Photon Force PF32 User manual

PF32 QUICK START GUIDE
v1.4.9

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W A R R A N T Y A N D D I S C L A I M E R S
Use of this product and the associated software implies acceptance of the Photon Force terms of use.
Bare electronic components are susceptible to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Failure to employ good
practice in handling the hardware, or to observe and comply with the warnings and handling precautions
stated in this guide will void the product warranty.
This product may not be used in military, aerospace, medical or other safety critical applications without
the express written permission of Photon Force Ltd. Any such use is undertaken entirely at the customer’s
own risk.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.

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C O N T E N T S
Warranty and disclaimers ................................................................................................................... 2
Welcome ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Software Installation – Microsoft Windows ....................................................................................... 5
Java Runtime Environment Installation .......................................................................................... 6
PF32 Software Package Installation ................................................................................................ 9
PF32 Java Demo Application First Run .......................................................................................... 15
Connecting the camera for TCSPC mode .......................................................................................... 18
Java Demo Application Guide ........................................................................................................... 20
Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 20
Start Tab ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Image Display And Streaming Controls ......................................................................................... 22
Exposure Tab ................................................................................................................................. 23
Display Tab .................................................................................................................................... 24
TCSPC Tab ...................................................................................................................................... 24
Frame Data Tab ............................................................................................................................. 26
Advanced Tab – Bias Setup ........................................................................................................... 26

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W E L C O M E
Thank you for choosing to purchase a PF32 system from Photon Force. We look forward to
supporting your research and hearing about your discoveries. Please do stay in touch!
We’ve put together the following quick start guide to help you get up to speed with your new
camera. If you have not yet already downloaded the software and documentation for your PF32
camera, this available online at https://www.photon-force.com/setup/
Photon Force supports a number of ways to use your PF32 camera, all built around our camera
driver. A Java demo application is provided, which can be used to quickly test the camera, view a
video stream, capture histograms, and explore the camera settings. The Java application is
discussed later in this guide. A MATLAB® wrapper is provided for scientific use, allowing the
camera to be operated and data acquired from within the MATLAB® environment. Demo
functions are provided for acquiring both live video for display, and high speed streaming of data
for analysis. The MATLAB® wrapper is discussed in a dedicated guide, available from the setup
link above. Finally, you may use the Photon Force API to communicate with the PF32 camera from
your own software. Please consult the API guide provided via the setup page above.
Illustration of software components.
PF32 camera
Driver
DLL
Java demo application
Your software
Photon Force MATLAB® wrapper

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S O F T W A R E I N S T A L L A T I O N – M I C R O S O F T W I N D O W S
The PF32 application and USB driver are designed for 64-bit Windows 10, but are also compatible
with older versions of Windows. 32-bit Windows and Linux versions are available upon request.
Software installation is performed in two steps:
1. Obtain up-to-date Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
2. Install PF32 driver and demo application.

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J A V A R U N T I M E E N V I R O N M E N T I N S T A L L A T I O N
The PF32 Java application requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). If not installed already,
please download the JRE from the Oracle Java web site:
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
To install the Oracle Java Runtime Environment, download and run the Windows Offline (64-bit)
installer.
The installation of the JRE requires the following steps:
1. Run the installer and provide the necessary administrator rights to allow the installation.

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2. Accept the license agreement.
3. Wait for the installer to finish.

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4. Close the installer and proceed to the installation of the PF32 software package.

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P F 3 2 S O F T W A R E P A C K A G E I N S T A L L A T I O N
Regular updates for the USB driver and Java demo application are offered to Photon Force
customers.
Run the PF32 installer. The latest version 1.4.9 for Windows is called:
PF32-1.4.9-win64.exe
1. The installation may require Administrator permission. Press "Yes" when the following
window appears and provide the Administrator password if required.
2. The installer might not start immediately and you may need to provide the appropriate
permissions along the way. If so, Windows will guide the process. The following window
may appear before the installer starts. Click the "More info" link to proceed.

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3. A new button "Run anyway" appears. Click this button to override the default Windows
security setting.
4. Once again, you might be asked for the permission to install the PF32 software package.
Press “Yes” to proceed.