Pangolin FB4 Series User manual

FB4
User Manual - BETA
Pangolin Laser Systems

Copyright 2015, Pangolin Laser Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Due to our policy of continuous product improvement, information in
this manual is subject to change without notice.

Chapter 1
Getting Started
Congratulations on selecting the FB4 Laser controller! You now own
the most powerful and flexible lasershow controller hardware
available for use with Pangolin software.
FB4 gives you the exceptional laser quality and convenience, along
with the ability to use both QuickShow and BEYOND software.
Power
If you purchased a laser projector that
includes FB4, then power is already
supplied from inside the projector.
If you are a projector manufacturer
incorporating FB4 into a projector, you
will need to supply power to the FB4 at
the connector shown on the left. The
power required is a single +5 to +30
volts, at 2 watts. This may be sourced
from the same power supply that feeds the scanners or laser diode
drivers.
The power connector is located at the top of the FB4 as shown. A
stripped and tinned wire must be firmly pressed into each round hole
found on the connector.
With the FB4 in the orientation shown above, negative is on the left
and positive is on the right. The connector will normally have red and
black markings to indicate positive and negative, respectively.

4 FB4 User Manual
If you need to remove the power wires from the FB4, each wire may
be released by inserting a very small pin or tip of an X-ACTO knife
into the small slots adjacent to each hole.
Connecting to a Projector
The FB4 has "Axis output" and "Color output" signals having a
voltage level that is compatible with the ILDA-ISP standard.
If your FB4 is not already installed on your projector, please refer to
the Appendix A for the pinouts.
Turning it on
When power is applied to the FB4, a green light will illuminate.
Pressing down on the knob will wake up the FB4 for configurations.
FB4 is configured at the factory to be usable with Pangolin's
QuickShow or BEYOND software. However, other operational modes
are possible, including DMX, OSC, as well as the ability to access
internal test patterns when they are stored on the removable SD
memory card.
Initial Operation
Connect FB4 to your computer or local area network using a standard
CAT5 or CAT6 Ethernet cable. When FB4 detects a network, the
yellow light on FB4 should flash indicating network activity. From
the factory, the FB4 is initially configured to use an automatic IP
address, but FB4 may also be assigned to a manual IP address using
the menus accessed using the dial on the front.

Chapter 1 Getting Started 5
Software Setup
Download and install QuickShow or BEYOND, which can be found
on installation media included with FB4 (or included with the
projector). You may also check the Support section of the Pangolin
web site to ensure that you are using the very latest version of
QuickShow or BEYOND.
When you start the software, it should automatically detect the FB4
and show it on the status bar.
Within the Projector Settings dialog box, use the test patterns to
perform initial setup including size, scan rate and color adjustments.

Appendix A
FB4 Connections
Note that this manual is currently evolving, and FB4 includes some
features that are not yet documented.
Power Input Connector
The Power connector is located at the top as shown in the picture.
A stripped and tinned wire must be firmly pressed into to the holes in
the connector. To release a wire after it has been inserted, insert a
small pin or the tip of an X-ACTO knife trough the small slits
adjacent to each hole, and then pull on the wire.
FB4 requires +5 to +30 volts DC, at 2 watts. If you use the optional
DMX or ILDA daughterboards, 2.5 watts of power should be
budgeted.

Appendix A FB4 Connections 7
Axis (X and Y scanner) Outputs
Axis Output
Pin Signal name Voltage level
1 Y Positive + -5V to +5V
2 Y Negative - -5V to +5V
3 GND
4 GND
5 X Negative - -5V to +5V
6 X Positive + -5V to +5V

8 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual
Color Outputs
Color Output
Pin Signal Name Voltage level
1 Color 1 (Red) 0 to +5V
2 Color 2 (Green) 0 to +5V
3 Color 3 (Blue) 0 to +5V
4 Color 4 (Deep Blue) 0 to +5V
5 Color 5 (Yellow) 0 to +5V
6 Color 6 (Cyan) 0 to +5V
7 Shutter 0 to +5V
8 GND

Appendix A FB4 Connections 9
ILDA DB-25 Pinouts
If you want to connect FB4 Axis and Color outputs to an ILDA DB25
connector, the relevant signal names, pin numbers, and voltage levels
are described below.
Signal name Pin Voltage level / Notes
X+ 1 -5V to +5V
Y+ 2 -5V to +5V
Intensity/Blanking + 3 (not applicable to FB4)
Interlock A 4 (connect to pin 17)
Red+ 5 0V to +5V
Green+ 6 0V to +5V
Blue+ 7 0V to +5V
Deep blue + 8 0V to +5V
Yellow + 9 0V to +5V
Cyan + 10 0V to +5V
Z+ 11 (not applicable to FB4)
Not connected 12
Shutter 13 0V to +5V
X- 14 -5V to +5V
Y- 15 -5V to +5V
Intensity/Blanking - 16 (not applicable to FB4)
Interlock B 17 (connect to pin 4)
Red- 18 (connect to pin 25)
Green- 19 (connect to pin 25)
Blue- 20 (connect to pin 25)
Deep blue - 21 (connect to pin 25)
Yellow - 22 (connect to pin 25)
Cyan - 23 (connect to pin 25)
Z- 24 (not applicable to FB4)
Ground 25 Common ground / cable shield

