Hinds Instruments Exicor Gen5 User manual

USER MANUAL
Hinds Instruments, Inc.
P/N: 010-0000-061 UM Rev B

USER MANUAL
Hinds Instruments, Inc.
P/N: 010-0000-061 UM Rev B
Software 025-0000-066 Version 1.0

ii Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Copyright © 2010 by Hinds Instruments, Inc.
THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITH NO WARRANTIES
WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR ANY WARRANTY OTHERWISE
ARISING OUT OF ANY PROPOSAL, SPECIFICATION OR SAMPLE. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Hinds Instruments,
Inc.
Information furnished by Hinds Instruments, Inc. is believed to be accurate and
reliable; however, no responsibility is assumed by Hinds Instruments, Inc. for its use;
nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result
from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent
rights of Hinds Instruments, Inc.
In all respects, the English version of this manual is controlling.
Exicor is a registered trademark of Hinds Instruments, Inc.
Patents issued and pending.
Exicor GEN5, PEM-90, Hinds Instruments and the Hinds Instruments graphic logo
are trademarks of Hinds Instruments, Inc.
*Third-party brands and names are the property of their respective owners

Exicor GEN5 User Manual iii
Table of Contents
Table of Contents...........................................................................................................iii
Table of Figures ..............................................................................................................v
Table of Tables..............................................................................................................vii
Operators' Safety Summary...........................................................................................1
Terms.......................................................................................................................1
Labels ......................................................................................................................1
Power Source..........................................................................................................6
Use the Proper Power Cord...................................................................................6
Do Not Operate without Covers.............................................................................6
Light Safety .............................................................................................................6
Emergency OFF Switch..........................................................................................9
Activating the EMO System.................................................................................................9
Recovering From an EMO Activation ................................................................................10
Mechanical Safety.................................................................................................10
Electrical Safety....................................................................................................11
1 Overview of the Exicor GEN5 Birefringence Measurement System .....................13
Exicor GEN5 Birefringence Measurement System Description.......................13
General Dimensions.............................................................................................16
2 System Operating Requirements/Setup ..................................................................17
Operating Configuration ......................................................................................17
Power Connections ..............................................................................................17
Proper System Airflow .........................................................................................17
Turning the Exicor GEN5 On and Off..................................................................18
Exicor software.....................................................................................................18
Calibration.............................................................................................................18
3 Operating The System...............................................................................................19
System Initialization .............................................................................................19
Status Lights.........................................................................................................21
Warm-up Time.......................................................................................................21
Loading a Sample.................................................................................................22
Scanning a Sample...............................................................................................22
Scanning and Auto-Calibration Start .................................................................................26
System Shutdown.................................................................................................28
4 Software Interface......................................................................................................29
Overview of the Graphical User Interface...........................................................29
Menu Bar ...........................................................................................................................31
File Identification................................................................................................................32
Interactive Scan.................................................................................................................33
Automatic Scan .................................................................................................................34
Birefringence Plot Area......................................................................................................35
Other Displays and Controls..............................................................................................35
Configuring the System .......................................................................................37
System Parameters Control Window ................................................................................38
Auto-Calibration Settings Control Window ........................................................................40
Making Birefringence Measurements.................................................................42
Performing a Point Measurement......................................................................................43

Table of Contents
iv Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Using Cursor Keys to Move the Stage Position................................................................ 45
Performing an Area Measurement.................................................................................... 45
Viewing the Scan Results ................................................................................................. 53
Managing Files...................................................................................................... 57
When to Re-save Your File............................................................................................... 57
Using Sample IDs ............................................................................................................. 57
Saving a File ..................................................................................................................... 58
File Formats ...................................................................................................................... 58
Creating a New File........................................................................................................... 59
Opening an Existing File ................................................................................................... 59
Copying Files to the Clipboard.......................................................................................... 59
Printing Files ..................................................................................................................... 60
5 Using Macros .............................................................................................................63
Creating a Macro...................................................................................................64
Loading a Macro...................................................................................................65
Unloading a Macro................................................................................................65
Editing a Macro..................................................................................................... 66
6 Maintenance and Cleaning........................................................................................ 67
System Visual Check............................................................................................ 67
System Performance Check................................................................................ 67
Consumables........................................................................................................ 68
Fuses .....................................................................................................................69
Fan Filter Replacement........................................................................................69
Motion System Maintenance ............................................................................... 70
X-Y Actuator Lubrication ................................................................................................... 71
Guide Rail Bearing Lubrication ......................................................................................... 72
Cleaning the Optics.............................................................................................. 73
Cleaning the Exterior............................................................................................ 74
7 Troubleshooting & Help ............................................................................................ 75
Diagnosing Common Errors................................................................................75
Other Error Messages....................................................................................................... 78
Contacting Hinds Instruments ............................................................................79
A Technical Specifications ..........................................................................................81
Power Requirements............................................................................................81
General Description..............................................................................................81
Specifications .......................................................................................................81
Measurement Capability ................................................................................................... 81
General ............................................................................................................................. 82
Software Features............................................................................................................. 83
Graphing ........................................................................................................................... 83
User Features ................................................................................................................... 83
B Exicor ®GEN5 Limited Warranty.............................................................................. 85
Exclusions............................................................................................................. 85
Warranty Service .................................................................................................. 86
Non-Warranty Repairs.......................................................................................... 86

