Hubner Cobolt Tor XE User manual

OWNERS MANUAL | Cobolt Tor™ XE| D0444-D OCTOBER 2021
High Performance | Triggerable | Q-Switched Lasers
1064 nm
532 nm
Cobolt Tor™ XE

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OWNERS MANUAL | Cobolt Tor™ XE| D0444-D OCTOBER 2021

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OWNERS MANUAL | Cobolt Tor™ XE| D0444-D OCTOBER 2021
CONTENTS
Introduction 5
Safety 6
General 6
Beam Hazards 7
Safety features 8
Equipment Safety 8
Warning and Identification Labels 9
Start-up Instructions 10
Installation start-up operation 10
Shutdown procedure operation 11
Cobolt Monitor™ Software 12
Installation 12
Software instructions 12
Overview 16
Model number 16
Configuration 17
Laser Head 17
Thermal Management 18
Power Supply Requirements 19
System Description 20
Specification 20
Mechanical Drawings 23
Remote Interlock Connector 24
Direct Input control 24
Pin assignment 25
Operating Instructions 28
Internal and External Triggering 28
Pulse Monitor Output 32
Operation via data port 33
Handshaking 33
USB driver 33
Communication commands 36
Troubleshooting 38
Warranty and Maintenance 40
Service 40
Compliance (CDRH models only) 41
Disclaimer 42

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OWNERS MANUAL | Cobolt Tor™ XE| D0444-D OCTOBER 2021

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OWNERS MANUAL | Cobolt Tor™ XE| D0444-D OCTOBER 2021
Introduction
The HÜBNER Photonics Cobolt Tor™ XE lasers are high performance, triggerable, air-cooled, nanosecond
pulsed lasers. The sophisticated cavity design of these lasers provides short pulse length and exceptional pulse-
to-pulse stability in a high quality TEM00 beam.
The lasers are manufactured by Cobolt AB at the Swedish production facility. Cobolt AB is a part of HÜBNER
Photonics. Using proprietary HTCure™ technology the lasers are packaged into a sealed laser head, offering an
outstanding level of robustness and reliability, and making these lasers highly suitable for OEM integration into
demanding environments.
The combination of compact format, high level of robustness, high peak power and pulse energy performance
make the Cobolt Tor™ XE lasers are ideal light sources for a large variety of industrial and scientific applications,
including LIBS, micro-dissection, MALDI-TOF, range-finding, Raman-LIDAR and micro-machining.

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Safety
General
Cobolt Tor™ XE lasers are Class 4 (IEC) laser products that emit laser radiation in the Near Infrared (NIR) spectrum
and Class 3B in the visible spectrum. Residual emissions from the pump diode are contained within the laser head
housing via filtering optics. The residual emission does not exceed Laser Class 1.
The table below describes the nominal lasers operation parameters.
Product
Average Power
(mW)
Pulse Duration
(ns)
Pulse Repetition Rate
(kHz)
Pulse Energy (µJ)
Cobolt Tor™ XE 1064 nm
500
2.5 ± 1.0
Up to 1 kHz
500
Cobolt Tor™ XE 532 nm
250
2.0 ± 1.0
Up to 1 kHz
250
Symbols in the manual
WARNING –LASER RADIATION This symbol is used to call attention to important laser safety
information
WARNING –STATIC MAGNETIC FIELD This symbol is used to call attention to important
magnetic field safety information
CAUTION –GENERAL This symbol is used to call attention to important general operator and
equipment safety information
NOTICE –GENERAL This symbol is used to call attention to best practices when using the
equipment and does not indicate a hazard.

