Laser 2000 ADM-1000 User manual

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Laser Power Meter ADM-1000
Operating Instructions
Issue Notes
Draft 4 20/4/07

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Contents
ISSUE NOTES ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
CONTENTS.......................................................................................................................................................... 2
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................ 3
POWER SOURCES............................................................................................................................................. 3
DC Power Supply ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Battery Pack ................................................................................................................................................. 3
USB............................................................................................................................................................... 4
SWITCHING ON................................................................................................................................................. 5
DISPLAY MODE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 6
D IGITAL D ISPLAY F EATURES ............................................................................................................................. 6
G RAPHICAL D ISPLAY F EATURES ........................................................................................................................ 6
OPERATION ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
D ISPLAY M ODE .................................................................................................................................................. 7
R ANGE ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
A UTO -R ANGE .................................................................................................................................................... 7
W AVELENGTH .................................................................................................................................................... 8
P EAK /A VERAGE M EASUREMENT ....................................................................................................................... 8
Z ERO O FFSET ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
B ACKLIGHT ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
D ISPLAY C ONTRAST ........................................................................................................................................... 9
GRAPHICAL MODE FUNCTIONS ............................................................................................................... 10
T IMEBASE (H ORIZONTAL S CALE ) SETTING ...................................................................................................... 10
Start Acquisition ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Rolling Display........................................................................................................................................... 11
Y- SCALE (R ANGE ) SETTING ............................................................................................................................. 11
T RIGGER SETTING ............................................................................................................................................ 11
C URSOR F UNCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 14
OTHER FUNCTIONS....................................................................................................................................... 15
Head Information ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Product Information ................................................................................................................................... 15
MENU STRUCTURE........................................................................................................................................ 16
CONNECTING THE ADM-1000 TO A P.C. .................................................................................................. 19

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Introduction
The ADM-1000 is an advanced hand-held or bench Optical Power Meter. It is used
in conjunction with one of a range of detector heads for measuring and displaying
optical power and waveforms.
The ADM-1000 may only be used with compatible detector heads. The range of
heads available includes photodiode and thermal types covering a range of
sensitivities and wavelengths.
Contact Laser 2000 UK Ltd for details on available detector heads.
Power Sources
The ADM-1000 may be powered from:
Internal battery pack;
DC power supply;
USB.
DC Power Supply
A DC power supply is included with the ADM-1000. The lead is connected to the
6VDC socket on the end of the ADM-1000, the power supply is then plugged into the
mains. The ADM-1000 will operate from the power supply regardless of whether the
battery pack is fitted or not.
The use of unapproved power sources should be avoided to prevent damage to the
power meter.
If the battery pack is fitted to the ADM-1000, the power supply will charge the battery
as well as operate the ADM-1000.
Battery Pack
The supplied NiMH battery pack fits to the rear of the unit. It is released by pressing
the tab at the back, and slid off.
The battery pack may be charged when it is attached to the ADM-1000 by plugging
in the DC power supply into the 6VDC socket on the ADM-1000. So long as the
power supply is connected and operating, the battery is charged even if the ADM-
1000 is switched off via it’s keypad.

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It typically takes 8 hours to fully charge the battery. To maximise the life of the
battery pack, avoid charging it for more than 12 hours.
New battery packs may only have a small amount of charge in them and will require
charging before use. Note that new battery packs or packs which haven’t been used
for a long time will require several charge/discharge cycles before they reach full
capacity.
The ADM-1000 will typically run for 5 hours or more on a good, fully charged battery
pack. A longer operating time will be achieved if the backlight is used less.
Additional battery packs are available from Laser 2000. Laser 2000 can also supply
an optional fast charger which can recharge the battery pack in about 1 hour.
USB
The ADM-1000 will operate from the power available from a USB port. Refer to the
section ‘PC Installation’. Note that in this mode the battery is not charged.

