superlum BroadLighter-M Series User Manual

USER MANUAL

BroadLighter-M Series

Broadband Superluminescent Diode

Benchtop Light Source

Superlum, Unit B3, Fota Point Enterprise Park, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, Ireland.

Phone: [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]

www.superlumdiodes.com

Superlum reserves the right to change or make corrections to this manual further without notice.

Revision 16

June 2015

Declaration of Conformity

According to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and CEN/CENELEC EN 45014

Manufacturer’s Name: Superlum Diodes Ltd.
Manufacturer’s Address: Unit B3, Fota Point Enterprise Park

Carrigtwohill, Co Cork
Ireland

Declares that,
Product Name: Broadband Superluminescent Diode Benchtop Light

Source

Product Number: BroadLighter-M
Product Options: This declaration covers all options of the above

product(s).
This product complies with the following standards/ requirements:

EMC

Standard

Limit

IEC 61326-1:1997+A1:1998 / EN
61326-1:1997+A1:1998

Group 1 Class A

CISPR 11:1990 / EN 55011:1991

4kV CD, 8kV AD

IEC 61000-4-2:1995+A1:1998 /
EN 61000-4-2:1995

3 V/m, 80-1000
MHz

IEC 61000-4-3:1995 / EN 61000­4-3:1995

0.5kV signal lines,
1kV power lines

IEC 61000-4-4:1995 / EN 61000­4-4:1995

0.5 kV line-line, 1
kV line-ground
3V, 0.15-80 MHz

IEC 61000-4-5:1995 / EN 61000­4-5:1995

0.5 kV line-line, 1
kV line-ground

IEC 61000-4-6:1996 / EN 61000­4-6:1996

Dips: 30% 10ms;
60% 100ms

IEC 61000-4-11:1994 / EN
61000-4-11:1994

Interrupt >
95%@5000ms

The product was tested in a
typical configuration

Safety

IEC 61010-1:1990+A1:1992+A2:1995 /
N 61010-1:1993+A2:1995

Laser
Safety

IEC 60825-1:2014

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

1

Certificate Exclusions

This Declaration, and all documentation, and all
equipment cited herein, shall cease to conform to and/or
be compliant with the above Directives, Standards and
Specifications unless the following conditions are
complied with and applied by the Purchaser /User:

 This Product shall be installed, used and

maintained as directed by Superlum.

 The Product shall not be modified and/or changed

without prior written approval of Superlum.

Although every effort is made by Superlum to comply with
the above Directives and Standards, it is the responsibility
of the Purchaser and/or User of the equipment to ensure
that all claims and assurances with regards to such
directives and Standards are complete, correct and
satisfied.

IEC 825-1

Warranty

2

Warranty

Warranty

Superlum warrants the BroadLighter-M Broadband SLD
Benchtop Light Source for a period of 12 months from the
date of shipment. During this warranty period Superlum
will repair / exchange any unit proven to be defective.
Repairs are warranted for the balance of the original
warranty period or at least 90 days.

For warranty repairs or service the unit must be

returned to Superlum at the customer’s expense.

Limitation of Warranty

Superlum will not accept liability for any incidental
damage caused by the failure of this product. This
warranty does NOT cover:

 Any defect/damage caused by improper

operation.

 Accompanying accessories, e.g. fiber optical

patchcables, AC power cords, etc.

Dismantling any part of the unit without prior approval

from Superlum will void the warranty.

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

3

Statement of Calibration

Superlum certifies that this product has been inspected,
tested, and calibrated to meet its published specifications.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Warranty ...................................................................... 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................... 4

