THORLABS SC10 Operating Manual

SC10

Shutter Controller

Operating Manual

SHUTTER CONTROLLER SC10

TIME OP EN SEC

ENAB LED

TIME CL OSED SEC

O

|

SELECT

POWER

MODE

TRIGGER

ENAB LE

SHUTTER

OPEN

THORLABS, Inc. Ph: [phone]
435 Route 206N Fax: [phone]
Newton, NJ 07860 USA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...........................................................................................................................................2

Features:...................................................................................................................................................................2

Description:...............................................................................................................................................................2

SC10 Specifications: ................................................................................................................................................3

Performance.........................................................................................................................................................3

Electrical...............................................................................................................................................................3

Physical Characteristics and Interface:................................................................................................................4

Front Panel Keys and Indictors: ...............................................................................................................................5

OPERATION.............................................................................................................................................................5

Initial Set-up .........................................................................................................................................................5

Turning ON the Unit .............................................................................................................................................5

Main Display.........................................................................................................................................................6

MODE...................................................................................................................................................................6

TRIGGER .............................................................................................................................................................6

TIME OPEN (ON).................................................................................................................................................6

TIME CLOSED (OFF) ..........................................................................................................................................7

INTERLOCK and ALARM ....................................................................................................................................7

Using the Safety Interlock - Connections and Operation ................................................................................7

ALARM.............................................................................................................................................................7

SH05 Interface..........................................................................................................................................................8

Operating From a Computer:....................................................................................................................................8

Overview ..............................................................................................................................................................8

Application Software operation.................................................................................................................................8

Establishing communications with SC10 .............................................................................................................9

Command Line Interface ........................................................................................................................................10

Keywords (Commands and Queries).................................................................................................................10

Software Installation ...............................................................................................................................................11

Minimum PC requirements.................................................................................................................................11

Service....................................................................................................................................................................11

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) ..............................................................................12

The Thorlabs SC10 is a digital shutter controller designed to control the Thorlabs SH05 Shutter. The SC10 also
has the ability to operate as a stand-alone digital delay generator with 1 millisecond resolution and 0.1 millisecond
accuracy.

Features:

• Automated computer control capability

• .0001 second accuracy

• On/Off times from 1 millisecond to 999.999 milliseconds

• Input and output triggers

• Interlock and alarm functions

• Automatic open shutter detection

• Automatic, Single, Manual, Repeat (n), and External Gate operation

Description:

The SC10 provides a direct interface to the SH05 shutter, providing the drive levels required to operate the
shutter with millisecond accuracy. In addition the SC10 also provides a TTL output trigger to control other
devices used in concert with the SHO5. Both outputs are under direct control of the user interface. The SC10

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 2 of 12

provides three unique user interfaces; control from the front panel, control from a PC, and control from a TTL
direct interface.

The front control panel allows the user to directly program and monitor the shutter open/close times. In addition
modes such as run continuous (auto), single shot, and repeat are also entered via the front panel interface. The
repeat mode allows the user to repeat the displayed open/close sequence from 1 to 99 times.

The unit can be triggered from a TTL input. The TTL input may also be configured as external gate where the
control of the SH05 output will follow the TTL input.

The unit may also be controlled and operated from a remote RS232 interface. All of the provisioning and control
can be programmed using a command line editor, or from the stand alone PC application software supplied with
the unit. The unit also comes with LabWindows/CVI® and LabVIEW® drivers.

When integrated with the SH05, shutter the unit detects the presence of the unit and provides an
alarming/monitor feature to insure the status of the shutter agrees with the output of the controller. When the
SH05 is present the output trigger follows the actual state of the SH05, this can be used for triggering other
devices or for monitoring the performance of the shutter. When the controller is used without a shutter the TTL
output signal represents the precise programmed output of the controller.

A key lock and an interlock function are also provided on the SC10.

The SC10 provides drive/output pulses that have 0.001Second resolution and 0.0001 Second accuracy for both
the ON (OPEN) and OFF (CLOSE) time. Though the controller has this accuracy the resulting operation of a
shutter differs due the mechanical and electrical properties of the shutter. See the SH05 specification sheet.

