K-Cube™ Liquid Crystal Controller

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Back and Top Views of the KLC101 K-Cube
(See the Pin Diagrams Tab for More Information)

Features

• Square-Wave Output Voltage with Adjustable Amplitude and Frequency
  • 0 to ±25 VAC
  • 500 Hz to 10 kHz (50% Duty Cycle)
• Maximum Output Current: 50 mA
• Operating Modes Include:
  • Switching Between Two Voltage and Frequency Set Points
    at Frequencies of 0.1 to 150 Hz (50% Duty Cycle)
  • User-Programmable Voltage Sequences
  • Trigger Input and Output
• Edit Settings Using Device Top Panel or Control via USB Input from a PC
• Settings can be Saved to Allow Stand-Alone Operation via Top Panel Controls
• Multi-Unit Operation Using Trigger Ports or USB Controller Hubs (Sold Separately)
• Magnetic, Clip-On Optical Table Mounting Adapter Included
• Compact Footprint: 60.0 mm x 60.0 mm x 46.7 mm

The KLC101 K-Cube Liquid Crystal Controller is a part of Thorlabs' growing line of high-end, compact controllers and is designed to drive many of Thorlabs' liquid crystal variable retarders, polarization rotators, and cells (see the table to the upper right for compatible devices). It supplies a square-wave AC output voltage with user-set frequency and amplitude that can be varied from 500 Hz to 10 kHz and 0 V_rms to ±25 V_rms, respectively. Any DC offset will automatically be detected and corrected to within ±10 mV in real time, helpful for increasing the life of the liquid crystal device. Settings can be input using either the scroll wheel and button on the top panel or a PC connected via the USB port. Alternatively, an input voltage applied to the MOD IN port can be used to control the output voltage (see below for details). Two SMA ports are provided for use with 5 V logic external trigger input and output signals, allowing the voltage output to be synchronized with external equipment. For example, multiple K-cube controllers can be connected together using the trigger inputs and outputs for synchronized, multi-channel system operation.

The unit has a highly compact 60.0 mm x 60.0 mm x 46.7 mm footprint, allowing it to be positioned close to the optical system for added convenience when manually adjusting settings using the top panel controls. Tabletop operation also allows minimal drive cable lengths for easier cable management. Each unit also contains a front-located power switch that, when turned off, saves all user-adjustable settings. Please note that this switch should always be used to power down the unit. For convenience, a 1.5 m long Type A to Type Micro B USB 3.0 cable is included with the KLC101 K-cube.

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KCH601 USB Controller Hub with Installed K-Cube and T-Cube Modules (T-Cubes Require the KAP101 Adapter)

Operating Modes
A variety of operating modes allow the user to set the controller output to a single voltage and frequency, have the device run through a pre-programmed sequence of voltages and frequencies, or synchronize changes in output voltage with other devices.

• Voltage and Frequency Set Points: The controller accepts two user-set voltage and frequency combinations, PresetV1 and Preset V2. Either can be selected as the output, and the user can manually switch between PresetV1 and PresetV2.
• Switching Mode: The user can set the controller to switch between PresetV1 and PresetV2 at rates between 0.1 and 150 Hz using the control panel or software. When in this mode, one of the trigger ports will output a 5 V logic signal, with the high level indicating that the output is PresetV2 and a the low level indicating the output is PresetV1.
• MOD IN Mode: The output voltage of the controller is set by a 0 to 5 V signal applied to the MOD IN port, with 0 to 5 V DC input corresponding to 0 to ±25 V_rms AC output signal.
• Trigger Modes: Either both trigger ports can be configured to provide an output 5 V logic signal output, or one of the trigger ports can be used to read an external 5 V logic signal while the other will output a 5 V logic signal. The high level corresponds to PresetV2, and the low level corresponds to PresetV1.
• Sequence Mode (Software Only): The user can set a sequence of output voltages and frequency. For each step in the sequence, the output voltage amplitude, output frequency, and step duration are editable. The number of times the sequence repeats can also be set by the user.
• Sweeping Mode (Software Only): The user can set a start voltage, end voltage, step size, and step duration, and the KLC101 controller will scan from the start to end point once the user hits "Start" in the GUI. All voltage steps wil have the same output frequency.

Optical Table Mounting Plate
Each unit comes with a plastic mounting plate that clips onto the base of the controller. The plate contains two magnets for temporary placement on an optical table and two counterbores for 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws for a more permanent placement on the tabletop. Please see the Specs tab for a mechanical drawing of the table mounting plate and the Mounting Options tab for more information about the mounting plate.

Power Supply Options
The preferred power supply (single channel or hub-based) depends on the end user's application and whether you already own compatible power supplies. To that end and in keeping with Thorlabs' green initiative, we do not ship these units bundled with a power supply.

Multiple units can be connected to a single PC by using the KCH301 or KCH601 USB Controller Hubs, available below, for multi-axis motion control applications. The KCH601, shown below and to the right, allows up to six T- or K-Cube controllers to be used while the KCH301 allows up to three controllers to be used.

All power supply options compatible with the KLC101 Liquid Crystal Controller can be found below.

An alternative to the KLC101 K-cube is the LCC25 Benchtop Liquid Crystal Controller.

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Mechanical Drawing of the KLC101 and Included Optical Table Adapter

• Excludes buttons, baseplate, and connectors.

K-Cube™ Mounting Options

Two options are available to securely mount our K-Cube™ controllers onto an optical table. An optical table mounting plate, provided with every K-Cube, allows for a single controller to be attached to an optical table. Alternatively, three- and six-port USB controller hubs are offered (sold separately) that can mount and power our K-Cube controllers. These options are described in further detail below.

Optical Table Mounting Plate
Each K-Cube unit comes with a mounting plate that clips onto the base of the controller, as shown in the animation to the right. The plate contains two magnets for temporary placement on an optical table and two counterbores for 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws for a more permanent placement on the tabletop. Please see the Specs tab for a mechanical drawing of the table mounting plate.

Kinesis USB Controller Hubs
Multiple units can be mounted and connected to a single PC by using the KCH301 or KCH601 USB Controller Hubs. They each consist of two parts: the hub, which can support up to three (KCH301) or six (KCH601) K-Cubes or T-Cubes™, and a power supply that plugs into a standard wall outlet. K-Cubes simply clip into place using the provided on-unit clips, while current- and previous-generation T-Cubes require the KAP101 Adapter Plate, shown in the animation below. The hub vastly reduces the number of USB and power cables required when operating multiple controllers.

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Screenshot of the GUI interface

Software

Version 1.0.0

GUI Interface for controlling the KLC101 via a PC. To download, click the button below.

Software for the KLC101 Controller

The stand-alone software user interface, which is distinct from Thorlabs' Kinesis^® software, allows full control of all KLC101 settings and operating modes, enabling complete ‘out-of-box’ operation of a single KLC101 controller. In addition to remotely controlling the settings that can be accessed from the KLC101 top panel, the software also includes Sequence and Sweep modes. The Sequence tool can be used to set a sequence of different output voltage amplitudes, frequencies, and step durations. In Sweep mode, the KLC101 will scan between user-set start and end voltages with a user-specified step size and step duration. The software also comes with a SDK that supports C++, LabVIEW™, and Python.

To control multiple KLC101 units simultaneously requires opening multiple instances of the software. Each instance will ask the user to select the particular K-cube that it will connect to upon opening. Each instance of the software will work independently from the others with no communication between them.