Safety Symbols and Terms ........................................ 7

General Safety Information ........................................ 9

Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................. 20

1. General Information .............................................. 22

1.In This Manual …………………………………………………………….22

1.2 Instrument Description ................................................. 25

1.3 Product Specifications ................................................. 32

2. Installation ............................................................. 35

2.1 Unpacking and Initial Inspection................................. 35

2.1.1 Unpacking the Instrument ................................ 35

2.1.2 Initial Inspection ................................................. 36

2.2 Preparation for Use ...................................................... 38

3. Local Mode of Operation ...................................... 40

3.1 Front-Panel Features ................................................... 40

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

5

3.2 Rear-Panel Features .................................................... 42

3.3 Operating Instructions .................................................. 44

3.4 Power OFF Instructions ............................................... 47

3.5 Interface Menu .............................................................. 48

3.5.1 Main Interface Screen....................................... 48

3.5.2 Main Screen Status Messages ....................... 52

3.5.3 Main Screen Status Indicators ........................ 53

3.5.4 Main Menu .......................................................... 54

4. Remote Mode of Operation .................................. 57

4.1 Remote Control Interface ............................................ 58

4.2 USB interface… ............................................................ 60

4.2.1 System Commands ........................................... 62

4.2.2 USB Mode Commands ..................................... 64

4.3 Superlum Companion Software ................................. 77

4.3.1 Minimum System Requirements .................... 78

4.3.2 Installing the USB drivers ................................ 79

4.3.3 Installing Companion Software ...................... 80

6

4.3.4 User Interface .................................................... 81

4.3.5 Self Test Procedure .......................................... 84

4.3.6 Uninstalling the Program .................................. 86

5. Cleaning Instructions ........................................... 87

5.1 Safety Precautions ....................................................... 87

5.2 Cleaning………………………………………………………….………….89

6. Service and Support ............................................ 92

6.1 Returning the Instrument for Servicing ...................... 92

6.2 Preparing the Instrument for Shipment ..................... 93

6.3 Instrument Disposal ...................................................... 95

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

7

Safety Symbols and Terms

This section deals with information on the safety symbols
and terms which are used on the instrument or in the
manual, and gives explanations about what they stand
for. These symbols and terms indicate precautions you
must strictly follow to safely operate the instrument.

Before you begin using your BroadLighter-M,
please read the following explanations:

The WARNING sign denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to a procedure, practice,
or the like, which, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could result in
personal injury. Do not proceed beyond
a WARNING sign until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.

The CAUTION sign denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating procedure,
or the like, which, if not correctly performed
or adhered to, could result in damage to or
destruction of the entire product or part
thereof. Do not proceed beyond a
CAUTION sign until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and met.

WARNING

CAUTION

Safety Symbols and Terms

8

The NOTE sign denotes important
information. It calls attention to
procedures, practice, condition, or the like,
which is essential to highlight.

The CE mark shows that the product
complies with all relevant European Legal
Directives.

The warning label denotes visible and/or
invisible laser radiation.

This label means the compliance with the
requirement of COMPLIANT the RoHS
Directive (Directive 2002/95/EC).

NOTE

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

9

General Safety Information

 High voltage inside. To avoid

electrical shock, before powering
unit, make sure that the protective
conductor of the 3-conductor power
cord is correctly connected to the
protective earth contact of the socket
outlet. Improper grounding can
cause electric shock resulting in
severe injury or even death. Do not
operate without cover installed.

 This unit must not be operated in an

explosive environment.

The general safety precautions must be observed during all
phases of operation, service, and repair of the instrument.
Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific
warnings elsewhere in this manual violates safety standards of
design, manufacture, and intended use of the instrument.
Superlum assumes no liability for the customer failure to comply
with these requirements.

Before Applying Power, verify that the product is set to match
the available line voltage.

WARNING

General Safety Information

10

Avoid Exposure – Laser Radiation emitted from
optical aperture. BroadLighter-M contains one of
the following sets of Laser Safety Information
Labels

1

.

Set 1:

Set 2:

Depending on the configuration of the
BroadLighter-M, the instrument can be assigned
to Class 1, Class 3R or Class 3B laser product in
accordance with IEC 60825-1:2014. Refer to Laser
Safety label placed on the top panel and read the
safety information related to the safety class of
your instrument. Use of controls or adjustments
or performance of procedures other than those
specified herein may result in hazardous
radiation exposure.

1

The labels shown are the examples and for reference only. The actual labels and their position

may differ.

WARNING

CAUTION

WARNING – CLASS 3B INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION

AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM CLASS 3B LASER

PRODUCT

Wavelength: 750-1100 nm

CW/Pulsed: CW

Max Average Power: < 50 mW

Complies with IEC/EN 60825-1:(2014)

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

11

Output Aperture for BroadLighter-M is a
single mode optical fiber with
numerical aperture2 (NA) = 0.14.

Laser Safety Labeling

Depending on configuration, BroadLighter-M can be attributed
to different classes of Laser Safety according to IEC 60825­1:2014. The interior of BroadLighter-M contains Laser Safety
labels. Laser safety information label is located on the lid of the
instrument. Laser aperture label is located next to FC/APC
connector on the front panel of an instrument. Laser Hazard
label is located on the lid of an instrument.

