Problems with a Chameleon-Ultra II Ti-Sapphire laser
Locked
|
Dear List Members,
We have a laser per Subject Line on one of our LSM 510 systems. Lately it has been shutting itself off after a few minutes of lasing with an error message indicating Diode 1 or Diode 2 temperature fault (fault codes 8 and 12 for those who have similar systems). I looked into the system via the RS232 port with a hyperterminal and read out the fault history, as well as the Diode 1 and 2 temperatures during a couple of start-up cycles with 1 reading per 2-3 seconds frequency (manually). The values show a gradual cool down of Diode 1 from 20.00 to 15.6 degrees in the course of a few minutes (the Verdi current goes from 3.7 A to 50.0 A in the meantime), then an individual reading of very high value (I saw values between 57 and 184 (!) C here, but only for one read-out point) and the following safety shut-off of the system; a few occasional higher temperature readings can also be observed after the shut-off, in the 30s and 40s C. The cycle can be repeated if we wait for about half an hour with the laser in Standby mode.
Coherent installed this laser 10 months ago, when the previous unit had to be replaced due to repeated failure to mode-lock. The current unit is a refurbished one, the head hours read out to be 1933 hours, whereas the two diodes are 2470 hours each; we actually hardly ever use the laser, maybe once or twice a week for a few hours each. I would suspect a faulty controller board that gives false temperature readings, but Coherent says it may actually be the diode(s) and that would cost us 20 k EUR at least, because we are out of warranty now. The reasoning on their behalf is that the refurbished unit didn't come with a new 1 year warranty.
I would very much appreciate if those who had similar experiences would share their opinion with me as for the possible causes of this problem, the likelihood of a failed diode after 2700 hours, and the warranty policy on replacement lasers. Any feedback will be much appreciated! With best wishes to you all,
Zoltan
-- Zoltan Cseresnyes Confocal and 2-Photon Microscopy Core Facility (MCF) Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10 13125 Berlin phone: +49 (0)30 94062734 email: [hidden email] |
 
|
Craig Brideau |
Re: Problems with a Chameleon-Ultra II Ti-Sapphire laser
|
|
I had the chiller in my chameleon clog up a bit with gunk at one point
and experienced a similar overheating problem. In my case it was the entire system that was warming up. I cleaned the chiller throughly and put proper no-growth solution in it which solved the problem. If your readings are correct then only one of your diodes is getting warm, so you may have a local clog or other flow restriction in your cooling loop. The other possibility is that a sensor is giving a false reading, or your diode may be shorting out and generating too much heat. Hope this helps! Craig On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 8:34 AM, Zoltan Cseresnyes <[hidden email]> wrote: > Dear List Members, > We have a laser per Subject Line on one of our LSM 510 systems. Lately it > has been shutting itself off after a few minutes of lasing with an error > message indicating Diode 1 or Diode 2 temperature fault (fault codes 8 and > 12 for those who have similar systems). I looked into the system via the > RS232 port with a hyperterminal and read out the fault history, as well as > the Diode 1 and 2 temperatures during a couple of start-up cycles with 1 > reading per 2-3 seconds frequency (manually). The values show a gradual > cool down of Diode 1 from 20.00 to 15.6 degrees in the course of a few > minutes (the Verdi current goes from 3.7 A to 50.0 A in the meantime), then > an individual reading of very high value (I saw values between 57 and 184 > (!) C here, but only for one read-out point) and the following safety > shut-off of the system; a few occasional higher temperature readings can > also be observed after the shut-off, in the 30s and 40s C. The cycle can be > repeated if we wait for about half an hour with the laser in Standby mode. > Coherent installed this laser 10 months ago, when the previous unit had to > be replaced due to repeated failure to mode-lock. The current unit is a > refurbished one, the head hours read out to be 1933 hours, whereas the two > diodes are 2470 hours each; we actually hardly ever use the laser, maybe > once or twice a week for a few hours each. I would suspect a faulty > controller board that gives false temperature readings, but Coherent says it > may actually be the diode(s) and that would cost us 20 k EUR at least, > because we are out of warranty now. The reasoning on their behalf is that > the refurbished unit didn't come with a new 1 year warranty. > I would very much appreciate if those who had similar experiences would > share their opinion with me as for the possible causes of this problem, the > likelihood of a failed diode after 2700 hours, and the warranty policy on > replacement lasers. Any feedback will be much appreciated! With best > wishes to you all, > Zoltan > > > > -- > Zoltan Cseresnyes > Confocal and 2-Photon Microscopy Core Facility (MCF) > Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine > Robert-Rössle-Str. 10 > 13125 Berlin > phone: +49 (0)30 94062734 > email: [hidden email] > http://www.mdc-berlin.de/en/research/core_facilities/index.html |