10 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual
Shutter Actuator Output Connector
FB4 has a built-in PWM output which may be connected directly to
an actuator, for the purposes of implementing a redundant mechanical
shutter. The signals are described below.
Shutter Actuator Output
Pin Signal name
1 GND
2 PWM Voltage Output
As a shutter actuator, we recommend the VRAD 1510 or VRAD 506
actuator from the ScannerMAX division of Pangolin.

Appendix A FB4 Connections 11
X-Y Scanner Position (feedback input) Connector
FB4 can optionally monitor the X-Y scanner's position signals and
provide additional safety-related functions. These functions are
selectable and adjustable in the FB4 menus. When implemented, the
scanner's position signals may be fed into the FB4 as described below.
If this signal is not implemented, the connector should be left
unplugged.
Feedback
Pin Signal name Voltage level
1 Y + -10 to +10
2 Y - -10 to +10
3 X - -10 to +10
4 X + -10 to +10

12 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual
FB4 ILDA Daughterboard Connector
FB4 may be connected to an optional daughterboard which provides
ILDA-Input and ILDA-Through capability. When this daugherboard
is used, FB4 can direct the ILDA Input through FB4 circuitry for
signal modification, before forwarding those signals to the Axis and
Color outputs on the FB4. The signal modification includes the ability
to adjust the color level and color shift as well as the orientation of the
ILDA input. All of these ILDA input signal modifications are
accessible through the FB4 menus.
ISP Input
Pin Signal name
1 GND
2 I2C SDA
3 I2C SCL
4 I2C INT
5 VCC (3.3V)
6 B IN
7 G IN
8 R IN
9 Y IN
10 X IN
11 VSS (-5.8V)
12 VDD (5.8V)

Appendix A FB4 Connections 13
FB4 DMX Daughterboard Connector
FB4 may be connected to an optional daughterboard which provides
DMX-Input and DMX-Through capability. When this daugherboard is
used, FB4 can receive DMX signals and trigger content stored on the
removable SD memory card, as well as adjust the size, position,
rotation, color and other parameters. The DMX capability provided by
this daughterboard also conforms to the RDM standard of DMX. The
DMX and RDM functionality of the FB4 is accessible through the
FB4 menus.
RDM
Pin Signal name
7 GND
6 DMX RX
5 DMX TL
4 I2C SCL
3 I2C SDA
2 I2C INT
1 VCC (3.3V)

14 Lasershow Player model FB4 User Manual
Status Indicator Lights
GREEN - Power & SD card status
- OFF: No Power
- FLASHING: Not used at the moment
- BLINKING: No SD Card
- SOLID ON: SD Card Present
YELLOW - Network status
- OFF: Network is not detected
- FLASHING: Obtaining IP Address
- BLINKING: IP Address Obtained
- SOLID ON: Connected to QS or BEYOND
ORANGE - DMX & Art NET status
- OFF: No active DMX or Art NET signal detected
- BLINKING: DMX signal detected
- SOLID ON: ArtNET or sACN detected

Appendix A FB4 Connections 15
RED - Laser Emission status
- OFF: No laser output (and no connection to QS or BEYOND)
- SLOW BLINKING: QS or BEYOND active, Laser output disabled
- BLINKING: QS or BEYOND active and Laser output is enabled
SPECIAL CASES:
- ALL 4 LEDs BLINKING: Waiting for Firmware Update and No
Valid Firmware on the SD Card
- ALL 4 LEDs SOLID ON: Firmware Update in Progress

Appendix B
The following article appeared in the 2012 edition of The Laserist magazine. It is
provided below as guide to connecting the FB4 with the other projector components.
Making the right
connections for a
perfect image
Incorrect connections can lead to distorted images and other problems,
which are then mistakenly blamed on poor scanner tuning or poor
component performance. Incorrect connections can also lead to a
dangerous projector – for example, one which will output a beam even
when it is not connected.
This article is intended to be a guide for projector manufacturers on
the best way to assemble components to create a laser projector
conforming to the ILDA Standard Projector (ISP) specification. When
discussing the connections inside a laser projector, it is best to
conceptually separate these connections into two categories:
Connections that are related to power supplies (referred to as
“Power Connections”); and connections that are related to the ILDA
DB-25 signals (referred to as “Signal Connections”). We will
discuss the power connections first.

Appendix B Making The Right Connections 17
Power Connections
Figure 1 general manner in which power connections should be made
between the various components.