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Switching On
To turn the unit on, press and hold the ‘I’ button at the top of the keypad (refer to the
keypad layout diagram) for 1 second until the unit beeps.
The meter will set itself to the last used settings.
If powering the unit from a USB port, the unit will turn itself on as soon as the port is
enabled.
To turn the unit off, press and hold the ‘O’ button at the top of the keypad until the
unit turns off.
If the ADM-1000 is connected to a USB port, unplug the USB lead to turn the unit off.
O


79
4 5 6
12 3
0
ACQ
8
Power Of f Power On
Backlight
Menu
Display Mode
Enter
Undo
Keypad Layout
Diagram 1

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Display Mode Summary
The ADM-1000 can operate in digital (numerical) or graphical (waveform) display
mode.
Digital Display Features
Manual or auto ranging numerical display.
This display shows the measured value in numerals with units.
A bargraph trend indicator beneath the digits shows the current value relative to the
full scale on the selected range.
Depending on the head type, other information may be displayed such as
wavelength and detector temperature.
Av
0 10mW
1.23 mW
635nm
BargraphTrendIndicator
User-entered wavelength
Average measurement mode
Full ScaleRange
Instrument Reading
Diagram 2: Digital Display
Graphical Display Features
Dot matrix graphical display of actual value over time with indications of X (time) and
Y (magnitude) scales and Head scaling factor.
User operable cursors may be turned on to make measurements on the waveform.
In either mode, pressing the Menu button (see the keypad diagram) will result in a
list of options being displayed, the user being able to select one as desired.

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Operation
Refer to the keypad diagram to identify the keys.
Connect the ADM-1000 to the head using the supplied cable, and switch the unit on
by holding the ‘I’ button at the top of the keypad until the unit beeps. The unit sets
itself to the last used settings.
If a photodiode head is connected, the wavelength of incident radiation will need to
be entered to get the correct reading. See the section ‘Wavelength’ below.
Display Mode
To switch between digital and graphical display modes, press the Display Mode
button. The last used settings are used in each mode.
Range
To set the full scale range, press the up arrow (8) to increase sensitivity or down
arrow (2) to reduce it.
Alternatively press Menu, scroll down to Range using the up arrow (8) or down arrow
(2) buttons, press Enter (green tick), scroll down the list and press Enter to select the
desired range or Cancel (red ‘X’) to revert to the original display.
Note that the range setting on the digital display is independent of the range set on
the graphical display, and more ranges may be available on the graphical display.
Auto-Range
The ADM-1000 has an auto-range capability in the digital display mode. In this
mode, the meter will automatically switch to a higher (less sensitive) range when the
measurement exceeds the present range.
Similarly the meter will switch to a more sensitive range when the measurement is
less than about 9% of full scale.
To turn on the auto-range function, press Menu, scroll down to Range, press Enter,
select AUTO and press Enter.
To turn off the auto-range function, press Menu, scroll down to Range, press Enter,
scroll down to select the desired range and press Enter.

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Note that auto-range facility is not provided in the graphical display mode.
Wavelength
Photodiode heads do not have a linear response and the wavelength of the incident
radiation must be entered by the operator for meaningful measurements to be made.
The wavelength response of each detector head is stored in the head at calibration
and the correction factor is automatically applied once the wavelength has been
entered.
To enter the wavelength of incident radiation, press Menu, scroll to Wavelength
using the up arrow (8) or down arrow (2) buttons, press Enter and use the numeric
keypad to type in the wavelength in nanometres (nm). Press Enter when done. Press
Cancel instead of Enter and the data entry is removed ready for re-entry. Press
Cancel again and the display reverts to the main display.
Note that for thermal detector heads the wavelength is not required to be known and
this menu option is not available.
Peak/Average Measurement
In peak measurement mode, the display indicates the maximum value that was
reached in every approximately 0.5-second period.
In average measurement mode, the optical signal is averaged with a 200ms time
constant and will give a useful average (mean) value for steady (CW) sources or
pulse frequencies at or above 50Hz.
To set peak/average measurement in digital display mode, press menu, scroll to
Measure Mode using the up arrow (8) or down arrow (2) buttons, press enter, scroll
down the list to select the required measurement mode and press enter.
The possibility of having a variable averaging time constant is being reviewed. It is
envisaged that this would offer time constants from 100ms to 10s, so that the display
can be set to respond quickly with a short time constant or give a good average for
slow or noisy signals with a long time constant.
In waveform display mode, the actual instantaneous level is displayed and there is
no option to set peak or average mode.

