Pangolin ScannerMax

[White-Light]

There's a photo of the Pangolin Scanner Booth on Pangolin's facebook page.

It looks like they're keeping speeds and price under lock and key for the moment. However, their advertising does seem to re-iterate the claims made in their pdf about numerous improvements in design compared to existing scanner systems. As mentioned above, there's a whole load of precise data in the pdf for the technically minded.

It also appears that you can retro fit the arms into certain existing scanner blocks. Given the shape above, I'm presuming Cambridge might be a prime candidate here.

The price is also described as affordable, which sounds promising.

[planters]

Everything I've read about the lightshow market is "you don't need faster than 30k,

The problem with this "rule of thumb" is that the performance deteriorates substantially with scanned angle. Take for example the DT 40 Wide scanners. A large scanned angle forces the mirrors to operate at greater angles and the foreshortening of the mirror at the extreme requires a larger mirror to accommodate the same beam diameter that a narrower scanned angle can get away with. The larger(heavier to the third power) mirror also has to move faster in rotation to position the beam at any given point in the projected image. Also, some images with many discrete sharp angles will improve with faster settling times.

We have been playing with mixing video (broadband DLP) with laser and the benefit of super high bandwidth(effectively 100Mpps) for the most demanding images in multiple projector shows is impressive. But, even high end projectors lack the sparkle and impact of the laser projections and so I believe there is no foreseeable limit to the advantage of much faster scanners.

[Bradfo69]

Taken from the Pangolin Post newsletter this morning:

"ScannerMAX - Stronger, Cooler, Faster
Our new line of optical scanners and rotary actuator devices. We plan on showcasing the first renditions of these at the 2013 Photonics West Show."

The words "first renditions" leads me to think we're still waiting awhile.

[planters]

I suspect the drivers. We have heard little about the design and the innovations if any in this component. Also, if this is true then any opinion about the system performance should wait because to see outstanding speed with these motors the drivers will require well above average current levels, speed and thermal management.

Whatever specs they give may be based on large lab style drivers. To be fair we need some real information from Pangolin. It is a little frustrating speculating around the edges based on hints and allegations.

So, come on Bill. We are all enthusiastic and support this project. It has been 6 months since you presented the progress you had made and your plans to come to market.

[kecked]

Like I said I want to see smaller cooler 45kps scanners rather than quick bigger hotter ones. There is almost no content above 60kps. and for beams 12k is plenty. 45kps guarrentees excellent 30kps rendition

[norty303]

I think the big deal with faster scanners, as planters has already said, is the ability to scan the existing patterns larger.
No, you probably don't need to up your scan rate to silly rates, but it sure would be handy for some folk to display large complex animations without having to have the projector a mile away.

[chad]

Faster speeds mean that you can scan wider at a given speed. That to me is more important than absolute scanner speed at 8 deg.

I don't like cartoon laser stuff. So animation graphics performance isn't that important to me. Big scan angles are, and the faster the better.

chad

edit: didn't see norty's post.... I agree.

[Bradfo69]

I think the big deal with faster scanners, as planters has already said, is the ability to scan the existing patterns larger.
No, you probably don't need to up your scan rate to silly rates, but it sure would be handy for some folk to display large complex animations without having to have the projector a mile away.

That's extremely important to me and one of the reasons I personally am anxious to see these. I do rear screen projection through scrim of fairly complex graphics and abstracts and I have about 12 feet to work with behind the scrim. The bigger I can get the image the better as the audience is going to start seating about 40 feet away from the scrim. Getting the projection zone larger than about 8 feet in diameter is kinda important. Especially when the back of the audience may be 80 feet away.

[-bart-]

Does somebody have a clue why there are no class D scanner amps ?
Afaik all scan amps are AB-ish. Is there a particular reason why this inefficient topology is chosen ?

Or is it just that designing a good galvo driver is hard, designing a good class D amp is harder, designing a class D scanamp is hardest ?

[planters]

Another advantage of wider angle is that the inherent divergence of the lasers means that to reduce the scan angle to speed up the scanners means that the projector has to be further from the target. And especially for large graphics the lines will broaden and the colors will have more time to miss-align.

Also keep in mind that the nature of the graphics that we are currently familiar with are VERY stylized and this is due probably in large part to the limitations in the scanners. It certainly doesn't originate as a legacy from AOMs and ion lasers. In Boston we were projecting laser graphics flying through 3d Mandelbrot structures. Very neat! And what about multiple projectors? Anyone who has projected a multiple timeline show from one overloaded, flickering projector knows how much better the show looks when displayed by two or more cooperating projectors. But, if a very fast scanner allowed one projector to do the work of two then aside from the limitation on maximum brightness this might save a lot of money and space and transport etc.