SC10 Specifications:

Performance

Parameter Min Max Tol Unit

TIME OPEN (Output pulse high) .001 999.999 +/-

0.0001

TIME CLOSED (Output pulse low) .001 999.999 +/-

0.0001

Second

s

Second

s

Electrical

Parameter Min Max Typical Unit

Power Input

100 250 VAC
50-60Hz @ 110mA
Trigger Out 2.2

500 ohm load

5.0

Open circuit

Volts

Trigger In (10K input impedance) 2.0 5.0 Volts
Shutter Output Drive pulse- 5mS
(SHO5 Jack) into 28 ohms
Shutter Output Hold voltage
(SHO5 Jack) into 28 Ohms

24 Volts

DC

10 Volts

DC

RS232 input 9.6K 115K BAUD

Attention:

AC Input: 100 to 250 VAC 50-60Hz @ 110mA

NOTE: Unit is supplied with a 115V parallel blade line cord for North American use only. For all other
applications use an IEC 320 compatible line cord fitted with a plug appropriate for your particular AC wall
socket.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 3 of 12

Communications: RS232C - Connection made via standard DB9 cable included with unit.

LabWindows/CVI® and LabVIEW® are registered trademarks of National Instruments Corporation

Physical Characteristics and Interface:

Parameter Description
Trigger Jacks BNC Female
RS232 DB9F
SH05 Jack HRS, HR10-7R-6S
Interlock jack 2.5mm mono-phono
AC Input jack IEC320
Size

Length:
Width:
Height:
Weight:

11.5” (292mm)

5.3” (135mm)

3.0” (76mm)
5 lbs.

SH05

MANUFACTURED BY

435 ROUTE 206
NEWTON, NJ USA

INTERLOCK

TRIGGER OUT TRIGGER IN
TTL TTL

RS232C

S.N.

100 - 240VAC 50-60HZ

POWER 11 VA MAX

SC10 REAR PANEL

SHUTTER CONTROLLER SC10

ENAB LED

O

POWER

|

TIME OPEN SEC

_

000

000

TIME CL OSED SEC

SELECT

5.

5.

00

00

MODE

AUOT

TRIGGER

NI

T

ENAB LE

SHUTTER

OPEN

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 4 of 12

SC10 FRONT PANEL

Front Panel Keys and Indictors:

SELECT - Selects the window or function to be operated on. The Main LCD display screen contains four

display windows, each is located in a quadrant of the display. The windows are TIME OPEN,
TIME CLOSED, MODE, and TRIGGER. The SELECT key is used to move between the four

windows (quadrants) of the display. The active quadrant is indicated by the “_” (underscore) in
the quadrant. When the underscore “_” is present in the quadrant the contents of the quadrant
may be modified using the ◄►▲▼keys.

ENABLE - Enables operation the controller as per the programmed parameters. When the unit is enabled

the “ENABLED” indicator will illuminate. Pressing the ENABLE key while the unit is enabled will
disable the unit.

▲ - Increments either numerically (digits) or steps up through the options in the active window.

▼ - Decrements either numerically (digits) or steps down through the options in the active window.

◄ - Moves the curser left in the active display.

► - Moves the curser right in the active display.

ENABLED - Illuminates when the unit is active or waiting for a trigger event to executing the programmed

parameters.

SHUTTER - Illuminates when the shutter is open or the output pulse is “active high”.
OPEN

OPERATION

Initial Set-up

 Locate the unit on a dry, level working surface.
 Make sure the POWER switch on the front of the unit is in the OFF position ( 0 ).
 Plug the female end of the AC line cord provided into the AC Input Receptacle on the rear of the unit.

Plug the male end into a properly grounded AC socket.

 Connect the SH05 cable to the connector on the rear of the unit.

Turning ON the Unit

 Turn the Power Key lock switch clockwise to the ON position ( | ). The LCD screen will display a brief

message stating the model number and the firmware revision. After approximately 2 seconds this
message will scroll off of the screen and the “Main” LCD screen will appear.

 The unit defaults to the “ MANUAL” mode on the initial power-up. Subsequent power-up conditions

will default to the set parameters when unit was last enabled.

 Make sure that the Remote Interlock input is “closed”. See “Remote Interlock” below.
 In the MANUAL mode the ENABLE keypad on the front panel will open and close the shutter. The

“SHUTTER OPEN” indicator will track the shutter status.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 5 of 12

Main Display

 The front panel contains six keypads that can be used for various functions and navigating through

the display.

 The Main display screen contains four display windows, each is located in a quadrant of the display.

