-
plied on pin 1.
3 TXD Output
Transmit data line. This is the output line for the MP113 and
needs to be connected to the receive input of the external
device.
4 RXD Input Receive data line. This is an input line to the MP113 and needs to
be connected to the transmit output of the external device.
5 RFU Reserved for future use. Don’t connect any signal to this pin.
6 RFU Reserved for future use. Don’t connect any signal to this pin.

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The figure below depicts the pin numbering of J5 when looking at the connector from the side.
Figure 1: J5 Pin Numbering
Figure 2: J5 Pins
MP113 requires a 5V voltage supply that can be either provided through the 64-pin card
edge connector or through the J5 connector. Never connect a 5V voltage supply to both
connectors at the same time to prevent any damage to the MP113.
The TXD and RXD signals at the J5 connector are digital signals that are not compatible to
RS232 signals. Never connect the pins directly to a RS232 interface.
See figure below for a completed cable.
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Figure 3: MP113 Completed Cable
INSTALLING THE MP113 MANAGER
The current MP113 Manager can be downloaded from Apex Microtechnology’s website. If you use proto-
type versions of MP113 please contact Apex Microtechnology before you download and install the software
to ensure that your prototype is compatible with the software provided on the website.
The current installer only works on the Windows™ operating system.
The software is provided with a self-installer which will guide you through the installation steps. By
installing the software on your computer you agree to the terms and conditions provided in the licensing
agreement that is shown to you at the beginning of the installation process. In particular you agree that the
software is provided to you “as is” without any warranties or conditions of any kind. Please read through the
sections “Limitation of Warranty” and “Limitation of Liability” for details.
GENERAL RESTRICTIONS WHEN USING THE MP113 MANAGER
MP113 Manager has run smoothly on all computers we tested (Windows XP, Windows 7), but it does not
handle country specific localizations. That means that all file paths and file names need to use characters that
are part of the latin1 font set (simplified, all ‘A’ to ‘Z’ in upper-case or lower-case letters, the numbers ‘0’ to
‘9’, and the ‘.’ to separate file name and file extensions).
FIRST TIME START
When connecting the MP113 to the PC for the very first time, it is recommended that you do not provide
a high voltage (+VS, -VS) or the auxiliary voltage (+VAUX) to the board. Also, do not connect a print head to the
60-pin card edge connector at that time. This allows you to get familiar with the MP113 Manager and its func-
tionality without causing any unexpected outputs or high voltage signals. You do, however, need to connect a
5V voltage supply (VCC) and ground.
There are two green LEDs on the board that will illuminate if the VCC supply is provided correctly:

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Figure 4: VCC (5V) LEDs
When starting the MP113 Manager on your computer, it will ask you for the serial communication inter-
face that is connected to your MP113 board:
Figure 5: Serial Communication Setting
Please select the correct serial interface from the drop-down menu.
Confirm that proper communication can be established by clicking on the “Connect” button. The MP113
Manager will try to establish communication with the MP113 board. If successful, a green check mark (see,
right) will replace the blue question mark shown in the initial screen, otherwise a red icon (see, left) will indi-
cate that the communication failed:
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Figure 6: Failed (above) and Successful (below) Communication
If communication is not possible, please check the following:
• Have you selected the correct serial communication interface in the software?
• Is 5V (VCC) and Ground connected on the MP113 board?
• Is the MP113 board powered on? You should see a green LED light on the board
• Is there a connection between the PC ground and the MP113 ground?
• Are RXD and TXD lines of connector J5 connected properly? Is RXD connected to the transmit signal of the
PC, and is the TXD connected to the receive signal of the PC?
If communication was successfully established, the MP113 manager will automatically enable the main
screen.
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THE MAIN SCREEN
The main screen of the MP113 Manager looks as follows:
Figure 7: Main Screen of MP113 Manager
When you start MP113, the main screen will not be visible. The main screen will become visible only after
successful communication with the MP113.
MP113 CONFIGURATION AND STATUS INFORMATION
Most of the information in the MP113 Configuration and Status Information is provided for diagnostic
purposes only. It is useful if you decide to develop your own communication software, i.e. when planning to
use the I2C interface. However, all the information can also be read from the MP113. When developing your
own communication software it is highly recommended that you read the configuration data directly from
the MP113 instead of relying on the displayed data.

