Digital Optical Power and Energy Meter PM100D

Console Features
New Design for High Accuracy and Reliability
Versatile Functionality with Easy Handling
Large 4" Graphics Display in Compact Housing
Different Display Screens for Specific Tasks
Numerical and Bar-Graph Display for Power and Energy
2 Configurable Sub Displays for Additional Information
Simulated Analog Needle for Laser Tuning Applications
Power vs. Time Plotting for Trend Analysis
Pulse Chart Screen for Energy Measurements
Beam Statistics
External 1GB SD Memory Card
USB 2.0 Interface
Smart New C-Series Sensor Connector for Quick Sensor Exchange
The PM100D Series belongs to Thorlabs' new generation of power and energy meters and is the digital counterpart to the PM100A Series Analog Power Meter. It offers top performance and reliability at an economic price and is compatible with more than 25 new C-Series photodiode, thermal, and pyroelectric sensors (see Power Meter Compatibility Chart). Additionally it allows the connection of unamplified anode or cathode grounded photodiodes with up to 5 mA photocurrent, thermal elements with up to 1 V output voltage, and pyroelectric sensors with max. 100 V output.Depending on the connected sensor, it can measure optical powers in the range from 100 pW to 250 W and energy from 3 µJ to 15 J. When used together with the new ultra compact S150C Series fiber sensor the PM100D becomes a compact and portable fiber power meter that is ideal for field applications as well as in the lab.

The User Interface
The compact housing has a large, 4” backlit display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and illuminated buttons, all of which makes operation in dark labs easy. The LCD’s clear GUI offers easy data readouts with an intuitive navigation scheme. Interactive tooltips help to operate the device by giving the user step-by-step operating instructions; displaying the next step on the screen. The user can customize the display screen by selecting various measurement tasks to be shown on the screen. Some screens are partly configurable by the user, for example, the user can display the min and max values within a certain time period or enable visual and audible peak indicator as a tuning aid. 


Completely New Design!
The new PM100D design features a high accuracy and reliability; an improvement over the older PM100. The console features broad current and voltage measurement ranges and it has the capability of measuring optical energy – something the older PM100 did not feature. Additionally, the new AD converter allows for more measurement ranges of smaller widths, a higher acquisition rate, and higher precision.

A selectable bandwidth of either 20 Hz or 100 kHz offers more flexibility and adaptability to specific measurement tasks while using photodiode sensors. The higher bandwidth is optimal for pulse-detection; the lower bandwidth offers better accuracy.

Additionally, the power meter can adapt to the thermal time constant of thermal sensors leading to significantly faster measurements with thermal sensors. Thermal sensors have an individual time constant that can vary greatly from unit to unit. The PM100D now can adjust to this individual constant for each sensor and thus minimize the response time of the system (sensor + console). The old PM100 consoles can not adapt to the individual time constants.

Functionality
The diverse features of the PM100D contribute to its high usability. The smart new sensor connector enables a quicker sensor exchange than before. The console comes with a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface, which allows remote data logging and remote PC control. A slot for an SD memory card (a 1 GB SD card is included) allows data recording even in stand-alone operation, giving the user large memory storage when recording data in the field or away from a computer in the lab. The USB port also connects with the power adapter for charging the internal Li-Polymer battery. Note that the PM100D can be connected to a PC and charged at the same time - the USB port on a computer will charge the internal battery.

The battery charger uses an intelligent charging management system to improve battery lifetime and to reduce battery memory effects. The Li-Polymer battery offers up to 8 hours of operating time with minimal self-discharging when not in use.

Fiber Power Meter Option
The unique, connector integrated, fiber sensors of the S150C Series can be directly attached to the PM100D. This combination turns the PM100D into a compact, single unit fiber power meter. Any handling limitations due to cable movements or cable handling are avoided thus making this device ideal for high-mobility-applications in the field. The S150C offers exchangeable fiber adapters for FC, SMA, LC, SC, ST, and LC fiber connectors.