The windows are MODE, TRIGGER, TIME OPEN, and TIME CLOSED. The keypads will modify
(edit) the active quadrant which is indicated by a “_” next to the quadrant. The SELECT key is used
to move between quadrants.

MODE

When the active window indicator is in the MODE quadrant (upper right) the ▲ ▼ keys will sequence
through the modes SINGLE, AUTO, MANUAL, X GATE, and REP.

SINGLE – In the single event mode the shutter will open and close at the occurrence of each
trigger using the parameters displayed in the (open/close) time windows.

AUTO – In the automatic mode the shutter will continually open and close after a single event
using the parameters displayed in the (open/close) time windows.

MANUAL- In manual mode, the displays in the other quadrants will blank and the ENABLE key
will toggle the operation of the shutter.

X GATE - In the external gate mode the other displays will blank and the control of the shutter
will follow the signal on the input trigger BNC connector on the rear panel. The shutter will be
open when the signal is active high (TTL). The shutter will be closed when active low (TTL).

REP – In the repeat mode the open/close time sequence will be executed the number of times
shown next to the REP display. The unit may be programmed to repeat the cycle anywhere
between 1 and 99 times. While the active display is in the REP mode the number of events may
be modified by using the ◄ key to place the curser under the number displayed and using the
▲▼ keys to increment or decrement the number. The repeat sequence begins with activation of
a trigger.

TRIGGER

When the active window indicator is in TRIGGER quadrant (lower right) the ▲ ▼ keys will sequence
through the trigger options INT,

INT - In the internal mode pressing the ENABLE key activates or enables the operation of the
shutter as per the selected mode and timing parameters. While the shutter controller is executing
a sequence (actively running) the “ENABLED” indicator will illuminate on the front panel. In all
modes of operation pressing ENABLE key while the unit is “enabled” will disable the shutter.

EXT – In the external trigger mode a rising edge on INPUT TRIGGER BNC input will start
execution of the parameters programmed on the unit. The unit will respond to the external trigger
after the ENABLE key is pressed. When enabled the “ENABLED” indicator will illuminate on the
front panel. In all modes of operation pressing ENABLE key while the unit is “enabled” will
disable the shutter.

TIME OPEN (ON)

When the active window indicator is in TIME OPEN quadrant (upper left) the ▲ ▼ keys will increment
and decrement the indicated digit. The ◄► keys will move between digits. This indicates how long the
shutter will be open (when the shutter is not connected it indicates the “high” time of the TTL output
trigger).

EXT.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 6 of 12

TIME CLOSED (OFF)

When the active window indicator is in TIME CLOSED quadrant (lower left) the ▲ ▼ keys will increment
and decrement the indicated digit. The ◄► keys will move between digits. This indicates how long the
shutter will be closed (when the shutter is not connected it indicates the “low” time of the TTL output
trigger).

NOTE: If active window indicator is in the TIME CLOSED quadrant when the shutter is enabled, timing will begin
with the programmed TIME CLOSED.

INTERLOCK and ALARM

Using the Safety Interlock - Connections and Operation

The SC10 is equipped with a Remote Interlock connector located on the rear panel (Refer to Figure 1). In order
to enable the controller, a short circuit must be applied across the terminals of the Remote Interlock connector. In
practice this connection is made available to allow the user to connect a remote actuated switch to the connector
(i.e. an open door indicator). The switch (which must be normally open) has to be closed in order for the unit to be
enabled. Once the switch is in an open state and an SH05 is connected, the shutter will automatically close. And
the display will flash “INTERLOCK OPEN”. If the switch returns to a closed condition the shutter must be re­enabled at the unit by pressing the ENABLE switch.

All units shipped from Thorlabs are configured with a shorting device installed in the Interlock connector. If you
are not going to use this feature then you can leave the shorting device installed and the unit will operate normally
as described in the procedures above.

If you wish to make use of the Interlock feature you will need to acquire the appropriate connector mate and wire
it your remote interlock switch. Next, remove the shorting device by unscrewing it from the input and install the
connector into the Interlock input.

The Interlock input only accepts a 2.5mm mono phono jack. This connector is readily available at most
electronics stores (Radio Shack, Digikey, Mouser, Allied to name a few).

