Solis® LED Driver

Plug-and-Play Driver for Thorlabs’ Solis^® LEDs
Supports Modulation up to 1 kHz via External TTL Signal
Automatically Sets Current Limit to Protect the LED

DC20

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DC20

Solis High-Power LED for Microscopy

The DC20 is designed to provide easy plug-and-play operation for Thorlabs’
Solis LEDs.

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Overview
Specs
Pin Diagrams
Shipping List
Feedback
Solis LED Drivers

DC20 Key Specifications^a
LED Current (Max)^b	1 to 10 A
LED Forward Voltage (Max)^b	5.0 to 14.0 V
LED Current Limit Accuracy	±(1% + 25 mA)
TTL Modulation Frequency	DC to 1 kHz
Modulation Waveform	Square Wave / PWM

See the Specs tab for complete specifications.
The DC20 is designed to automatically select the appropriate current/voltage combination for any connected Solis LED and is compatible with all Solis LEDs. The maximum LED current and forward voltage are dependent on each other: the DC20 cannot drive an LED with a 14 V forward voltage at 10 A.

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DC20 Solis^® LED Driver

Compatible Thorlabs LEDs
Photo (Click for Link)
Description	High-Power Solis LEDs

Features

Designed for Thorlabs' Solis^® LEDs for Microscopy
Easily Control LED Intensity Using the Dial
Protects LED from Overdriving by Automatically Setting the Current Limit
Provides Drive Current up to 10 A
Supports LED Forward Voltage up to 14 V
Accepts External TTL Modulation Signal via BNC Connector

Thorlabs' DC20 Driver is designed to provide a simple way to control any of Thorlabs' Solis LEDs. Easy to set up and use, this driver is an ideal solution for users of our Solis LEDs who don't require the more advanced functions provided by the DC2200 Touchscreen LED Driver. See the Solis LED Drivers tab for a comparison between the DC20 and the DC2200 drivers.

The current provided to the LED is controlled by turning the knob on the top of the driver. The position on the top panel marked LIMIT will correspond to the maximum LED current for the connected Solis LED, as the driver automatically detects and sets the current limit to the value stored in each Solis LED's internal memory to protect it from being overdriven. Pushing on the knob will either switch the LED on at the percentage of the maximum current indicated by the control knob position or turn it off. The LED can also be modulated using an external TTL signal connected to a BNC input on the back of the driver's housing. Please note that for safety concerns the driver has to be manually switched on before the TTL modulation can be used. See the Specs tab for the TTL signal requirements.

A tri-color LED on the side of the unit indicates the current LED status, including whether the LED is on or off (useful with IR LEDs), whether the LED is operating normally, or if an error has occurred.

Please note that the DC20 driver is designed specifically to work with the internal electronics in Thorlabs' Solis LEDs and should not be used to drive any other type of LED.

Thorlabs also offers other LEDs drivers that are compatible with our mounted, collimated, fiber-coupled, and PCB-mounted LEDs. See the table below for available LED driver options.

LED Controller Selection Guide
Type	Max Number of LEDs	Max Current	Modulation Mode	USB	Remote Operation	Compatible LEDs
upLED™ LED Driver	1	1.2 A	-	Yes	Yes	Mounted, Collimated, Fiber Coupled, Diffuse Backlight, and PCB Mounted^a
Compact T-Cube™ Driver	1	1.2 A	0 - 5 kHz	No	No
4-Channel Driver	4	1 A	0 - 100 kHz	Yes	Yes
4.0 A LED Driver	1	4.0 A	0 - 5 kHz	Yes	Yes
Solis^® LED Driver	1	10 A	0 - 1 kHz	No	No	High Power
High-Power Touchscreen Driver	1	10.0 A	0 - 250 kHz	Yes	Yes	High Power, Mounted, Collimated, Fiber Coupled, Diffuse Backlight, and PCB Mounted^a

Requires the CAB-LEDD1 Cable.

DC20 Specifications
Constant Current Mode (CW)
LED Current (Max)^a	1 to 10 A
LED Forward Voltage (Max)^a	5.0 to 14.0 V
LED Current Limit Accuracy	±(1% + 25 mA)
Noise and Ripple (1 Hz to 10 MHz, RMS)	<400 µA (Typical)
TTL Modulation Mode^b
Input Impedance	10 kΩ
Modulation Frequency Range	DC to 1 kHz
Duty Cycle Range	0.2% to 99.8% (10 Hz) 2.0% to 98.0% (100 Hz) 20% to 80% (1 kHz)
Modulation Waveform	Square Wave / PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
TTL Low Voltage Level	0.0 V to 0.8 V
TTL High Voltage Level	2.0 V to 5.0 V
General
Power Supply	15 V DC
Power Consumption	65 VA (Max)
Operating Temperature Range^c	0 to 40 °C
Storage Temperature Range	-40 to 70 °C
Dimensions	85.4 mm x 59.6 mm x 100.0 mm (3.36" x 2.35" x 3.94")
Weight	215 g (without Power Supply) 490 g (with Power Supply)

The DC20 is designed to automatically select the appropriate current/voltage combination for any connected Solis^® LED and is compatible with all Solis LEDs. The maximum LED current and forward voltage are dependent on each other: the DC20 cannot drive an LED with a 14 V forward voltage at 10 A.
In TTL Modulation Mode, there may be a small delay in output response depending on the forward voltage and capacitance of the connected Solis LED.
Non-Condensing

All technical data are valid at 23 ± 5 °C and 45 ± 15% relative humidity (non-condensing).