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Beam Hazards
Eye and skin exposure to direct or reflected laser light is hazardous and may be extremely harmful. Always wear eye
protection appropriate to the beam wavelength and intensity. Class 4 laser radiation may ignite flammable materials
and combustible gases in the beam path and, in event of ignition, fumes may be generated. All equipment used in
close proximity to the laser beam should be suitably fire resistant and the facility should be properly ventilated. It is
advised to perform a risk assessment for the facility and equipment prior to using the laser. In the case of integration
into a larger system, laser safety compliance must be evaluated on the end product.
WARNING Remove all watches, rings, and other reflective jewelry before working with lasers.
Always wear the appropriate eye protection suitable for the wavelengths integrated into the
system. Verify the accessible emission wavelength and power before operating. Never look
directly into a laser beam.
The device must be handled by skilled personnel experienced with lasers, in a laboratory environment and with access
to adequate laser safety equipment. The laser head clearly displays a yellow warning label that shows the location of
the laser beam aperture. This label must be visible unless the laser beam is totally enclosed. If the laser does not
function, do not attempt to open any of the units, or the warranty will be voided. Call or e-mail your local sales
representative for consultancy and to request an RMA number (see back cover for contact information).
CAUTION Use of controls or adjustments or performance of any procedures other than those
specified herein may result in exposure to hazardous radiation.
The table below describes the maximum energy density in J/cm2used for safety calculations and the appropriate
level of eye protection in terms of optical density (OD) for each product line.
Product
Laser
Class
Warning Label
Power (mW)
Max Pulse
(mJ)*
Max Energy
Density (J/m2)**
Eye Protection
Requirement***
Cobolt Tor™ XE 1064 nm
4 / IV
< 1000
1.0
7074
> OD 4 / D LB6 R LB7
Cobolt Tor™ XE 532 nm
4 / IV
< 499
0.49
7074
> OD 4 / D LB5 R LB6
* Max Pulse (µJ) = Warning Label Power (W) Repetition Rate at bottom tolerance (Hz)
** Max Energy Density (J/m2) = Warning Label Pulse (J) Beam Area at bottom tolerance (cm2)
*** Eye protection (OD) = Log10( 60825-1 Emission Limit : Class 1 (µJ) Max Pulse (µJ) ) , rounded up to the next integer/See EN 207

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Safety features
The laser is equipped with all required safety features as described in the laser safety standard 60825-1. Disabling any
safety features negate the CE/CDRH compliance of this product. If any part of the delivered equipment is replaced
with a part not supplied by , Cobolt, a part of HÜBNER Photonics, or if the equipment is not properly grounded system
may not conform to CE / CDRH compliance standards listed in section 12 : Compliance (CDRH models only). Disabling
any of the safety features nullifies the CE marking and violates the laser safety standard.
Remote Interlock Connector
The remote interlock connector is a connector which permits the connection of external controls placed apart from
other components of the laser product. When the terminals of the connector are open-circuited, emission is
interrupted, and no radiation will be accessible. The remote interlock connector permits easy addition of an external
interlock in laser installation. See section 6.3 for a detailed description of the remote interlock circuit and operation.
Manual Shutter (Beam Stop)
The laser head is equipped with a manual shutter, which functions as the beam stop, capable of preventing human
access to laser radiation. The aperture location and the open versus closed positions of the shutter are indicated on
the top surface of the laser head.
Key Control
The CDRH compliant model comes with a key-switch control which must be connected for the laser to operate. When
the key is in the OFF position, the laser is prevented from emitting. The key must be actively turned to the ON position
each time the laser is powered on. When the key is removed from the system laser radiation is not accessible.
Laser Radiation Emission Warning
The Key control box incorporates information LEDs which display whether power is connected, the laser is on, or a
fault has occurred. The “ON” LED is illuminated whenever the device is emitting or could emit light. The emission
warning indicators are also visible in the Cobolt Monitor™ software, see Section 4 for details on the control software.
Equipment Safety
Always install all power supplies used in the laser system to properly grounded power outlets. The laser head must be
mounted on a common ground plane, such as an optical table. Cobolt lasers contain a laser diode which is sensitive
to electrostatic discharge (ESD).

