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Thread: Scan Pro 40

  1. #1
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    Default Scan Pro 40

    Hi, I just hooked up my Galvo's and amps and have a quick question.

    UPDATE: 1/21/2010
    LOOK BELOW FOR NEW QUESTIONS

    I'm using the ScanPro 40 kits, they are the older style pictured here http://www.lasershowparts.com/files/...ANPRO30_40.pdf

    After hooking up the AC DC Converter, The voltage checks okay. When I pLug the power into the amps I get a red and green LED on constantly. I couldn't find any information on these LED's and what they indicate. I'm a little confused because the galvos seem to work, but red LED's usually indicate something bad.

    I only have everything on a mock up card board setup so I can't run the amps for more than 20 seconds or so because they are not heatsinked. However they seem to be projecting the ILDA test frame okay through spaghetti. I can't really tell anything till i get my base-plate finished.

    I just wanted to know if anyone knows what the red led indicates before I hook them back up.

    Also, are they supposed to buzz quite a bit when in action?
    Last edited by MisterWilling; 01-21-2010 at 11:12.

  2. #2
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    Default

    I believe the red and green LEDs are normal with your scanset. Also, some noise is perfectly normal. Galvos can be quite noisy, especially when running demanding frames. Regarding your amps, they should have finned heatsinks attached to them, which should allow you to run them for some time. Galvo amps aren't lasers, and are just fine handling some heat. It's the galvo block itself that shouldn't be allowed to get too hot (but warm is OK) and the lasers. The cooler the better for the lasers, to a point.

  3. #3
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    Default

    As electrofreak mentioned, the scanners will make noise when they're operating, and the noise gets louder as you increase the scan angle. So long as it doesn't rise to the level of a "screech", you're OK.

    How wide are you displaying the ILDA test pattern? Assuming that you're running the scanners at 30Kpps, you should be good for between 13 and 15 degrees with no problems.

    As for the heat issue, the ScanPro 40 amps normally run very cool, but it's OK if they get warm during operation. If you're really worried, just bolt them to a metal plate and you should be fine. If you want to run them on a test bench (no metal plate) and you're worried about heat, just aim a small fan in their direction and they'll be OK. (I wouldn't get too worried though, unless you see temps above 150 degrees F during operation, which is *highly* unlikely.) When I tested these amps they ran very cool with just passive cooling. (Bolted to a baseplate.)

    I honestly can't remember anything about the lights, but if they're scanning OK, then they're OK.

    Adam

  4. #4
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MisterWilling View Post
    Hi, I just hooked up my Galvo's and amps and have a quick question.

    I'm using the ScanPro 40 kits, they are the older style pictured here http://www.lasershowparts.com/files/...ANPRO30_40.pdf

    After hooking up the AC DC Converter, The voltage checks okay. When I pLug the power into the amps I get a red and green LED on constantly. I couldn't find any information on these LED's and what they indicate. I'm a little confused because the galvos seem to work, but red LED's usually indicate something bad.

    I only have everything on a mock up card board setup so I can't run the amps for more than 20 seconds or so because they are not heatsinked. However they seem to be projecting the ILDA test frame okay through spaghetti. I can't really tell anything till i get my base-plate finished.

    I just wanted to know if anyone knows what the red led indicates before I hook them back up.

    Also, are they supposed to buzz quite a bit when in action?
    The red and green leds are just to indicate the negative and positive power rails are present. All good
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  5. #5
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    Default Update

    Okay So I have a few more questions.

    First about placement of the galvos. I found a thread on some scanpro 40's and it differs in the orientation from what is described in the manual so I'm a little confused. Here http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...998#post123998 Let me know if this is the correct orientation.

    Secondly, how much of the beam can fit onto a 5mm mirror. I would guess that is the mirror reflected at close to 45° that I would just use a little bit of trig to figure that out. I have included a crude image to elaborate what I mean. Thank to whomever created the original image.

    Thirdly, Now I think my glavo's or the amps are not functioning. When I hook them up to the power supply with no input I get both the led's on to indicate they have +24V and -24V. With no signal input, one galvo is locked into position(looks like its centered) and the other one is free to move about its limits. When I try and project an image through spaghetti the galvo that is loose does nothing. The galvo that was locked begins to vibrates back and forth quickly but only a very small amount ( a movement of about and inch at 20 feet).
    I'm not sure what happened because they seemed to be working before. All I changed was adding a heatsink to the galvo amps. The heatsink are just aluminum plates bolted onto the bracket. I don't think they can cause any problems because each amp has its own heatsink everything is electrically isolated on the amp board anyways.
    The only conclusion that I can come to is that I damaged them do to static discharge maybe. I did have to handle one of the amps a bit to make measurements for the heatsinks.
    I noticed the amps have loops on them with lables like GND and TP1-TP9. I assumed these were points to check the voltage so I did. Both amps have widely differing numbers, which would make sense because one does nothing.

    Thanks for the help so far and to anyone who has answers.

    -Austin
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails GALVO QUESTION.bmp  


  6. #6
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    Are both the scanner cables secured to both the driver boards and scanners nice and tight?

    Kinda sounds like you have killed a glavo. Probably quite likely if you were running with a soundcard DAC. Ill send more info in a email.
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  7. #7
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    Default

    ^In the interest of improving the soundcard DAC tutorial, I'm curious why you believe that the soundcard DAC would kill a galvo. There may be something that I and the developers and other users of the soundcaed DAC missed, so any technical info you have would be appreciated.

    I didn't think that the voltages supplied by the soundcard DAC were anywhere near high enough to kill a galvo. I've had no issues with signals from my soundcard DAC being hard on my galvos, in fact my galvos have never even become remotely warm during long term use, but there may be other factors that I don't know about. I would hate to think that the soundcard DAC is inherently dangerous to hardware, and it's track record so far wouldn't seem to support that position, but you never know..

  8. #8
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    Default

    Dave the cables are all very secure.

    ElektroFreak, In my case it could be anything.
    I'm just confused as to why they are both not working, but in different ways. I have no experience with this stuff so its hard to tell what I did wrong. I know I did let the amps get too hot the first time I ran them because I smelled the plastic they were sitting on starting to melt. I hoped I didn't do any damage to them but they were not on for more than one minute.

  9. #9
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    Now I think my glavo's or the amps are not functioning.
    Hmm, the galvo that isn't moving, on the amp, is there a fuse of any kind? Most scanners are capable of getting very hot, I know the set I have in one projector, the block gets so hot you can't hold you finger on it for more than a couple seconds. Do you own an oscilloscope? If you don't have an o'scope, you might want to consider finding a good used one. They come in handy in this hobby.

    One thing you can try is to swap the scanner to amp cables and see if the the problem follows the amp or stays with the scanner.

  10. #10
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DZ View Post
    Hmm, the galvo that isn't moving, on the amp, is there a fuse of any kind? Do you own an oscilloscope? If you don't have an o'scope, you might want to consider finding a good used one. They come in handy in this hobby.

    One thing you can try is to swap the scanner to amp cables and see if the the problem follows the amp or stays with the scanner.
    Good Idea I will try the swap thing. I didn't think of that since they are matched to each other but I guess it wont hurt to just swap and check.

    I didn't see a fuse on the glavo amp, but on the amp that isn't moving there is a resistor right next to the power input wires (right next to a diode) that get very hot and that seems to be the only thing on the board creating heat.

    I have access to an o-scope at work. I put the soundcard DAC on the o-scope and made sure it was tuned to 0v and 5v. The output looked like a smooth line.

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