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Zero Offset
For accurate measurements it may be necessary to set the point at which zero light
is displayed. This is achieved by blocking off all light to the detector and then zeroing
the meter.
To set the zero point, press menu, scroll down to zero, press enter. Message, “Set
zero light level?” appears. Ensure that the detector optical input port is totally
blocked by an opaque object which is at room temperature, or all light is prevented
from entering the detector by some means. To avoid damage or injury ensure any
powerful optical source is switched off. Do not use a finger as some detectors will
detect the infra-red from the finger. When ready, press Enter. The zero value on the
meter is now set to the level corresponding to darkness.
The display then returns to the main display and the obstruction at the detector port
can now be removed.
Backlight
To turn the backlight on or off, press the backlight button (refer to the keypad
diagram).
To set the backlight brightness, press menu, scroll down to Display, press enter.
Backlight is already selected, so press Enter. The message ‘Backlight on’ and the
current brightness percentage appears. Use the up arrow (8) and down arrow(2)
buttons to adjust the brightness from 10% (dim) to 100% (bright). Press Enter when
done. The display returns to the main display.
Note that if running the unit from the battery pack, the battery life will be reduced
depending on how much the backlight is used and how brightly it is set.
Display Contrast
To set the display contrast, press Menu, scroll down to Display, press Enter. Scroll
down to Contrast, press Enter. The current contrast level is displayed. Use the
up/down buttons to change the contrast for best viewing. Press enter when done.
The display returns to main display.

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Graphical Mode Functions
In graphical display mode there are two modes which enable quick selection of the
most commonly used commands. The mode is indicated by the label ‘RNG’ or ‘TRG’
in the bottom right corner of the display, and the mode can be switched between the
two by pressing the ‘5’ button. The ‘RNG’ mode allows quick selection of the
operating ranges, the ‘TRG’ mode allows quick adjustment of the trigger settings.
X=10µs Y=1mW Rng
T
x=10µs per div ision
y = 1m W per div ision
Horizontal Trigger Point
This pulse is 11µs
wide and 7m W high
Range Mode:
The Arrow k ey s change
the Range or Y -Scale.
Vertical Trigger
Lev el
Diagram 3: Graphical Display
In Range mode (RNG):
Timebase (Horizontal Scale) setting
Press the left arrow (4) button to reduce the timebase. Press the right arrow button
(6) to increase the timebase.
The timebase can also be set by pressing Menu, scrolling down to X Scale and
pressing Enter to select, then choosing the desired timebase setting.
The available timebases are dictated by the type of head connected.
The chosen setting is displayed on the screen and represents the time between each
division on the horizontal axis.

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Start Acquisition
To stop and start the acquisition, press the ACQ (0) button. If cursor calculations are
enabled, the cursors and current calculation will be displayed when the acquisition is
stopped.
Rolling Display
At slow timebases the trace will travel across the display until it reaches the right
hand side, whereupon the waveform will start scrolling to the left as new data is
added to the right (Stripchart mode). Press the Acquire button (0) to manually
start/stop the stripchart display.
Y-scale (Range) setting
Press the up arrow (8) button to increase the sensitivity (make the waveform taller).
Press the down arrow (2) button to decrease the sensitivity.
The Y-Scale can also be set by pressing Menu, scrolling down to Y Scale and
pressing Enter to select, then choosing the desired sensitivity.
The chosen setting is displayed on the screen and represents the magnitude per
division on the vertical axis.
The available ranges are dictated by the type of head connected.
Trigger setting
Trigger Level
In order that the display always starts at the same point in the waveform, a trigger
point is set to tell the meter when to start drawing the waveform. For all but the very
slow timebases it will be necessary to set the vertical trigger level correctly to
produce a stable display.
When the instrument is not triggered, ‘No trig’ is shown at the top of the display.
Once the trigger has been correctly set and the instrument has ‘locked on’ to the
waveform, ‘Trig’ is shown.
Horizontal trigger adjustment is also provided so that the display can be moved to
the left or right. The meter is able to display information that occurred before the
trigger point as well as after.