The electrical specifications for the Interlock input are as follows:

Type of Mating Connector: 2.5mm mono phono jack
Open Circuit Voltage: +5VDC with respect to Chassis ground
Short Circuit Current: 0.5mADC
Connector Polarity: Tip is +5V, Barrel is ground
Interlock Switch Requirements: Must be N.O. dry contacts (under no circumstances should any external
voltages be applied to the Interlock input)

ALARM

The SC10 has an Alarm feature when used in conjunction with an SH05 shutter. In the event that the shutter does
not close within 30 ms of the deactivation voltage (Shutter Closed State) the display will indicate an “ALARM”
condition. This feature is only active when the SH05 shutter is connected.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 7 of 12

Figure 2 - Remote Interlock Connector

SH05 Interface

The interface to the SH05 Shutter is via a 6 pin HRS female connector. The pin descriptions are as follows:

Pin Description
1 To Opto cathode -GND
2 To Shutter Coil - 24V pulse

10V steady state (.4A max)

3 To-Shutter Coil - GND (on)

Open Ckt (off)
4 To- Opto Anode (12V limited to 20mA)
5 To- Opto Emitter- GND
6 To- Opto Collector (2.5V)

SHO5 Connector Rear Panel

Operating From a Computer:

Overview

• The SC10 Shutter Controller is fully operational from a remote computer via and RS232 interface.

• Connection from the computer to the SC10 is made with a standard DB9 cable (supplied).

• The SC10 can be controlled using the SC10 Application Software provided with the unit.

• It can also be controlled directly using a command line interface and any Terminal

Communications software such as HyperTerminal.

• And finally it can be configured and operated using National Instrument’s LabView® or Lab

Windows® using the drivers supplied with the unit.

Application Software operation

The SC10 comes with a CD-ROM containing application software to control the unit from a PC. After installing
the software (see software installation), apply power to the unit. Connect a 9 pin (DSUB) serial cable between the
SC10 and the PC. To execute the SC10 standalone application select “Programs->Thorlabs->SC10” from the
Start menu.

The initial screen will appear as follows:

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 8 of 12

Establishing communications with SC10

To communicate with the SC10 you must first establish a connection with the SC10 and the PC, the COM port
and BAUD rate for the PC connection are set in the “Options->Serial Connection” menu. Note the SC10 defaults
to 9.6K Baud and can only be changed using the command line interface (see “command line interface”). The
SC10 Application software defaults to COM1 at 9.6K BAUD. The SC10 supports 2-BAUD rates 9.6K and 115.2K.

After insuring the proper COM port and BAUD rate, click on the “Open Connection” under the “File” menu.
The unit is now ready to operate from either the application software or from the front panel controls on the unit.
The “Save Options” menu item will save the selected options for future sessions.

The shutter timing can be changed in any of the following ways: using the increment decrement arrows or by
entering a time in seconds in the “OPEN CLOSED “ windows. When typing, a carriage is required to update the
SC10. The grey boxes on the right of the display indicate the active value.

The MODE and TRIGGER parameters can be changed in the
displayed in the center of the window. The ENABLE button acts identically to the one on the front panel.

The PC window also contains active displays to indicate the status of the shutter.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 9 of 12

Options menu. The operating MODE of the SC10 is

Command Line Interface

The SC10 may also be controlled using a command line language through the serial port. This is offered to
enable operation through a terminal interface or for those who have a desire to control the unit through a scripting
program. The command language is described below. Prior to running the command line interface the unit should
be powered and a 9 pin (DSUB) serial cable should be connected between the SC10 and the host. The terminal
emulator should be set as follows:

- Baud Rate = 9.6K Bits Per Second

- Data Bits = 8

- Parity = None

- Stop Bits = 1

- Flow Control = None

If the connection is correct you will see the following after pressing the “Enter” key.

Command error CMD_NOT_DEFINED

Followed immediately by the prompt:

>

The basic structure of the interface is a keyword followed by either an equals sign “=” or a question mark
“?”. The “=” or “?” will determine if the string is a command or a query. All strings (commands and
queries) must be terminated by a carriage return (CR) or pressing the ENTER key on the computer.

The command structure is as follows:

Keyword = argument (CR)

Where “keyword” defines the function, and “argument” is a numerical value followed by a carriage return
(CR). See listing below.

The query structure is a follows:

Keyword? (CR)

The “keyword” defines the function and the question mark (?) Indicates a query. The string is terminated
with a carriage return (CR). See listing below.

There are a few exceptions to this which are noted below, also noted are unique shortcut keys.