CLASS 1 Laser Product

Light sources assigned to Class 1 are safe during the use,
including the long-term direct intrabeam viewing, even if the
exposure with optical viewing instruments (e.g. eye loupes or
binoculars) occurs. Extra care must be taken to the following:
Using controls, adjustments, or operating procedures that are
different from those specified in this manual may result in
radiation exposure hazardous to the user.
When the instrument is used with certain optical elements—
such as optical amplifiers, lenses, collimators, and the like—
which are not supplied with the product as original accessories,
or the product is integrated into a high-level system, it is strictly

2

Parameter may vary for a custom version of BroadLighter-M

NOTE

General Safety Information

12

recommended to reclassify the final optical system in order to
determine its total degree of optical radiation hazard. The
reason for this is that the Class may increase under these
conditions. It is the responsibility of a person (or organization)
who performs such integration to provide correct
reclassification for the optical system at the final stage.
It must be noted that it is the user who is responsible for being
aware of possible risk associated with using Class 1 laser
products as well as being adequately trained for working with
such light sources. Superlum is not liable for any personal
injury, property damage, or other (direct or indirect) damage of
any nature caused by personal faults, improper and/or
inadequate using of the instrument coming from disregarding
the necessary aspects of laser safety.

According to IEC 60825-1, this product
has been classified for an exposure
duration of up to 100 ms. For other
practical applications in which the
exposure duration is greater than 100
ms, the product must be reclassified.

CLASS 3R Laser Product

Light sources assigned to Class 3R emit optical radiation that
can exceed the MPE (Maximum Permissible Exposure) under

NOTE

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

13

the direct intrabeam viewing, but in most cases the risk of injury
is relatively small because the AEL (Accessible Emission Limit)
for Class 3R is only 5 times greater than the AEL for Class 1,
which is safe for the user. The risk of injury rises as the
exposure duration increases. The exposure will be safe for the
user unless it is a deliberate ocular exposure.
The risk of injury is actually minimized due to the following facts:

 Unintentional exposures would rarely reflect worst-

case conditions, for example, of beam alignment with
the pupil or worst-case accommodation.

 The inherent safety margin in the MPE.

 Natural aversion behavior for exposure to bright light

for the case of visible radiation and by the response to

heating of the cornea for far infrared radiation.
The direct intrabeam viewing is supposed to be unlikely for
possible practical applications of this instrument. Otherwise, the
user should reclassify the instrument. If you are unsure about
providing the correct reclassification, contact Superlum on this
issue.
Using controls, adjustments or operating procedures that are
different from those specified in this manual may result in
radiation exposure hazardous to the user. When the instrument
is used with certain optical elements, such as optical amplifiers,
lenses, collimators, etc., which are not supplied with the product
as original accessories, or the product is integrated into a high-

General Safety Information

14

level system, it is strictly recommended to reclassify the final
optical system. The reason for this is that the Class may
increase under these conditions. It is the responsibility of an
end-user who performs such integration to provide correct
reclassification for the optical system at the final stage. It must
be noted that it is the user who is responsible for being aware
of possible risk associated with using Class 3R laser products
as well as being adequately trained for working with such lighter
sources. Superlum is not liable for any personal injury, property
damage, or other (direct or indirect) damage of any nature
caused by personal faults, improper and/or inadequate using of
the instrument coming from disregarding the necessary aspects
of laser safety. These features are as follows:

 Key-operated master control
 Remote interlock connector
 Illuminated indicator on the pushbutton for the output

emission activation

 Audible and visible warning signals for the output

emission activation

 Protective metal cap for the optical output
 Laser safety labeling

This manual contains the most comprehensive information on
the laser safety controls (and measures) built into the
instrument.

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

15

According to IEC 60825-1, this product
has been classified for an exposure
duration of up to 100 ms. The product
must be reclassified for practical
applications in which the exposure
duration is greater than 100 ms.