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X=10µs Y=20µW Trg
T
Horizontal Trigger Point
This pulse occurred
20µs be fore the m ain
pulse t hat t riggered
the ins trum ent
Trigger Mode:
The Arrow k ey s set the
Trigger Point.
Vertical Trigger
Lev el
Trigger Point:
Point at which t he instrument
started to c apture t he wav ef orm Trig Auto
Diagram 4: Trigger Operation
Set ‘TRG’ mode:
Press 5 so that TRG is displayed in the bottom corner of the display. Use the up and
down keys to adjust the vertical trigger point until a stable waveform is achieved and
‘Trig’ is shown at the top of the display. The trigger level is shown as a horizontal line
across the graph.
If the y scale is set from a decade setting to a more sensitive ‘5’ or ‘2’ setting, the
trigger point will hold the same absolute value to ensure that the same actual trigger
point is maintained. This may mean that it will disappear off the top of the screen. If
you want to relocate it into the visible area, press the green tick button and the
trigger point will be reset in the lower half of the screen.
Use the left and right buttons to move the trigger point horizontally. The horizontal
trigger point is shown by a small ‘T’ at the top of the graph.
Press 5 to turn off the trigger mode and the horizontal trigger level line is no longer
shown. However the vertical trigger point is indicated by a small index mark to the
left of the grid.
Alternatively, trigger adjustments can be made through the menus.

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Press the Menu button. Scroll down to the Trig Level option and press Enter. TRIG is
displayed with the current trigger level alongside the waveform display. Use the up
and down arrow buttons to increase and decrease the trigger level until the desired
value is shown, or until the waveform triggers. Press Enter to exit the trigger level
setting function.
Trigger Slope
Press the Menu button. Scroll down to the Trig Slope option and press Enter. Use
the up and down arrow buttons to switch between positive (rising edge) and negative
(falling edge) slope. Press Enter to leave the trigger slope setting function.
Trigger Mode
Press the Menu button. Scroll down to the Trig Mode option and press Enter. Use
the up and down arrow buttons to select between Auto, Normal and Manual.
The trigger mode is shown at the top centre of the waveform display.
In Auto mode, if no valid trigger occurs after a period of time, the display will show
whatever signal is currently being seen and the words ‘No trig’ are shown at the top
of the display. If regular pulses are detected and the trigger level is set correctly, the
display will lock onto the pulse and the word ‘Trig’ is shown at the top of the display.
When the timebase is set to a slow setting it may take a short while to collect the
data and display it, and ‘wait’ is shown at the top of the screen while the data is
being collected prior to display.
In Normal mode, if no valid triggers occur no waveform is displayed and ‘No trig’ is
shown at the top of the display. Once the meter has triggered and displayed a
waveform, the captured waveform is kept on the display until the next trigger occurs.
This gives the user the ability to see and measure short pulses that might occur
infrequently.
In Manual Mode, a waveform is only displayed when the ACQUIRE button is
pressed, see ‘Start Acquisition’.