Exicor GEN5 User Manual v
Table of Figures
Figure S.1 Compliance Labeling - Mechanical...................................................................4
Figure S.2 Compliance Labeling – Laser............................................................................4
Figure S 3 Compliance Labeling – Rear..............................................................................5
Figure S.4 Compliance Labeling - Control System............................................................5
Figure S.5 Light Path...........................................................................................................8
Figure S.6 EMO Switch Locations.......................................................................................9
Figure 1.1 Scanning Module Main Components ..............................................................14
Figure 1.2 Control System Main Components .................................................................15
Figure 1.3 General Dimensions .........................................................................................16
Figure 3.1 Hardware Initialization Screen.........................................................................20
Figure 3.2 Status Light Location .......................................................................................21
Figure 3.3 Sample Placement on Exicor GEN5................................................................22
Figure 3.4 Exicor Main Window at Startup .......................................................................23
Figure 3.5 Setting up a 1100 X 1300 mm scan..................................................................24
Figure 3.6 Confirm Scan Start Dialog Box........................................................................25
Figure 3.7 Circular Scan In Progress................................................................................26
Figure 3.8 Completed Circular Scan .................................................................................27
Figure 4.1 Exicor Main Window Showing a Completed Rectangular Scan ...................30
Figure 4.2 Exicor Main Window Description ....................................................................31
Figure 4.3 File Menu............................................................................................................32
Figure 4.4 Macro Menu.......................................................................................................32
Figure 4.5 Configuration Menu..........................................................................................32
Figure 4.6 Help Menu..........................................................................................................32
Figure 4.7 File Identification Information..........................................................................32
Figure 4.8 Interactive Scan Panel......................................................................................33
Figure 4.9 Automatic Scan Panel ......................................................................................34
Figure 4.10 DC Level Indicator...........................................................................................35
Figure 4.11 Offsets, Home & Reset, Notes .......................................................................36
Figure 4.12 Sample Thickness Indicator...........................................................................36
Figure 4.13 System Parameters Dialog Box.....................................................................38
Figure 4.14 Auto Calibration Settings Dialog Box...........................................................40

Table of Figures
vi Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Figure 4.15 Interactive Scan Panel....................................................................................43
Figure 4.16 X-Y Motion & Fast Axis Angle........................................................................44
Figure 4.17 Automatic Scan Panel for Rectangular Scans.............................................46
Figure 4.18 Automatic Scan Panel for Circular Scans ....................................................47
Figure 4.19 Points to Define a Circular Scan ...................................................................47
Figure 4.20 Defining a Circular Scan ................................................................................48
Figure 4.21 Automatic Scan Panel for Center/Radius Scans..........................................49
Figure 4.22 Defining a Center/Radius Scan......................................................................50
Figure 4.23 Automatic Scan Panel for Stationary Scans ................................................51
Figure 4.24 Confirm Scan Start Dialogue Box .................................................................52
Figure 4.25 Measurement/Graph Type..............................................................................53
Figure 4.26 Birefringence Plot Legend .............................................................................54
Figure 4.27 Legend Settings Window ...............................................................................55
Figure 4.28 Statistics Dialog Box ......................................................................................56
Figure 4.29 Example of "Copy Graph"..............................................................................60
Figure 5.1 Edit Macro Dialog Box.....................................................................................64
Figure 5.2 Shaded Areas Show Macro Regions to Be Scanned.....................................65
Figure 6.1 Fast Axis Orientation of Polymer Film Sample..............................................68
Figure 6.2 DC Level Indicator ............................................................................................69
Figure 6.3 Fan Filter Location............................................................................................70
Figure 6.4 Needle Point Adapter For Lubricating The X-Y Actuators............................71
Figure 6.5 Actuator Lubrication Port Locations ..............................................................71
Figure 6.6 Grease Fitting on GEN5 Actuators..................................................................72
Figure 6.7 Push-on Grease Fitting Adapter......................................................................72
Figure 6.8 Rail Lubrication Points.....................................................................................73
Figure 6.9 Direction of cotton swab wiping motion.........................................................74