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Warning and Identification Labels
The upper face of the laser head contains a yellow label with laser safety warning and classification information, the
wavelength, maximum pulse energy and average power of the unit. It also shows the location of the laser beam from
the aperture and indicates the open and close positions of the manual shutter. This label must be visible unless the
laser beam is totally enclosed. A silver label showing information about the laser model, manufacturer date and
location, and the power supply voltage and current, is located on the laser head. Lasers shipped to customers in the
USA also contain an additional label of CDRH compliance.
Laser Notice No. 56 Label
CDRH models shipped to USA
CE marking for CDRH models only
OEM Label
Aperture Warning Labels
Manufacturer Identification Labels

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OWNERS MANUAL | Cobolt Tor™ XE| D0444-D OCTOBER 2021
Start-up Instructions
As standard, all lasers set to Auto-start mode upon delivery. As soon as power is supplied to the laser head the
temperature control elements are operating to reach set-point values. Cobolt TorTM XE can be operated either by
using the internal trigger source generated by the laser head electronics or by providing an external trigger source, or
a combination of both, see Section 7.1 for further instructions. At delivery, the laser is set to operate with the internal
trigger source at 1 kHz pulse repetition rate, so the laser emission will start once the temperature control elements
have reached their set-point values, unless the key-switch is enabled (CDRH model).
Installation start-up operation
1. Mount the laser head on a suitable heat sink (see section 5.4)
2. Attach the 15-pin D-SUB cable to the CE / CDRH Control Box.
3. Attach the 14 pin Molex connector to the laser head.
4. Insert the interlock plug into the connector on the key control box.

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5. Connect the supplied 12V power supply unit to the socket on the laser head and plug it in to the mains.
The laser will go through the auto start sequence (which can be seen in e.g. Cobolt MonitorTM software):
Waiting for Temp
Laser emission is not enabled until all temperatures have
reached their set point
Waiting for Key
Toggle the key to proceed, if the key is already in the ON
position, turn of OFF and ON again.
Completed
The device is emitting or armed for emission.
6. To start the laser, turn the key on the key control Box clockwise to the ON position. If it is already in the
ON position, turn it to OFF and then ON again. The laser will now start up running at 1000 Hz pulse
repetition rate.
NOTICE The power and wavelength may continue to drift slightly for up to 5 minutes to reach
stable operation.
Shutdown procedure operation
1. Turn the key switch to OFF first (CDRH models only).
2. Disconnect laser from PSU.
3. Disconnect PSU from mains outlet.

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Cobolt Monitor™ Software
The Cobolt Monitor™ software provides a graphical way to monitor the laser performance and to control the trigger
signal source and the repetition rate. The software can connect to the laser via RS-232 port and via USB, depending
on the connector used, see Section 8. When using Cobolt Monitor™ with Windows 10, the USB device is automatically
detected. When using Windows 8 or earlier the USB driver must be installed manually and can be downloaded from
https://hubner-photonics.com/ , see section 8.2.
Cobolt Monitor™ has been tested with operative systems Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP and
Vista. Microsoft .NET 2.0 is required to run the Cobolt Monitor™ software. Most computers with operative systems
have .NET 2.0 included as standard.
Installation
Download the latest version of the Cobolt Monitor™ software from https://hubner-photonics.com/ . The Cobolt
Monitor™ software is a stand-alone executable. The executable file is packaged with other files needed to run the
program in a .zip file. Save the .zip file to any storage device and extract all files. The folder created after extracting
the files can be placed on any storage device and Cobolt Monitor™ can be run from there. All files and folders
contained in the .zip file must be present for the program to function properly.
Software instructions
The software automatically searches for Cobolt laser devices and automatically connects to the laser when detected.
The software can identify USB connected lasers as well as RS232 connected lasers.
The first Cobolt Monitor™ window that appears in the software.
Once the laser is connected it can be controlled from Cobolt Monitor™ software. Only the most critical information
is displayed on this level, including the status of the laser and the possibility to switch the laser ON or OFF. Here
follows a short description of how to use the Cobolt Monitor™ software on this level.

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Cobolt Monitor™ Window when the laser is connected.
ON/OFF Use these buttons to turn the laser ON and OFF.
Mode Settings Can be used to change the trigger signal source between the internal, external, and gated.
Message Highlights important information about the laser status to the user.
Disconnect Allows the user to disconnect from the Cobolt Monitor™ software in a controlled way.
NOTICEThe communication cable should not be removed when the software is in connect state. To
disconnect the laser, click “Disconnect” or close Cobolt Monitor™ completely. It is also possible to disconnect
by powering the laser OFF. In this case Cobolt Monitor™ will automatically close the window for that laser.
More Press the ‘More’ button to open an additional Cobolt Monitor™ window will open
containing more detailed information of that laser’s status.
Commands Opens a command communications window to send commands directly to the laser. See
section 8.3 for more details on available commands.