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The Status Information is a current snapshot of MP113’s operation and will therefore change during the oper-
ation of MP113.
Item Explanation
Firmware Revision Date code of the current firmware built
Number of Colors Maximum number of colors the MP113 can handle. Please also read the chapter “single or Dual
Color Print Head”
Maximum Voltage
Maximum output voltage MP113 cab handle, provided that a proper supply voltage is provided.
Please check the data sheet for details on the output voltage swing to determine the supply volt-
age headroom needed for the output voltage
D/A Clock D/A converter update rate
PWM Clock Internal operating clock of the waveform timer
Max Waveform
Length The maximum length of a waveform MP113 can output
Buffer Size (RX/TX) Communication buffer size. This information is helpful if you decide to develop your own commu-
nication software
Item Explanation
Status
“Offline” or “Online”. You can click the “Online” button to change the status. Note that MP113
can only go online if valid waveform data is available.
MP113 ignores all input signals to the MP113 if it is either in offline mode or if emulation mode is
active.
MP113 only responds to requests for waveform output when in online mode.
Current Color
Mode
Number of colors the MP113 currently handles. This can be the same or less than the maximum
number of colors MP113 can handle. Please also read the chapter “Single or Dual Color Print
Head”
Waveform Valid
No: MP113 does not have valid waveform data. If you have a MP113 that can handle 2 colors, you
need to download waveform for both colors, even if MP113 is used in single color mode.
MP113 can’t go online if no valid waveform data is found.
Yes: MP113 has valid waveform data.
Waveform Length Length of the current waveform. If you have a MP113 that can handle 2 colors, this is the longer
of the two waveforms.
Emulation Mode
Off: MP113 is controlled by the input signals to the MP113 board (card edge connector)
On: MP113 ignores all input signals to the MP113 board. It is controlled by the graphical user
interface only.
When “Emulation Mode” is on and MP113 Operation Status is “Online”, the print pulse button
appears below this table.
FPGA Status Coded Information on the FPGA status. This is provided for diagnostic purposes only.
Refresh Button Update the MP113 Status information
+VS, TA,TB MP104 temperature sensor in degrees Celsius. Supply voltage information in Volts.