CLASS 3B Laser Product

Light sources assigned to Class 3B are always hazardous for
the intra beam ocular viewing even if an accidental short-time
exposure occurs. Viewing them through optical elements with
diffuse-reflecting properties is usually safe for the user. Pay
close attention to the following information: Using controls,
adjustments, or operating procedures that are different from
those specified in this manual may result in radiation exposure
hazardous to the user.
When the instrument is used with certain optical elements such
as optical amplifiers, lenses, collimators, etc., which are not
supplied with the product as the original accessories, or the
product is integrated into a high-level system, it is strictly
recommended to reclassify the final optical system in order to
determine its total degree of optical radiation hazard.. It is the
responsibility of an end user who performs such integration to
provide correct reclassification for the optical system. It must be
noted that it is the end-user who is responsible for being aware

NOTE

General Safety Information

16

of possible risk associated with using Class 3B laser products
as well as being adequately trained or working with such lighter
sources. Superlum is not liable for any personal injury, property
damage, or other (direct or indirect) damage of any nature
caused by personal faults, improper and/or inadequate using of
the instrument coming from disregarding the necessary aspects
of laser safety. Incorporated into BroadLighter-M are the
following laser safety features:

 Key-operated master control
 Remote interlock connector
 Illuminated indicator on the pushbutton for the output

emission activation

 Audible and visible warning signals for the output

emission activation

 Protective metal cap for the optical output
 Laser safety labeling

This manual contains the most comprehensive information on
the laser safety controls (and measures) built into the
instrument. Please read thoroughly this manual to acquaint
yourself with all features and functions for laser safety before
you start working with the BroadLighter-M.

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

17

According to IEC 60825-1, this product
has been classified for an exposure
duration of up to 100 ms. The product
must be reclassified for practical
applications in which the exposure
duration is greater than 100 ms.

NOTE

General Safety Information

18

Safety Earth Ground

To minimize shock hazard, the instrument chassis and cabinet
must be connected to an electrical ground. The instrument must
be connected to the AC power line through a three-conductor
power cable, with the third wire firmly connected to an electrical
ground (safety ground) at the power outlet. Any interruption of
the protective (grounding) conductor or disconnection of the
protective earth terminal will cause a potential shock hazard
that could result in personal injury.

 DO NOT operate the instrument in an explosive

atmosphere or in the presence of flammable
gases or fumes.

 DO NOT perform procedures involving cover or

shield removal unless you are qualified to do
so. Operating personnel must not remove
equipment covers or shields. Procedures
involving the removal of covers and shields are
to be performed by service-trained personnel
only.

 DO NOT operate damaged equipment.

Whenever it is possible that the safety
protection features built into this product have
been impaired, either through physical

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

19

damage, excessive moisture or any other
reason, remove power and do not use the
product. Return the product to Superlum to
ensure the safety features are operational.

 DO NOT substitute parts or modify equipment.

Because of the danger of introducing additional
hazards, do not install substitute parts or
perform any unauthorized modification to the
product. Return the product to Superlum for
service and repair.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

20

Acronyms and Abbreviations

The necessary information on acronyms and abbreviations is
summarized in the following table:

TABLE A. Acronyms and Abbreviations Used

Abbreviation

Definition

O

C

Degree Celsius

mW

Milliwatt

nm

Nanometre

dB

Decibel

AC

Alternating Current

AEL

Accessible Emission Limit

APC

Automatic Power Control

BLS

Broadband Light Source

CW

Continuous Wave

DC

Direct Current

LED

Light Emitting Diode

MPE

Maximum Permissible Emission

NA

Numerical Aperture

PC

Personal Computer

SLD

Superluminescent Diode

TEC Thermoelectric Cooler

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

21

If you see a term for which the definition
is not given here, refer to special
reference books for the necessary
explanations or consult with Superlum
on this issue.

NOTE

1. General Information

22

1. General Information

This chapter contains general information concerning the
BroadLighter-M Broadband SLD Benchtop Light Source.
Included in this chapter are a description of the instrument, an
outline of this manual, general specifications, information on the
Laser Class to which your BroadLighter-M is assigned, and a
description of the laser safety measures employed in this
equipment.

1.1 In This Manual

This manual contains the most comprehensive information
required to install, operate, and clean your Superlum
BroadLighter-M Broadband SLD Benchtop Light Source.

The goal of this section is to give a short overview of the
chapters and sections comprising this document. Knowing the
layout of the manual helps you find answers to the vast majority
of questions you may have about installing, using,
programming, cleaning, and servicing your BroadLighter-M.
The manual consists of six chapters. Detailed information about
the principles of operation, installing, and using the
BroadLighter-M is provided in four chapters which are placed at
the beginning of the manual. At the end of the document there
are two chapters containing additional information (i.e. detailed

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

23

instructions) about cleaning and obtaining service. Use the
manual as a reference book when you are installing and
operating with the instrument.