The prompt symbol “>“ will appear on power up and after a command is accepted by the SC10
indicating it is ready to receive another command line.

Keywords (Commands and Queries)

The following list shows all of the available commands and queries, and summarizes their functions:

baud=0 Set Baud- Sets the SC10 serial baud rate to 9.6K.
baud=1 Sets the SC10 serial baud rate to 115K.
baud? Get Baud- Returns “0” for 9.6K or “1” for 115K.

*idn? Get ID- Returns the model number and firmware revision.

mode=(n) Set mode- Where (n) equals an associated mode.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 10 of 12

mode=1 – Sets the unit to Manual Mode
mode=2 – Sets the unit to Auto Mode

mode=3 – Sets the unit to Single Mode
mode=4 – Sets the unit to Repeat Mode
mode=5 – Sets the unit to the external gate Mode

mode? Get mode- Returns the mode value (1 through 5).

ens Enable Toggle- Enables/Disables the shutter
ens? Get state Returns “0’” if the shutter is disabled and “1’ if enabled.

open =(xxxxxx) Open shutter- Sets the shutter open time where xxxxxx is a time in mS.
open? Returns the shutter open time in mS

shut =(xxxxxx) Close shutter- Sets the shutter close time where xxxxxx is a time in mS.
shut? Returns the shutter close time in mS

trig=0 Set trigger mode- Internal trigger mode.
trig=1 External trigger mode.
trig? Get trigger mode- Returns the trigger mode.

rep=(n) Repeat- When in the repeat mode (n) equals the repeat

count, a value of 1-99

rep? Return the repeat count, a value of 1-99

save Save settings- This will save the current baud rate as the default on

power up.

xto= 0 Set Ex Trigger mode This sets the output trigger to follow the shutter output when the
SH05 is connected to the SC10 controller.
xto=1 Forces the trigger output to follow the controller output
when an SH05 is equipped.
xto? Get Ex Trigger mode Returns the external trigger mode

All commands and queries are in lower case letters.

If the keyword, format, or argument are incorrect or out of range the unit will return an error string.

Software Installation

Insert the SC10 CD into the CD ROM drive. The program should automatically start installing. The install begins
by opening install instructions to assist you with the automated installation.

NOTE: This program requires National Instrument’s VISA and IVI Runtime Software. If you have any National
Instrument products installed on your computer there is a good chance that these programs already reside on
your machine. These programs are included on the SC10 Application Software CD-ROM. If these programs are
already on your system, then cancel the National Instruments Install Wizard for the installed products.

Minimum PC requirements

The application program requires a minimum of a Pentium ® class machine running Windows®98, 2000, NT or
XP.

Service

There are no serviceable parts inside of the SC10 controller. All service should be performed by a factory
authorized service technician. Contact Thorlabs if service is required.

Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Pentium ® is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 11 of 12

WEEE

As required by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) of the European Community and the
corresponding national laws, Thorlabs offers all end users in the EC the possibility to return “end of life” units without
incurring disposal charges.

This offer is valid for Thorlabs electrical and electronic equipment

• sold after August 13

th

2005

• marked correspondingly with the crossed out “wheelie bin” logo (see fig. 1)

• sold to a company or institute within the EC

• currently owned by a company or institute within the EC

• still complete, not disassembled and not contaminated

As the WEEE directive applies to self contained operational electrical and electronic products, this “end of life”
take back service does not refer to other Thorlabs products, such as

• pure OEM products, that means assemblies to be built into a unit by the user (e. g. OEM laser driver

cards)

• components

• mechanics and optics

• left over parts of units disassembled by the user (PCB’s, housings etc.).

If you wish to return a Thorlabs unit for waste recovery, please contact Thorlabs or your nearest dealer for further
information.

Waste treatment on your own responsibility

If you do not return an “end of life” unit to Thorlabs, you must hand it to a company specialized in waste recovery. Do not
dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site.

Ecological background

It is well known that WEEE pollutes the environment by releasing toxic products during decomposition. The aim of
the European RoHS directive is to reduce the content of toxic substances in electronic products in the future.
The intent of the WEEE directive is to enforce the recycling of WEEE. A controlled recycling of end of live
products will thereby avoid negative impacts on the environment.

8654-D02 Rev. B 8/15/05 Page 12 of 12

Crossed out “wheelie bin” symbol