18 FB4 User Manual
We will discuss the connections for the scanner power supplies first,
because they are at the top of the diagram, and also because once that
foundation is laid, the other power connections can be easily
understood.
Power enters the projector from the AC Mains Supply. An integrated
switch and fuse assembly is often used as shown. The international
color standard specifies the brown wire as the LINE (or “Hot”) lead,
and the blue wire as the NEUTRAL lead. These are connected to the
power supply LINE and NEUTRAL connections respectively. If you
look closely at the power supply, you should see the words “Line” and
“Neutral”, or letters “L” and “N” that designate which wire goes
where.
Note that there are AC power cords that do not have polarized plugs,
and these two may become swapped at the point that the projector
plugs into the wall. However, you should still maintain a sense of
“Line” and “Neutral” throughout the laser projector, always
connecting the “Line” terminals of all power supplies to the same
(preferably brown) wire, and “Neutral” terminals to the other
(preferably blue) wire. The most important difference between the
“Line” and “Neutral” connections, is that the “Line” connection is the
one that you use when connecting a switch and fuse in line with
power supplies.
With laser projectors whose optical output power is relatively low (for
example, a few hundred milliwatts) and projectors that have a plastic
enclosure, there may only be two AC power wires (Line and Neutral)
and the Ground wire may or may not be used. For projectors that have
a metal enclosure, a Ground wire (international color code is green as
shown) must always be used and connected as shown.
The Power Connections diagram shows two separate power supplies
used to generate +24V and –24V for the scanner amplifiers, but this
could be embodied as a single power supply that generates both
voltages as indicated by the light gray box. In either case, the +24V
and –24V power wires are connected from these power supplies to the
scanner amplifiers. As with the power supplies, the scanner amplifiers
may also be embodied as two separate single-axis amplifiers, or as
one dual-axis amplifier as indicated by the light gray box around
them.
The most important part of Figure 1 is the “Central Grounding Point”.
This is really the single most important connections concept inside the
laser projector, and the thing that many people do not initially

Appendix B Making The Right Connections 19
understand. Basically, any component inside the laser projector that
requires a ground connection should make a “home-run” to the
“Central Grounding Point”. This connection scheme is called a
“Single-Point Grounding Scheme” which is also known as a “Star
Grounding Scheme”. The “Central Grounding Point” should be
located close to the power supplies.
Unlike the +24V and –24V, which can simply be connected to the
scanner amplifiers in a daisy-chain fashion as shown, the ground
connections (designated PG in the diagram for “Power Ground”)
require more careful consideration, and must each make a “home run”
type connection to the “Central Grounding Point”.
When an AC ground connection is used (green wire on the diagram),
the easiest thing to do would be to connect it to the “Central
Grounding Point” as well. This is because, often times this “Central
Grounding Point” is eventually (through “phantom ground
connections”) connected to the optical plate within the projector. If
“phantom ground connections” can be completely prevented, then the
AC ground connection could simply be connected to the projector
chassis, but not to the central grounding point. This provides the best
performance, but requires the most careful projector design and
layout, and close attention to detail in terms of avoiding “phantom
ground” connections.
When an AC ground is not used, or when the AC ground is connected
only to the projector chassis and there are absolutely no “phantom
ground connections” then ILDA DB-25 pin 25 MUST be connected to
the “Central Grounding Point”.
Note that the ILDA DB-25 pin 25 should NOT be connected to the
“Central Grounding Point” if the AC ground connection is already
connected there, otherwise there will be a ground loop formed
external to the projector, which is undesirable.

20 FB4 User Manual
Power Connections For the Laser
In addition to showing the connections for the scanner power supply,
Figure 1 also shows the connections for the lasers. However, unlike
the connections for the scanner amplifiers, the connections shown for
the lasers are intended to be more conceptual than literal. The reason
is because, although scanner amplifiers are highly standardized and
generally all require the same kind of power supplies and connections,
the lasers themselves may have integrated AC power supplies and
laser diode drivers, or may each operate on a separate power supply
and driver.
The diagram shows a single power supply operating three solid-state
laser diode drivers, but there may be only a single laser, or in fact the
laser may be an ion laser with completely separate power supply.
Nevertheless, the diagram shows conceptually what must be
accomplished for best results. If the laser power supply is small
enough to fit within the projector, then the “Power Ground” from the
power supply, as well as the “Power Ground” from the laser diode
driver should each be routed to the “Central Grounding Point”. If an
ion laser were used, then a PCAOM would be used to modulate the
beam. In this case, you would connect the Power Supply of the
PCAOM driver, as well as the PCAOM driver each to the “Central
Grounding Point” using a “home-run” type connection.
Projector Interlock (required by the ISP standard)
Figure 1 also shows a relay placed in series with the laser power
supplies. This relay is intended to facilitate the “interlock” feature of
the ILDA Standard Projector. When connected as shown, the laser
diode drivers (and optionally, the shutter driver) will only receive
power when the interlock loop is closed. The interlock facilitates an
additional layer of safety for laser projectors, and is required by the
ISP standard.
It is also possible for users to place a “Red Mushroom Switch” in
series with the ILDA cable and connected to the interlock lines. This