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SINGLE OR DUAL COLOR PRINT HEAD
MP113 is designed to work with SG-1024 print heads from Fujifilm Dimatix. It supports both the single
and dual color versions:
Figure 8: SG-1024 Print Heads: Dual Color (left) and Single Color (right)
When starting the MP113 Manager for the very first time you need to confirm that MP113 is configured
for the print head you are planning to use. The factory default setting for color mode is dual color.
Under the “MP113 Operation Status”, there is a line item “Color Mode”. That number should match the
number of colors your print head can handle. If you have the dual color version of the SG-1024, it should read
“2”, if you have a single color version then the value should be “1”. Figure 6 has the line item marked in blue.
Figure 9: MP113 Current Color Mode
To change the number of colors, you need to re-configure the MP113. Check the “Number of Colors” line
under the “MP113 Configuration”. Go to the section titled “Current MP113 Operation Mode”, which
describes how to change the MP113’s color mode.
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MP113 STATUS OPTIONS
MP113 has three major modes:
• Online mode..........MP113 is actively monitoring the incoming print signal and data clocks. MP113 is
ready to output a waveform once it receives a print.
• Offline mode..........Also known as “configuration mode”. The MP113 output is set to 0V and any incoming
print signal or data clock are ignored. In grayscale mode, the output data lines to the print head are pulled to
GND signal, in binary mode the output data lines to the print head are still directly connected to the input
data lines. The clock and latch signals are always pulled to GND.
• Emulation mode....Also known as “demo mode”. All input signals to the MP113 are replaced by input sig-
nals created through the MP113 Manager (this software).
TOOLS MENU
Figure 10: Tools Menu
The tools menu offers the following options:
• Configure MP113....................MP113 Configuration dialog – see description below for details
• Analyze Power Dissipation.....Power dissipation analysis tool using your waveform information
• MP113 Monitor Function.......Runs periodic monitoring of +VS power and channel temperature
MP113 CONFIGURATION
The configuration dialog of the MP113 Manager allows you to
- Set the MP113 operating mode
- Set the MP113 behavior after power-on
- Set the I2C address of the MP113
Configuration of the MP113 is done by clicking on “Tools” in the menu bar, then selecting “Configure
MP113”:
The Configuration Dialog can only be started if MP113 is not online or if MP113 is in emulation (demo)
mode.
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Figure 11: MP113 Configuration Dialog
CURRENT MP113 OPERATION MODE
The “Current MP113 Operating Mode” shows the mode of the MP113. This field can only be changed if
MP113 is offline. Valid operation modes are:
• Binary Mode
• Single Color Mode
• Dual Color Mode (only available for the 2-color version of MP113)
Please refer to the MP113 Data Sheet for the details on the operating modes. If you want to change the
operation mode select the new mode from the pull-down menu and click OK.
Changing the “Current MP113 Operation Mode” will not change the startup mode of the
MP113. If you want to permanently change the mode of MP113, you need to change the
“Power On Option” at the same time.
POWER ON OPTIONS
The “Power on Options” allow you to select the behavior of MP113 at power-up. Besides selecting the
operation mode, you can also define if the MP113 is set to demo/evaluation mode.
The status of MP113 (online/offline) can be controlled through the serial communication interface at any
point in time. If you need some time to set up the other components of your system before MP113 can
receive printing information, you should keep MP113 offline after startup. Once your initialization of the sys-
tem is complete, you issue MP113 the command to go online through the serial communication interface.
MODULE I2C ADDRESS
The MP113 Configuration Dialog also allows you to set the I2C address of the module. Please select the
proper value in the related input box. By default, MP113 has the I2C address of 0x50 (hex). A change in the
I2C address become active immediately after clicking the OK button.
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D/A OFFSET ADJUSTMENT
The “Self Calibrate” functionality of the MP113 uses the value of the +VS supply to calculate the ideal gain
and offset of the amplifier.
Unless explicitly told otherwise by Apex personnel, only use the “Self Calibrate” for adjust-
ing the D/A converter. Adjusting the D/A values manually can result in potential damage to
the print head.
WAVEFORM SANITY CHECK
The MP113 Manager checks the waveform for their peak voltage and their slew rate. If you want to use
slew rates that exceed the maximum slew rate MP113 is guaranteed to handle properly you can do so at your
own risk by disabling the slew rate check of the waveforms.
WAVEFORMS
The MP113 Manager can read waveforms that were created by Fujifilm’s waveform creator tool, or you
can use the MP113 Manager to create and edit your own waveform.
If your MP113 already has waveforms loaded, you can request the MP113 Manager to download the
waveforms from the MP113.
If you created a waveform and saved it to a file, or if your print head manufacturer provided you with a
waveform, you can click on “File” in the menu bar and select “Load Waveform”. A file selection dialog will
open. Select the waveform file there and click okay. If you selected a valid waveform file, the waveform will
be displayed in the waveform display.
If you need to start creating a new waveform, you need to click on “File” in the menu bar. Then select
“Edit Waveform”. A new dialog window will open that provides you with all the tools to create and/or edit a
waveform.
To upload a waveform to the MP113, click on the “Upload Waveform to MP113” button. The MP113
Manager will send the waveform to the MP113. All waveforms will automatically be stored in non-volatile
memory on the MP113, so any waveform uploaded to the MP113 is still available after a power cycle.
MP113 has some restrictions about waveforms. Before uploading a waveform, the MP113 Manager will
check the waveform thoroughly for potential violations. The table below provides a list of violations and steps
to fix them. You can use the edit waveform function within the MP113 Manager to adjust the waveform.
Violation Solution
No waveform
loaded Load a waveform or create a waveform before clicking the upload button
No pulse defined A waveform needs to have at least one pulse. Edit the waveform and add the pulse information
No waveform
defined
A waveform needs to have at least one voltage that is not 0. Edit the waveform and add a voltage
level that is not zero.
Invalid segment
start times
Start times must be in sequential order and within the duration of the waveform. Edit the wave-
form and correct the segment start times
Segment length is
too short
The time between two segment markers or between the last segment marker and the end of the
waveform needs to be at least 10µs (see MP113 data sheet). Edit the waveform and either adjust
the segment markers and/or increase the length of the step(s) within a segment.