Exicor GEN5 User Manual vii
Table of Tables
Table 4.1 Summary of Where to Change System Parameters.......................................37
Table 4.2 Using Cursor Keys to Move the stage Position..............................................45
Table 7.1 Diagnosing Common Errors.............................................................................78
Table 7.2 Contacting Technical Support..........................................................................79

Table of Tables
viii Exicor GEN5 User Manual

Exicor GEN5 User Manual 1
Operators' Safety Summary
The general safety information in this summary is for operators of the Exicor
Birefringence Measurement System. Specific warnings and cautions may be found
throughout the manual where they apply, but may not appear in this summary.
Terms
DANGER statements identify conditions or practices that will result in personal injury
or loss of life.
WARNING statements identify conditions or practices that could result in personal
injury or loss of life.
CAUTION statements identify conditions or practices that could result in damage to
the equipment or other property.
NOTICE statements identify conditions or practices that are important in proper use
of the equipment to get the expected results.
Labels
The label below is placed on the front of the system, the rear of the system, and on
the sides of the gantry. See #1 in Figure S.1 and Figure S 3.
The wording on this label is:
Warning, Moving Parts Present. Can result in serious injury due to pinch or crush.
Keep away during operation. Disconnect and lockout power before servicing.

Operators’ Safety Summary
2 Exicor GEN5 User Manual
The pinch point hazards on the system are marked with the following label and with
hazard warning tape. The main pinch points are at the motor side of each actuator,
the area on the tilt slide where the detector module passes underneath, and the rear
of the sample holder where the detector cable mount passes underneath. See #2 in
Figure S.1.
CAUTION
PINCH
POINT
The wording on this label is:
Caution pinch point.
The following IEC/EN Logotype label is placed on the sample locating corner. See
#3 in Figure S.2.
LASER LIGHT
AVOID DIRECT EYE EXPOSURE
5 mW AT 633 nm
CDRH CLASS IIIa LASER PRODUCT
IEC/EN CLASS 3R LASER PRODUCT
CAUTION
The wording on this label is:
Caution. Laser light. Avoid direct eye exposure. 5 mW at 633 nm. CDRH class IIIa
laser product. IEC/EN class 3R laser product.
The Source Module and Detector Module are marked with the following Protective
Housing label on the covers and inside the modules. See #4 in Figure S.2.
CLASS 3R LASER LIGHT WHEN OPEN
AVOID DIRECT EYE EXPOSURE
CAUTION
The wording on the label is:
Caution. Class 3R laser light when open. Avoid direct eye exposure.

Labels
Exicor GEN5 User Manual 3
The Source Module is marked with the following Laser Light label near the aperture.
See #5 in Figure S.2.
AVOID EXPOSURE
Laser Light is emitted
from this aperture
The wording on the label is:
Avoid Exposure. Laser light is emitted from this aperture.
The label below is placed near the rear of the control system. See #6 in Figure S.4.
The wording on the label is:
Warning. Hazardous voltage. Contact may cause severe shock or burn.
Disconnect and lockout power before servicing.
The system identification label below is placed on the rear of the Scanning Module.
See #7 in Figure S 3.
The wording on this label is:

Operators’ Safety Summary
4 Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Model No. _____, Serial No. _____, Manufactured: _____.
The following figures show the system with the Sample Holder Tilt option. If your
system does not have this option, some of the pinch points shown below will not
apply.
Figure S.1 Compliance Labeling - Mechanical
Figure S.2 Compliance Labeling – Laser

Labels
Exicor GEN5 User Manual 5
Figure S 3 Compliance Labeling – Rear
Figure S.4 Compliance Labeling - Control System