Callout	Description
1	Control Knob: Turn for LED Current Adjustment, Push to Turn LED On and Off
2	BNC Jack for TTL Modulation Input: Low Voltage Level: 0.0 V to 0.8 V, High Voltage Level: 2.0 V to 5.0 V
3	Solis^® LED Connector
4	Input for Power Supply
5	Status LED Orange: DC20 Ready for Operation, LED Off Green: Solis LED On Red or Blinking: Warning Indicator^a

See the Troubleshooting section of the DC20 Manual for more information.

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Connectors and Control Knob on the DC20

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Status Indicator LED

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DC20 Top View

DC20 Connector Pin Diagrams

Solis^® LED Connector
12 Pin Neutrik MiniCON Female Connector

Solis LED Connector
The DC20 Driver is only intended for use with Thorlabs' Solis LEDs, so this pin diagram is provided for reference only.

Pin	Connection	Pin	Connection
1	LED Cathode	7	LED Anode
2	LED Cathode	8	LED Cathode
3	Not Used	9	LED Cathode
4	LED Anode	10	Not Used
5	LED Anode	11	EEPROM (Data) I/O
6	LED Anode	12	EEPROM (Data) Ground

External Trigger
BNC Jack for TTL Signal

PINout details for LED connector

Low Voltage: 0.0 to 0.8 V
High Voltage: 2.0 to 5.0 V

Click to Enlarge

The following items are included in the DC20 package:

DC20 LED Current Controller
Power Supply
Location-Specific Power Cord

Posted Comments:

先生黄 (posted 2024-10-15 11:52:56.573)

1、我想知道Turn-Push Knob怎么样才可以拆下来，我希望上电之后，led就可点亮； 2、TTL Modulation Mode，在频率在100hz-1000hz时，led就灭了

hchow (posted 2024-10-16 03:31:09.0)

你好，黄先生。DC20-SP1 与 DC20 相同。只是安装了不同的固件。它停用了旋转旋钮的按压功能。这意味着只要 DC20 接通电源，LED 指示灯就会有电流流过。电流的大小由旋钮的位置决定。TTL 功能得以保留。我们的中国 Thorlabs 技术支持团队将与您联系。

Mark Handschy (posted 2023-05-05 06:55:41.193)

It would be handy in the specs for the DC20 to indicate what SENSE the TTL control has. We all know what the standard high & low TTL voltage levels are. What we don't know is whether pulling the TTL IN port high turns the lamp on or turns if off.

hkarpenko (posted 2023-05-08 11:42:15.0)

Dear Mark, thank you for your feedback. You are right, we don´t specify this in the specification tab directly on our website. However you can access this information in the more detailed manual we have written for the DC20. On p.8 we explain the modulation application. As long as the TTL input is open or High, the SOLIS is enabled and supplied with the current that is set by the rotary knob. A TTL Low level disables the SOLIS.

Per Grön (posted 2023-05-04 23:08:40.68)

Hello, I am a great fan of Thorlabs, your products are normally great and meet my needs perfectly. Unfortunately, this is not the case for DC20. The product information on your website describes the TTL control option as an alternative to controlling it with the push button "Alternatively, the LED can be modulated using an external TTL signal" but this is not how the product works: You can either turn on the light with the push button, or you can turn it on by first pushing the push button and then using the TTL signal. TTL is not an "alternative" to the push button because it can't be used without it. I have the SOLIS-1D in a machine in that has many components that are all controlled by a PC. This machine would not be practical to use if each component required the user to manually control it during use, but the DC20 requires just that. The DC20 is even "smart" enough to not turn on if the push button is pushed at the time of boot so it's impossible to hack around it by always pushing the button, however it is not smart enough to remember the previous setting after a power cycle. There are so many ways in which the DC20 could have been usable in this application: Make it remember the state on power cycle, use a switch instead of a push button, allow the TTL input to actually turn on the lamp, allow me to physically depress the push button at all times to turn it on... As it is now it seems like I will have to find some other LED driver or to hack the circuit so I can simulate button presses. This is not helpful design, and the product documentation gets pretty close outright lying about how the TTL feature works. If I would have known that the TTL output does not work without the push button I would not have bought the device. Kind regards, Per

hchow (posted 2023-05-05 10:28:20.0)

Dear Per Grön, thank you for your valuable feedback. I will let the developers know about the issue you are facing with our DC20. Meanwhile, I will personally reach out to you to find a solution for the problem you have with your DC20.

