V-DRIVE Release 2.5 November 24, 2005 OptoSci Ltd info@optosci.com Update Information The Operating Manual is included on the CD ROM. The software and firmware were both revised to add a TEC lockout function. This is present as of firmware 2.1 and software 2.2.2. The new V-DRIVE software can be used with previous firmware revisions although certain features (TEC lockout) will have no effect. Similarly the most recent firmware revision can be used with older versions of the V-DRIVE software, in which case the TEC lockout feature will run with the default parameters. Release notes for v2.5 The user interface appearance was changed. The manual was revised. The USB driver installation was revised so that the "Found New Hardware" dialog does not appear every time you plug in a new USB board. Release notes for v2.4 An autodetect feature was added that changes the "Port" drop-down box so it only shows ports that exist on your machine. Use the REFRESH button to rerun the autodetect process if you plug in, say, a USB-serial converter. Note: The autodetect routine does not look for COM port numbers above 10. Native support was added for our USB equipped laser drivers. The software still works as usual with our RS-232 laser drivers, using ordinary COM ports or USB-to-RS232 converters. (the latter appear as COM ports in the port listbox) The signal processing algorithm was changed to improve accuracy of current setting in constant-current mode. A bug was fixed that caused spurious optical power readings when previewing or saving info block changes. A bug was fixed that caused some of the calibration data to be refreshed incorrectly when previewing or saving info block changes. A check was added to stop the front panel current limit being set higher than the info block current limit. The front panel current limit resolution was increased to 1mA. The installer was revised to reduce file size, speed up installation, and avoid having to install the LVRT files separately. A single installer now deals with all files. The USB driver for our USB equipped boards is now included on the CD. You do not need to do anything with this unless you have a USB board, in which case Windows Plug-and-Play will ask for it when you plug the board in. Note: When installing the USB driver, some versions of Windows may ask for a driver disk and then complain that the file "ftd2xx.cat" is missing. This is because the driver is not digitally signed. If you skip the file, the install will complete successfully. The QUIT button was reintroduced. *** (Release notes for older V-Drive versions are included for reference) Release notes for v2.2.2 The USB-to-serial converter bug has been fixed. The software was tested on Windows XP and 98/ME using USB-serial converters with Prolific and FTDI chips. As far as we know, practically all USB-serial converters on the market use one or the other of these chips. The Info Block editor has been rewritten for easier use and to fit a 1024 x 768 screen. A protection feature was added to block any editing operations that would corrupt the info block beyond repair. Hence the warning in older versions of the manual is not relevant any more. The optical power graph scale and power setpoint slider now autoscale according to the power monitor calibration. You are no longer allowed to change between constant current and constant power mode while the current source is on. The drop down box will be greyed until you turn the current source off. Previous versions did not close the serial port properly if the connection was lost due to an error. This has now been fixed. Previous versions would allow you to type odd values in the set current box. This has been fixed. The About menu item now shows a V-Drive dialog with the software version, build number, and board inventory data if a board is connected. In previous versions it showed a NI LabView splash screen. The L-V-I plotter now adds a .csv file extension to the filename if you do not type one. A bug in the save routine was also fixed. Release Notes for v2.2.1 TEC Controller Setup (Functions > TEC Controller Setup) The PID controller gain values can now be typed in directly, making it easy to configure drivers with identical parameters. The heating and cooling current limits for the TEC have been replaced by a single current limit. The slider controls on previous releases have been replaced with a direct entry of the current limit. Protection Settings The TEC controller now contains a lockout feature whereby the current source is locked out if the TEC has not reached a stable operating condition. The protection consists of an initial startup timer that is active at power on, and a second lockout timer active when the device has stabilised. Power Monitor Setup (Functions > Power Monitor Setup) This is a new feature added under the Functions menu. It allows the user to toggle the display units between dBm and mW. The user can also select calibration data based upon operating wavelength. The LDR drive boards are typically supplied with the photodiode calibrated at 1300nm and 1550nm. LabVIEW Runtime Engine The appropriate LabVIEW runtime engine is supplied on the CD and installed automatically if needed. Known Issues The V-DRIVE software is designed for use with a RS232 serial comms link, and while many new PC's do not have an appropriate serial port it is possible to emulate a serial port with a USB-serial converter. The unit has been tested with a number of USB converters and while this can work, there can also be significant corruption of the measurements leading to erroneous readings. This is fixed as of revision 2.2.2.