|
|
Hello:
In the Mira system, if there is a clog in the cooling line, then the baseplate temperature of the Verdi will read higher than it's regular value (an extra 1.0 Celsius is too much). Don't forget to clean (vacuum) every air flow intake. Good luck, Sophie ____________________________________________________ Sophie M. K. Brunet, Ph. D. Research Officer Optical Spectroscopy, Laser Systems and Applications Sessional Lecturer, CHEM 115 [hidden email] 306-966-1719 (office) 306-966-1702 (fax) ____________________________________________________ Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre University of Saskatchewan Thorvaldson Bldg. 110 Science Place Saskatoon, Sk S7N 5C9 ____________________________________________________ Quoting Craig Brideau <[hidden email]>: > I had the chiller in my chameleon clog up a bit with gunk at one point > and experienced a similar overheating problem. In my case it was the > entire system that was warming up. I cleaned the chiller throughly > and put proper no-growth solution in it which solved the problem. If > your readings are correct then only one of your diodes is getting > warm, so you may have a local clog or other flow restriction in your > cooling loop. The other possibility is that a sensor is giving a > false reading, or your diode may be shorting out and generating too > much heat. > > Hope this helps! > > Craig > > On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 8:34 AM, Zoltan Cseresnyes <[hidden email]> wrote: > > Dear List Members, > > We have a laser per Subject Line on one of our LSM 510 systems. Lately it > > has been shutting itself off after a few minutes of lasing with an error > > message indicating Diode 1 or Diode 2 temperature fault (fault codes 8 and > > 12 for those who have similar systems). I looked into the system via the > > RS232 port with a hyperterminal and read out the fault history, as well as > > the Diode 1 and 2 temperatures during a couple of start-up cycles with 1 > > reading per 2-3 seconds frequency (manually). The values show a gradual > > cool down of Diode 1 from 20.00 to 15.6 degrees in the course of a few > > minutes (the Verdi current goes from 3.7 A to 50.0 A in the meantime), then > > an individual reading of very high value (I saw values between 57 and 184 > > (!) C here, but only for one read-out point) and the following safety > > shut-off of the system; a few occasional higher temperature readings can > > also be observed after the shut-off, in the 30s and 40s C. The cycle can > be > > repeated if we wait for about half an hour with the laser in Standby mode. > > Coherent installed this laser 10 months ago, when the previous unit had > to > > be replaced due to repeated failure to mode-lock. The current unit is a > > refurbished one, the head hours read out to be 1933 hours, whereas the two > > diodes are 2470 hours each; we actually hardly ever use the laser, maybe > > once or twice a week for a few hours each. I would suspect a faulty > > controller board that gives false temperature readings, but Coherent says > it > > may actually be the diode(s) and that would cost us 20 k EUR at least, > > because we are out of warranty now. The reasoning on their behalf is that > > the refurbished unit didn't come with a new 1 year warranty. > > I would very much appreciate if those who had similar experiences would > > share their opinion with me as for the possible causes of this problem, > the > > likelihood of a failed diode after 2700 hours, and the warranty policy on > > replacement lasers. Any feedback will be much appreciated! With best > > wishes to you all, > > Zoltan > > > > > > > > -- > > Zoltan Cseresnyes > > Confocal and 2-Photon Microscopy Core Facility (MCF) > > Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine > > Robert-Rössle-Str. 10 > > 13125 Berlin > > phone: +49 (0)30 94062734 > > email: [hidden email] > > http://www.mdc-berlin.de/en/research/core_facilities/index.html > |
|
|
George McNamara |
Re: Problems with a Chameleon-Ultra II Ti-Sapphire laser
|
|
In reply to this post by Zoltan
Hi Zoltan,