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CREATING AND EDITING WAVEFORMS
Before explaining the waveform editor of the MP113 Manager, the common expressions used in this
chapter are explained:
Figure 12: Waveform, Segment, Steps
• Step...................Period where the output is set to a defined voltage. All steps include the rise or fall time
to the output voltage. Every step needs to end at a different voltage level than its start voltage. The very first
step must start at 0V, the very last step needs to end at 0V.
• Waveform.........Combination of all steps that form an output.
Waveform too long
The length of the waveform exceeds the memory of the MP113. The MP113 Configuration and
Status Information shows the maximum length of a waveform. Edit the waveform and shorten it
accordingly.
Slew rate too fast
The slew rate of the waveform is faster than the maximum slew rate defined in the MP113 data
sheet. Edit the waveform and adjust the slew rate.
Note: You can disable the slew rate sanity check at your own risk in the MP113 configuration dia-
log
Peak voltage is too
high
The peak voltage of the waveform is greater than the maximum output voltage of the MP113.
The MP113 Configuration and Status Information shows the maximum output voltage of the
MP113. You can either use the “Adjustment of the Peak Voltage” on the main window (item 4) to
correct the peak voltage, or for enhanced voltage adjustment options you can edit the waveform
and adjust the peak voltage there.
Waveform does
not end at 0V
All waveforms need to end at 0V. Edit the waveform and add a step that drops the voltage back
to 0V.
Waveform step too
short
All waveform steps need to be at least the duration of one D/A converter update, which is shown
in the MP113 Configuration and Status Information. Edit the waveform and ensure that all steps
meet the minimum time requirement
Slew rate too slow
The slew rate for one or several steps in the waveform is too slow to allow the output to reach its
target voltage before the start of the next section. Edit the waveform and adjust the slew rate,
the voltage or the length of the section(s).
Voltage is not 0V at
segment marker
Segment markers can only be set for periods where the output voltage is 0V. Edit the waveform
and adjust the segment markers.
Two consecutive
steps have the
same voltage
Each step needs to have a different output voltage. Edit the waveform and combine steps with
the same output voltage.

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• Segment............Period within the waveform. All segments must start at 0V and end at 0V. Besides the
restriction that the first segment starts with step 0 and that the last segment ends with the last step, the start
and end times of segments can be set arbitrarily as long as the 0V restriction is met.
Figure 13: Waveform Editor Dialog
WAVEFORM DEFINITION TABLE
The waveform definition table is used to create and edit the displayed waveform. The start time of each
step is calculated automatically. Other values such as duration, output voltage and slew rate can be manually
changed.
Table Column Description
Start Time (micro-
seconds)
Start time of the step. This value is calculated automatically and updated whenever a duration is
changed.
Duration (micro-
seconds) Duration of the step. The duration is total time of the step: the slewing plus the hold period.
Voltage (Volts) Output voltage at the end of the step. If lower than the previous step, the waveform will slew
down (falling edge), otherwise it will slew up (rising edge).
Slew Rate (Volts/
microsecond) Slew rate to move from the voltage of the previous step to the voltage of the current step.

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WAVEFORM SEGMENT SETTINGS
MP113 supports waveforms from 1 to 8 segments. The number of segments is set by the “Number of
Pulses” box.
The color mapping table links the 4 grayscale color levels to the waveform segments. Each row describes
a color level, levels 1 – 4. Each column represents a waveform segment. The color map in each section of the
table can be set to 1, ON, or 0, OFF.
The segment start times are defined in the table shown as item 5. The very first segment always starts at
0 µs. All other segment starts can be adjusted. Please note that the duration of any segment must meet the
minimum waveform duration requirement of MP113, which is 10 µs.
FUNCTION BUTTONS
Adds a new step to the waveform definition table
Removes the marked step from the waveform definition table
Scale the waveform. Scaling can be either done by adjusting the slew rate or the peak voltage. An
explanation of the scaling dialog is provided in this document
Open a waveform from a spreadsheet file
Save the waveform to a spreadsheet file
Start the power dissipation vs. print frequency analysis tool
POWER DISSIPATION VS PRINT FREQUENCY TOOL
This tool provides a rough estimation of the power dissipated by the MP113 during print cycles. Enter
power supply information and the print head capacitance. The graph will plot the average power dissipated
from the minimum to maximum frequency permitted for each waveform. The red line indicates the maxi-
mum power dissipation the MP113 can handle.
The power calculated by the power dissipation tool is a rough estimate only! Printer manu-
facturers must make appropriate calculations using their own tools.
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Figure 14: Print Frequency vs Power Dissipation
SCALING THE WAVEFORM
The waveform editor provides a function to adjust either the slew rate or the peak voltage without edit-
ing each and every step of the waveform. When you click the function button in the icon bar, a new dialog
window opens.
Figure 15: Scaling Waveform Options
When adjusting the peak voltage, all voltages that are not zero are adjusted based on the following
formula:
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V new  V old  VPeak new 
VPeak old 
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=