Operators’ Safety Summary
6 Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Power Source
This product is intended to operate from a power source that will not apply more
than 250 volts rms between the supply conductors or between either the supply
conductor and ground. A protective ground connection by way of the grounding
connector in the power cord is essential for safe operation. The user should supply
power to the system that will provide at least the following amount of current at the
corresponding supply voltage:
115/220VAC ~, 9/4A, 50/60Hz
Use the Proper Power Cord
Use only the power cord and connector that was provided by Hinds Instruments
during delivery of the system. This cord is hard-wired to the system and can only be
changed by Hinds Instruments personnel.
Do Not Operate without Covers
To avoid personal injury, only operate this product with all covers or panels installed.
Light Safety
The light source contained in the Source Module is a low power (CDRH Class IIIa,
IEC Class 3R) Helium-Neon laser.
The laser is a fixed output device. No adjustments are possible.
The output from the Source Module, after attenuation by the polarizer and the PEM,
is typically less than 3.2 mW.
The maximum power output directly from the laser, between the laser and the first
optical element, is 5 mW at 633 nm.
2 to 5 mW levels of output power are to be found from the “laser pointers” used by
lecturers and from a variety of surveying and construction instruments.

Labels
Exicor GEN5 User Manual 7
CAUTION
Avoid direct eye exposure to the beam and to reflections from
shiny objects.
This or any other low power laser can cause a temporary
inability to see clearly, much as is experienced by exposure to
the flash of a camera.
Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures
other than those specified herein, may result in hazardous laser
light exposure.
Persons other than qualified maintenance personnel should not
unnecessarily remove covers.
See Laser Safety labels on pages 2 and 3.

Operators’ Safety Summary
8 Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Studies of the safe level of exposure to low power lasers can be found in:
•Standard for the Safe Use of Lasers, ANSI Z136.1, Laser Institute of
America, 407/380/1553.
•Ocular Damage Thresholds for the Helium-Neon Laser, Arch. Environ.
Health, Vol. 20, Feb. 1970, Lt Col Paul W. Lappin, BSC, USAF, Brooks Air
Force Base, Texas.
•Laser Pointers and the Human Eye – A Clinicopathological Study, Arch.
Opthalmol, Vol. 118, Dec. 2000, Dennis M. Robertson, MD, et al., Dept.
of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Figure S.5 Light Path

Emergency OFF Switch
Exicor GEN5 User Manual 9
Emergency OFF Switch
The Exicor GEN5 has 7 Emergency OFF (EMO) switches. Each switch consists of a
large red button on a yellow background. These switches disconnect power to all
system components except the computer and monitor. Figure S.6 shows the
location of the Emergency OFF switches.
Figure S.6 EMO Switch Locations
Activating the EMO System
In the event that an unsafe event or condition is observed with the system, an EMO
switch should be activated by pushing or slapping the red button. Pressing any
EMO button will remove power to all system components of the Sample Scanning
Module. Activating the EMO system will not harm the Exicor GEN5.
Activating the EMO system will not remove power to the Exicor GEN5 PC, monitor,
or third party equipment located at the user station. The power cord acts as the
emergency disconnect device for the computer and monitor.

Operators’ Safety Summary
10 Exicor GEN5 User Manual
Data collected prior to the activation of the EMO system will not be lost, however any
scan running will be stopped when the EMO button is pushed.
NOTICE
If an unsafe condition is observed at the User station, the user
should remove power to the components in question by
unplugging the power cord from the power outlet.
Power should not be restored to the components or system until
the unsafe condition is corrected.
Recovering From an EMO Activation
Before attempting to restart the Exicor GEN5, first clear the condition that prompted
the EMO button to the pushed. Once the condition is made safe for the user and
equipment, the EMO button should be pulled out.
Pulling the EMO button out will not restart the system. After the EMO button is
pulled out, the Exicor GEN5 can be reactivated by pressing the green ‘ON’ button on
the main power switch box (see Figure 1.2).
Once power is restored to the Exicor system, the software will need to be restarted
or the ‘Home and Reset’ button on the UI will need to be clicked.
NOTICE
The Exicor GEN5 will not turn ON until all EMO buttons are
pulled to the ‘OUT’ position.
If the Exicor GEN5 system will not turn ON after an EMO event,
check that all EMO buttons are pulled out.
If the system still will not turn ON, contact Hinds Instruments.
Mechanical Safety
WARNING – PINCH/CRUSH HAZARDS
Keep clear of the system while it is scanning to avoid harm due
to pinch points. Failure to keep away from the system during
motion can result in serious injuries to hands and fingers.