4.6. Thorlabs Power Meter

Summary:	ThorlabsPowerMeter
Type:	DataIO
License:	LPGL, uses Thorlabs CCS VISA Instrument Driver (LGPL licensed)
Platforms:	Windows
Devices:	Thorlabs Power and Energy Meter Consoles PM100x
Author:	Robin Hahn, ITO, University Stuttgart

4.6.1. Overview

This plugin can be used to control any Thorlabs PM100x, PM200 or PM400 Power Console with a connected photodiode power sensors. Other sensors like thermal or pyroelectric sensors are currently not supported by this plugin. If you start the plugin without further parameters (device=’’), the first connected device is opened. Set device = ‘<scan>’ in order to get a printed list of detected devices. Use the device string or the desired device in order to open this specific one.

The plugin was tested with a PM100A console and a standard photodiode power sensor.

This plugin gives full control over the connected device. For high attenuation there is a known issue when setting the power range via the slider widget (this belongs to the great range of possible values) in the config dialog or the dock widget.The power range is at any time fully accessible over the setParam command.

For compiling this plugin, you need to install the Thorlabs PM100x Instrument Driver or the Optical Power Meter Utility (including the driver) , shipped with the spectrometer. Then set the CMake variable Thorlabs_IVI_VISA_INCLUDE_DIR to the include directory (e.g. C:/Program Files/IVI Foundation/VISA/Win64/Include)

4.6.2. Initialization

The following parameters are mandatory or optional for initializing an instance of this plugin:

device: str, optional
device name that should be opened, an empty string opens the first device that is found (default). Pass ‘<scan>’ for displaying all detected devices.

default: “”

4.6.3. Parameters

attenuation: {float}: attenuation [db]
auto_range: {int}: shows if the auto power range is wether on (1) or off(2)
average_number: {int}: defines the number of measurements to be averaged
bandwidth: {int}: defines if the input filter state is whether High (0) or Low (1)
calibration_message: {str}, read-only: calibration message
dark_offset: {float}, read-only: setted dark offset [unknown]
device_name: {str}, read-only: device name
firmware_revision: {str}, read-only: firmware revision
line_frequency: {int}: line frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz
manufacturer_name: {str}, read-only: manufacturer name
measurement_mode: {str}: absolute or relative
name: {str}, read-only: name of the device
power_range: {float}: power range [W]; will be set to the next bigger possible value
reference_power: {float}: reference power for relative measurements
serial_number: {str}, read-only: serial number
wavelength: {float}: wavelength [nm]

4.6.4. Additional functions (exec functions)

instance.exec('zero_device'): function to set the zero value of the device

4.6.5. Installation

For using this plugin, please install the PM100x_Instrument_Driver that is shipped with the Thorlabs power meter.

4.6.6. Compilation

It is possible to use the Thorlabs power meter with the legacy Thorlabs software ThorlabsPowerMeter_1.0.2 (see https://www.thorlabs.de/software_pages/ViewSoftwarePage.cfm?Code=PM100x). Install this software and set the following CMake variables:

THORLABS_POWER_METER_API_VERSION: 1.02
THORLABS_PM100D_VISA_DIR: <path to the install directory of Thorlabs PM100D Visa, e.g. C:/Program Files/IVI Foundation/VISA/Win64>

Alternatively you can use the Thorlabs Optical Power Meter Monitor Software Thorlabs.OpticalPowerMonitor.1.1 (see https://www.thorlabs.de/software_pages/ViewSoftwarePage.cfm?Code=OPM). Install this software and set the CMake variables to the following values:

THORLABS_POWER_METER_API_VERSION: 1.1
THORLABS_PM100D_VISA_DIR: <path to the install directory of Thorlabs PM100D Visa, e.g. C:/Program Files/IVI Foundation/VISA/Win64>

Note

If you want to change the version of an existing configuration, please remove all related THORLABS_PM100D… variables, set the new version and press configure.

4.6.7. Exemplary usage from Python

In the following script, the first detectable power meter is connected and a oscilloscope-like plot is opened that displays a moving graph of recent intensity values:

    if not "pmXXX" in globals():
pmXXX = dataIO("ThorlabsPowerMeter", "")

    numPoints = 1000
    image = dataObject.zeros([1,numPoints],'float64')
    [i,plot_handle] = plot1(image)

    def timeout():
            global timer_id
            d = dataObject()
            pmXXX.acquire() #acquire new intensity value

            image[0,0:numPoints-1] = image[0,1:] #shift pixels to the left by one...

            pmXXX.getVal(d) #get the recently acquired value
            image.copyMetaInfo(d)
            image[0,numPoints-1] = d[0,0] #...append new value to the end of image

            if plot_handle.exists():
                    try:
                            plot_handle["source"] = image #update the displayed image
                    except:
                            pass
            else:
                    print("Figure has been closed. Stop acquisition...")
                    timer_id.stop()
                    del timer_id

    timer_id = timer(50, timeout) #call timeout every 50ms

4.6.8. Changelog

itom 3.0.0: plugin uses the driver PM100x_Instrument_Driver in version 3.0.2
itom 3.1.0: plugin uses the driver PM100x_Instrument_Driver in version 1.0.2 (Thorlabs has changed the major version number again)
Due to the chaotic version handling of Thorlabs PowerMeter, the source code is changed such that only version 3.0.2 is no longer supported.
itom 3.2.1: plugin uses the driver PM100x_Instrument_Driver in version 1.1.2317.102
itom 4.0.0: plugin uses the driver PM100x_Instrument_Driver in version 2.2
itom 4.1.0: plugin uses the driver PM100x_Instrument_Driver in version 2.2