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Cobolt Monitor™ software expanded to for more detailed monitoring.
TEC Settings Shows the running status and the fault status for the laser’s internal thermoelectric coolers
(TEC).
Autostart Program
Displays whether the laser is in CDRH or OEM configuration and displays the current laser
operational status. There are also buttons to “abort” the autostart sequence or to “restart”
the laser after a fault.
Autostart mode
Waiting for Temp
Laser emission is not enabled until all TECs have reached their set point and the TECs
are stabilized.
Waiting for Key
Toggle the key to proceed, if the key is in the ON position, turn of OFF and ON again.
Completed
The device is emitting or armed for emission.
Fault
The device has a fault, the fault status must be cleared before the laser can be
restarted.
Aborted
The autostart sequence has been aborted, but the TECs are still running.

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Fault Status Displays ERROR messages. In the event of an ERROR, the laser action is stopped. When
the reason for the ERROR event is understood and the problem is addressed the fault status
can be cleared with ‘Clear Fault’. If the Autostart Program is enabled, click ‘Restart’ to
restart the laser.
Laser Operation Mode and Settings
Displays the set and measured repetition rate of the laser and which trigger signal mode is
being used, along with the laser diode current. There are also the buttons “Laser OFF” and
“Laser ON” which can be used to turn the laser on or off.
LED Status Displays the LEDs that are currently illuminated on the key control box, see section
5.3.1.These are displayed even if the laser is in OEM mode.
Power on
Green
The laser is powered up
Laser On
Yellow
The laser is emitting or armed for emission.
Error
Red
An error has occurred.

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Overview
Cobolt Tor™ XE laser systems consist of the Laser Head, the Key Switch box (not shown) and the Power Supply (not
shown). Always install the laser system to a properly grounded power outlet. If any part of the supplied equipment is
replaced with a part not supplied by the manufacturer or if the equipment is not properly grounded system may not
conform to CE / CDRH compliance standards listed in section 12. Disabling any of the safety features nullifies the CE
marking and violates the laser safety standard.
Model number
Cobolt lasers are sold in two configurations: CDRH and OEM, described in section 5.2.1. The model numbers are
composed as described below. The Cobolt TorTM XE lasers are delivered as standard with both USB and RS-232
communication accessible.
Wavelength Indicator
Laser Head
Model
Energy
Configuration:
1100 = CE / CDRH compliant
1200 = OEM
XXXX = OEM customization
XXXX –05 –71 –XE –EEEE –XXXX

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Configuration
CDRH Compliant
The CDRH compliant system is supplied with a key switch box, which must be connected, along with a remote interlock
connector. Once power is supplied, laser radiation starts when the key is turned from the OFF position to the ON
position. The status of operation can be monitored via LEDs on the Key Switch box. Setting the key to its OFF position
puts the laser in stand-by mode. The CDRH model is CE compliant.
The standard CDRH model consists of:
•Laser head
•Key control box
•14 pin Molex to 15-pin D-SUB cable from laser head to key control box
•Keys
•12 V / 6.67 A DC power supply unit (Art. Nr. 12522)
OEM
The OEM system is supplied without a key switch box. Connecting the power supply to the laser head initiates an
automatic start-up sequence. If the remote interlock is connected, laser radiation will start automatically as soon as
power is supplied, and internal temperatures controls are stabilized.
The OEM model consists of:
•Laser head
•12 V / 6.67 A DC power supply unit (Art. Nr. 12522)
Laser Head
The Laser Head contains a passively Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state laser cavity generating nanosecond pulses
and thermoelectric control elements (TEC). The drive electronics is integrated into the laser head. Each laser pulse is
triggered, either by the integrated drive electronics or by an external signal through the SMB connector or the 14 pin
Molex contact.
The laser beam is not collimated. The laser head also features a manual mechanical shutter, a laser hazard label, and
a laser classification label. When power is supplied to the laser head, regardless of direct input or key-switch state, the
TECs will be active to reach its set point values.
The mini-USB can be used to communicate with the laser. In addition, the laser head supplies a Molex 14-pin
connection, of which the pin 1 and pin 2 are used for the remote interlock function. Pin 4 and Pin 5 can be used to
communicate with the laser through RS-232. See section 6.5 for details.

