Coherent has introduced its new PowerMax USB/RS sensors, which have an entire instrument integrated within a USB 2.0 or RS-232 cable connector. PowerMax USB/RS sensors have the signal processing and power measurement electronics normally contained in a LabMax meter, and they connect directly to a PC with plug and play functionality. The sensors are well suited for low and high volume embedded sensor applications, eliminating the need for a separate meter box saving cost and space, but with no reduction whatsoever in performance.
Coherent’s PowerMax PC applications software provides a virtual instrument interface for these sensors that enables the operator to take laser power readings, log data and compute measurement statistics. Users can also write their own software using host interface commands that control all aspects of power meter operation.
The PowerMax USB/RS product lines currently include a range of thermopile sensors, as well as one semiconductor photodiode based detector. Together, these sensors enable accurate laser power measurement from the deep ultraviolet to the infrared (190nm to 11µm), over a power range extending from microwatts to kilowatts.
The new PowerMax products are suitable for OEMs wishing to embed power measurement electronics within their own instrumentation, field service engineers who already carry a laptop computer, and operators of computer controlled laser burn-in racks and long-term reliability test benches. In addition, PowerMax USB and RS sensors are useful for general laboratory applications in which experimental data acquisition is performed from a central PC.