Apex Digital MP113 User manual

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All rights reserved
Jul 2019
MP113GMU Rev B
Manager GUI Manual
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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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