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Key control box
The key control box allows the user to operate the laser with a CE/CDRH compliant key-switch. The key control box
has LEDs to indicate the laser status. When power is supplied to the laser head, regardless of direct input or key-
switch state, the temperature controllers will be active to reach set point values. The key control box also provides
the possibility to communicate with the laser using the RS-232 connection.
The status of the laser operation is given via LED indicators:
ON
Orange
Laser emission is on. This light is on in modulation mode if laser emission is possible.
ERROR
Red
An error has occurred.
Thermal Management
To ensure operation within given specifications and for the warranty to be valid, the laser head must be attached to a
heatsink providing a thermal resistance of < 0.15 K/W. This value is the difference between the maximum allowed
laser head base plate temperature (50ºC) and the maximum specified ambient temperature at the air-heatsink
interface (40ºC), divided by the maximum power dissipated from the laser, 65 W at high ambient temperatures. The
mounting surface should be flat (within 0.05 mm over mounting surface). It is recommended to use a thermal heat
compound between the laser head and the heatsink to provide good thermal contact. The recommended heatsink
for Cobolt TorTM XE Cobolt ‘HS-05 Laser Head Heatsink with fans’ meets these requirements, see https://hubner-
photonics.com/ for more information on heat sinks.
For assistance in thermal management and system integration, please contact your local sales representative.
Heat Sink Requirements and typical maximum heat dissipation for Tor XE lasers.

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Power Supply Requirements
An appropriate Power Supply Unit (PSU) is supplied with the laser and must be plugged into a properly grounded
standard power outlet. The output from this PSU is 12 VDC / 6.67 A. The power supply accepts 100 –240 V AC and 50-
60 Hz. Ripple and noise 1% peak-peak max, 20 MHz bandwidth. The accepted voltage range is 11.2 V DC–16.5 VDC;
full performance is only guaranteed at 12 VDC / 6.67 A.
The power supply provided with Cobolt Tor™ XE is certified to perform in an ambient temperature of 40°. When
integrating this power supply into a larger system care must be taken to ensure that the power supply is not exposed
to temperatures above 40°C.

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System Description
The information presented here is believed to be accurate and is subject to change without notice. The specifications
contained herein cannot be guaranteed outside of normal operational conditions. Specifications are guaranteed at
100% of nominal power. The latest specifications can be found at : www.hubner-photonics.com .
Specification
Optical Specifications
Centre wavelength1
1064.2 ± 0.6 nm
532.1 ± 0.3 nm
Pulse energy
500 ± 50 μJ
250 ± 25 μJ
Pulse duration
2.5 ± 1 ns
2.0 ± 1 ns
Repetition rate
Single pulse up to 1 kHz
Peak power2
> 128 kW
> 75 kW
Pulse-to-Pulse Jitter
< 2 µs
< 2 µs
Beam Diameter (1/e2)
700 ± 100 µm
400 ± 100 µm
Beam Divergence
7 ± 1 mrad
5 ± 1 mrad
Beam symmetry at aperture
> 0.85 : 1
Spatial mode (TEM00)
M2 < 1.3
M2 < 1.15
Long-term repetition rate stability (8 hours, (±3 ºC))
< 3 %
Pulse-to-Pulse amplitude stability
< 10 %
< 15 %
Beam angle accuracy
< 5 mrad
Beam position accuracy
< 0.5 mm
Polarization ratio (linear, vertical)
>100:1
Residual emission
< Class 1
1. The wavelength is specified in air.
2. Assuming a top hat profile, Peak Power (kW) = Pulse Energy (μJ) at bottom tolerance ÷ Pulse width (ns) at top tolerance