Thorlabs offers two options for driving our Solis^® LEDs. The DC20 is a basic option that allows users to control the intensity of their LED using a control knob on the top or via an external TTL signal for modulation. For more advanced applications, our DC2200 drivers provides a touchscreen interface that allows users to control the LED current, select internal or external modulation modes, and more. The table below provides a comparison of key controller features.

Solis^® LED Driver Selection Guide
Item #	DC20	DC2200
Photo (Click to Enlarge)
LED Current / Forward Voltage (Max)	1 to 10 A / 5.0 to 14.0 V^a	1.0 A / 50.0 V^b 2.0 A / 35.0 V^b 4.0 A / 15.0 V^b 5.0 A / 10.0 V^b 10.0 A / 5.0 V^b
Noise and Ripple (1 Hz to 10 MHz, RMS, Typical)	<400 µA	<100 µA from 0.0 to 4.0 A <200 µA from 4.0 to 10.0 A
Internal Modulation Modes	-	0.1 Hz to 20 kHz (PWM^c Mode) 1 µs to 10 s On or Off Time (Pulse Mode) 20 Hz to 100 kHz (Internal Modulation Mode with Sine, Square, Triangle Waveforms)
External Modulation (Arbitrary Waveform)	-	DC - 250 kHz [Small Signal Bandwidth (Sine)]^d
TTL Modulation (External)	DC to 1 kHz (Square Wave, PWM^c)	DC to ≥18 kHz^e
LED Control Interface	Knob to Control LED Current, BNC Port for TTL Modulation	Easy-to-Navigate Touchscreen Interface, Brightness and Constant Current Operating Modes, Internal and External Modulation Modes, SMA Port for External Modulation Accepts TTL Signal or Waveform from a Function Generator, USB Interface for Remote Control
Current Limit	Automatically Read and Set from the Solis LED's Internal Memory to Protect the LED from Overdriving
External Software Interface	No	DC2200 GUI
Other Compatible LEDs	-	Mounted Collimated Fiber Coupled MCPCB Mounted^f

The maximum LED current and forward voltage are dependent on each other: the DC20 cannot drive an LED with a 14 V forward voltage at 10 A. The DC20 is compatible with all Solis LEDs and will automatically select the appropriate current/voltage combination for the connected Solis LED.
For Solis LEDs connected using Terminal 1. The DC2200 can also be used to drive Thorlabs' mounted, collimated and fiber-coupled LEDs, which use a separate terminal and are subject to different current and voltage limitations. See the complete web presentation for details.
PWM = Pulse Width Modulation
Small Signal Bandwidth: Modulation not exceeding 20% of full scale current. The driver accepts other waveforms, but the maximum frequency will be reduced.
Given for an output current at "High" TTL level not exceeding 10% of the selected current range limit.
Requires the CAB-LEDD1 cable.

Plug-and-Play Solis^® LED Driver

Plug-and-Play Solis<sup>®</sup> LED Driver

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LED Driver for Thorlabs' Solis^® LEDs for Microscpy
Easily Turn On/Off the LED and Control Current Using the Dial
Two Operation Modes: CW or TTL Modulation
Automatically Sets Current Limit by Reading the EEPROM on Solis LEDs

The DC20 LED Driver is a plug-and-play LED driver capable of driving Thorlabs' Solis LEDs for Microscopy. This driver's turn-push knobon the top of the device turns the connected LED on/off, as well as controls the drive current from 0 A up to the limit specified by the LED's internal EEPROM data.

An LED can be driven in two different operating modes with the DC20 driver: Continuous Wave (CW) or Trigger (TTL) Modulation. Continuous Wave (CW) mode drives the LED with a constant set current, and this is the default mode when an LED is connected to the driver. The TTL mode can be used to turn the connected LED on and off using an external-active high voltage signal via the BNC input on the back panel. The TTL mode can be driven at frequencies up to 1 kHz. In TTL mode the brightness of the LED can be adjusted by turning the turn-push knob.

A 15.0 VDC power supply with a region specific power cable is included with each DC20 LED driver. If the power supply is damaged or misplaced, it can be replaced with Thorlabs' DSH15 Power Supply, offered below. For a full list of items included with this driver, see the Shipping List tab. Please note that the DC20 driver is designed to work with Thorlabs' Solis LEDs and should not be used to drive any other type of LED.

Replacement 15 VDC Regulated Power Supply, 4.65 A

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Female TA3FLX Mini-XLR Connector

Compatible with Thorlabs' DC20 and DC40 LED Drivers
15 VDC Regulated Power Supply
4.65 A Max Current and 69.7 W Output Power
Female TA3FLX 3-Pin Connector

The DSH15 power supply is a replacement power supply for Thorlabs' DC20 or DC40 LED Drivers, in case the power supply that ships with the device is damaged or misplaced. It is a 15 VDC regulated power with a 1.21 m long cable and a TA3FLX (Mini-XLR), 3-pin female connector. It accepts input voltages from 100 VAC to 240 VAC and ships with a region-specific AC cable.