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When adjusting the slew rate, you need to provide a range of acceptable slew rates. If you want all slew
rates to be the same, set the min and the max slew rate to the same value.
Slew rates (and target voltages, if impacted) are only changed if they are outside the range provided by
the min and max slew rate field. If the slew rate is already in the allowed range, no changes need to be made.
FIRING TEST PULSES
After all waveforms are uploaded, the MP113 can be fired manually from the GUI.
Ensure all power supplies are turned on. Turn on emulation mode, then select the Online button. The GUI
operation status menu should appear similar to the figure below. When ready, press the “Fire Waveform”
button.
Scaling Option Explanation
Adjust Peak Volt-
age
Maintain
slew rate
When adjusting the peak voltage, the slew rate remains untouched. That means
that the rise and fall times extend or shorten, impacting also the duration where
the target voltage is available.
Maintain
rise time
When adjusting the peak voltage, the duration of the target voltage remains
untouched, so the slew rate is adjusted.
Scaling Option Explanation
Adjust Slew Rate
Maintain
voltage
When adjusting the slew rate, the target voltage remains untouched. That means
that duration of the target voltage changes.
Maintain
rise time
When adjusting the slew rate, the target voltage is scaled accordingly so that the
duration of the voltage remains untouched:

oldSRnewSR )(


oldV
newV
oldSRnewSR
Peak
Peak
 )()(


oldSR
newSR
oldVnewV  )()(

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Figure 16: MP113 Operation Status
TEST PATTERNS
The MP113 Manager provides various pre-defined test patterns for testing the behavior of the print head
under the selected voltage and waveform. In addition, a user-defined test pattern can be loaded from a
spreadsheet file.
The test pattern output is only available while MP113 is in emulation mode.
In order to output a test pattern, select a test pattern and upload it to the MP113 before clicking the
“Print Pulse” button.
After uploading the test pattern to the MP113 you must hit the “Print Pulse” button twice
before you select a repeated print pulse output. Otherwise the uploaded test pattern will
have no or only a partial effect.
A custom test pattern is a spreadsheet with up to 128 columns and up to 8 rows. Each cell in that spread-
sheet represents a nozzle. You can enter a grayscale intensity value of 0 - 3 in any cell. If a cell is blank, a 0
value is assumed. The spreadsheet can be either comma separated (.csv) or an Excel Spreadsheet (.xlsx) file.
To load a custom test pattern, click on “File” in the menu bar, then select “Load Test Pattern”.
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NEED TECHNICAL HELP? CONTACT APEX SUPPORT!
For all Apex Microtechnology product questions and inquiries, call toll free 800-546-2739 in North America. For
inquiries via email, please contact [e-mail]. International customers can also request
support by contacting their local Apex Microtechnology Sales Representative. To find the one nearest to you,
go to www.apexanalog.com
IMPORTANT NOTICE
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subject to change without notice and is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind (expressed or implied). Apex Microtechnology reserves the right
to make changes without further notice to any specifications or products mentioned herein to improve reliability. This document is the property of
Apex Microtechnology and by furnishing this information, Apex Microtechnology grants no license, expressed or implied under any patents, mask
work rights, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights. Apex Microtechnology owns the copyrights associated with the
information contained herein and gives consent for copies to be made of the information only for use within your organization with respect to Apex
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Apex Microtechnology, Apex and Apex Precision Power are trademarks of Apex Microtechnology, Inc. All other corporate names noted herein may be
trademarks of their respective holders.
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