Please, carefully read this manual before using your
BroadLighter-M. You should pay attention to the warnings and
cautions presented in this manual. If necessary, refer to section
"Safety Symbols and Terms" for definitions of these terms. If,
after reading this manual, some of the explanations remain
unclear to you or you need extra information on a particular
issue, do not hesitate to contact Superlum for more details or
additional explanations.

The chapters in this manual are set out as follows:

Chapter 1, "General Information", begins with outlining
the scope of this manual. After that, you will find background
information concerning the BroadLighter design and the
principles of operation. Following this are technical
specifications on the product and laser safety information,
which are provided in the corresponding sections of the
chapter.

Chapter 2, "Installation", takes you through unpacking
and inspection procedures and explains how to prepare the
BroadLighter-M for use.

1. General Information

24

Chapter 3, "Local Mode of Operation", introduces front­and rear-panel features and provides detailed operating
instructions to demonstrate how to use the BroadLighter-M.

Chapter 4, "Remote Mode of Operation", explains how to
control the instrument remotely via a PC. It provides a full
description of each command and query supported by the
instrument and the most comprehensive information on the
Superlum BroadLighter-M Companion Software, which comes
with the instrument.

Chapter 5, "Cleaning Instructions", deals with a
description of the proper cleaning procedures that you should
regularly apply to both the BroadLighter-M and optical
accessories, such as optical patchcables, adapters, optical
connectors, etc.

Chapter 6, "Service and Support", explains what you
should do if you encounter a problem with the instrument. It also
gives detailed recommendations for repacking the instrument
before returning it to Superlum for servicing.

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

25

1.2 Instrument Description

For a number of optical applications, such as optical coherence
tomography, optical metrology, characterization of optical
components etc., broadband light sources based on the use of
SLD modules are considered to be best suited. The reason for
choosing these optical modules is related to their remarkable
performance parameters. Among all types of modules
presented on the market, the SLD modules best combine high
optical power similar to that emitted by laser diodes with
broadband optical spectra characteristics of LEDs. These
advantages of SLDs allow the user to avoid unwanted
interference effects, like speckle or ghost signals. In contrast,
narrowband light sources such as laser diodes often give rise
to such effects due to a high temporal coherence of their output
emission.

The BroadLighter-M is an advanced SLD-based
broadband light source intended for a benchtop applications.
Among other broadband light sources of this kind, it features
excellent performance parameters, easy-to-use front-panel
operation, and long-term stability of its technical characteristics,
high reliability, minimal maintenance, and many others. The
instrument can be controlled either manually by using its front­panel controls or remotely via PC. For remote control, the
instrument is equipped with USB and REMOTE CONTROL
interface. Superlum BroadLighter-M Companion Software,

1. General Information

26

which is supplied with the instrument, has a user-friendly
interface that permits the user to put the instrument under
remote control immediately after its installation.

In comparison to a standalone SLD module, the
BroadLighter-M demonstrates the extended optical spectrum
with an extremely wide -3 dB bandwidth, which in turn
corresponds to very low temporal coherence. This occurs due
to combination of the optical emissions of up to four spectrally
matched SLD modules. The actual number of SLDs depends
on your instrument configuration. Figure 1.1 sketches the
principle of light combining in the BroadLighter-M. To combine
broadband emissions of the SLDs broadband fiber-optic
couplers are utilized. The couplers feature low insertion losses
and small changes in the coupling ratio for the necessary range
of wavelengths.

BroadLighter-M Series
User Manual
Revision 16

27













Coupler 3

SLD 1

SLD 2

Coupler 1

Output





SLD 3

SLD 4

Coupler 2

Figure 1.1. Schematic of the Principle of Light Combining in the

BroadLighter-M. The actual number of SLDs depends on your

instrument configuration.

The internal structure of the BroadLighter-M has a
modular design. The instrument consists of an optical unit,
driver unit and a main unit. Optical unit has optical components
comprising the optical scheme of the instrument. It also stores
the information about the SLD operating parameters, the driver
unit has an integrated DC power supply, as well as driving
electronics and temperature control for SLDs. The main unit
acts as a motherboard for optical and driver units. This design
principle provides the possibility for a flexible exchange of unit
and the ability to adapt and upgrade the instrument to a
particular customer application.