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Cursor Function
The ADM-1000 has a cursor function which enables various calculations to be made
on displayed waveforms.
In waveform display mode, press ACQ (0) to stop the acquisition. Two small crosses
are displayed on the waveform, one of which is flashing. The meter can perform
various calculations based on the positions of the cursors including:
Delta t Time Difference between the cursors. This can be used to
determine period, pulse width etc.
Delta P Power difference between the cursors. This is used for
measuring pulse amplitudes or amplitude differences.
Using both Delta t and Delta P, the pulse risetime can be determined.
1/Delta t This is used to measure frequency (PRF) in Hertz. The display
should be arranged so that preferably two pulses can be seen,
and the cursors should then be set to the same point on each of
the two adjacent pulses.
Average Power The average power between the cursors is calculated. This can
be used to determine the average power in a certain period of
time, e.g. during a burst of pulses.
Pulse Energy The energy within a single pulse, in Joules. The display is
arranged to show one pulse as large as possible, and the
cursors set one either side of the pulse. The energy in the pulse
is displayed.
Use the 5 button to select the cross to be moved, one of the crosses is flashing to
show which is selected. Use the left and right arrow buttons to move it. Press 5 to
select the other.
The calculated value is shown at the top of the display. To change the type of
calculation, press the green tick button to toggle through the available calculations.

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Other Functions
Head Information
Press Menu. Scroll down to Info. Select Head and press Enter to display information
about the head including type and last factory and user calibration date.
Product Information
Press Menu and scroll down to Info. Select Instrument and press Enter. Product
Information is displayed including model, software version and last factory and user
calibration dates.

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Menu Structure
Digital Display
Note that the Range can be quickly set by pressing the up/down buttons.
Press MENU Range AUTO
10µW (Example ranges for diode head in digital display mode)
100µW
1mW
10mW
100mW
1W
Wavelength Type in wavelength
Measure Mode Average
Peak
Auto-Calc Pulse Width
PRF
Pulse Power
Zero Set zero light
level?
Display Backlight
Use up/down buttons to set backlight
brightness
Contrast Use up/down buttons to set contrast
Head Info
Info
Graphical
Display
Note that the X and Y scales can be quickly set by pressing the left/right and up/down buttons.
Press MENU Y Scale per division 1µW (Example ranges for diode head in graphical display mode)
2µW
5µW
10µW
20µW
50µW
100µW
200µW
500µW

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1mW
2mW
5mW
10mW
20mW
50mW
100mW
200mW
X Scale per
division 60s
30s
10s
5s
2s
1s
500ms
200ms
100ms
50ms
20ms
10ms
5ms
2ms
1ms
500µs
200µs
100µs
50µs
20µs
10µs
Trig Level Use up/down buttons to change trigger level
Trig Slope Positive
Negative
Trig Mode Auto
Normal
Manual
Cursors On/Off Use Enter button to select and left/right to move
t
1/t
y
Wavelength Type in wavelength
Zero Set zero light level?

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Display Backlight
Use up/down buttons to set backlight brightness
Contrast Use up/down buttons to set contrast
Head Info Displays Head Information
Info Displays Unit Information

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Connecting the ADM-1000 to a P.C.
The ADM-1000 can be connected to a P.C. using the supplied USB lead. The
software and drivers are compatible with Windows XP.
If the ADM-1000 is connected to a high-power USB port (such as one on the back of
a P.C.) the meter is able to draw it’s power from the USB port and no other power
source is necessary. In this instance the meter will turn itself on as soon as it is
connected and installed on the P.C.
If the ADM-1000 is connected to a low power port such as a USB hub which has no
power supply of it’s own, or a long USB lead is used, the meter will need batteries or
a power adaptor. In this instance, once the meter has been connected and installed
as described below, it will need to be turned on and off manually as normal.
To connect the meter to the P.C., plug the supplied USB lead into the power meter
and a spare USB port.
The P.C. should enter the Found New Hardware wizard. If the P.C. asks to look for
drivers on the internet, select ‘Not this time’.
Insert the supplied CD into the P.C.’s CD drive. When the P.C. asks if you want to
install the software automatically, select the ‘Install from a specific location’ option.
At the next window, instruct the Wizard to search the CD drive.
The USB drivers are installed first, then the installation process repeats to install the
Laser Power Meter drivers. On both occasions the wizard should be instructed to
search the CD drive for the drivers.
On completion the power meter should switch itself on.