Our almost 3 year old Chameleon Ultra II was replaced under service contract a couple of months ago. Coherent is the best company in the biomedical imaging sector that I have ever interacted with (OK, Sutter Instruments is right up there too). But, service contract is critical. Our contract was accidently dropped two summers ago - for the price of a service visit we were able to get it back under service contract. One of the reasons Coherent is the best is that the laser was marginally within specification at that visit and the field service engineer was empowered to make the call that it was good enough to get back under contract. The same engineer made the call last autumn to replace the original laser (we mutually agreed on a spring replacement date). Another reason is that Coherent's Chameleon policy was to ship in a refurbished to current factory specification the replacement laser - done in under one day and the old unit went back in the same crates to Scotland. The factory spec has moved considerably in the ~3 years we have owned the laser. Our current laser has peak 3.8 Watts around 800 nm. My understanding (from a Coherent sales rep) is that Spectra-Physics approach is to ship the customer's Ti:Saphhire to the factory for major service. If this is true (anyone care to enlighten us here?) I have to think average down time is a month or more. Sincerely, George At 10:34 AM 7/6/2010, you wrote: Dear List Members, George McNamara, Ph.D. Image Core Manager Analytical Imaging Core Facility University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine Miami, FL 33136 [hidden email] [hidden email] 305-243-8436 office http://www.sylvester.org/AICF (Analytical Imaging Core Facility) http://www.sylvester.org/AICF/pubspectra.zip (the entire 2000+ spectra .xlsx file is in the zip file) http://home.earthlink.net/~geomcnamara |
|
|
Arne Seitz |
Position Opening: Image Processing at EPFL
|
|
The
Bioimaging and Biooptics Platform (http://biop.epfl.ch/)
at the School of Life Sciences of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Lausanne (EPFL) is offering a position as Collaborator
for image processing The
PT-BIOP provides image acquisition and processing on a number of advanced light
microscope systems to scientists within and outside the School. Besides
commercially available programs for image analysis and processing like
Metamorph (Molecluar Devices) and Imaris (Bitplane), also freeware programs
like ImageJ are being used. Help in image processing might also include the
development of scripts/macros to facilitate and automate the process of image
processing. The
person filling this position will learn to train research scientists to use the
available software of the core facility, assist the team in teaching courses on
image processing in light microscopy and perform administrative duties as
needed for billing, ordering supplies and organizing the day to day running of
the platform. The
suitable candidate is expected to have a technician degree or master degree in
a related area, and some practical background in image processing preferably
connected to biological questions. The
applicant should be rigorous, reliable, well organized and have the flexibility
needed for working in a service-oriented context. Good communication skills in
English and ability to operate as a team player in a multi-disciplinary
environment are required. Starting
date : 01.10.2010
or to be discussed Duration
:
fixed-term contract of two years (renewable) Activity
rate :
100% Contact: For
further information, please contact the Manager of the BIOP : [hidden email] Interested
individuals should send their CV, a statement of interest, their diplomas and
references from previous positions to: EPFL Human Resources Department, EPFL
DRH, INN 011, Station 7, CH-1015 Lausanne, Ad. ref. SV-3596 --------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Arne Seitz Head of Bioimaging and Optics Platform (BIOP) Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL) http://biop.epfl.ch/ |
|
|
zhan cheng |
Re: Problems with a Chameleon-Ultra II Ti-Sapphire laser
|
|
In reply to this post by Zoltan
Hi,
Hope you have solve the problem. I have similiar experience with our femto-second laser. My suggestion is don't turn the laser on again untill you are sure that the chiller system work well. I think it is because of the chiller system. Maybe you haven't change the water for more than 3 months, so there are some stuck in the water tube or somewhere else. Only turn the chiller system on, and change the water (maybe you need to do that every 3~5 hrs). One standard to check whether the chiller system work well is that: open the water cover of the chiller box, and turn it on, you may see the water roll (look like spoiled) in the box, this mean it works well and there is no stem. Otherwise, you should keep changing the water and call on the engineer from coherent. Hope these helpful for you. Good luck. zhan ceng |
|
|
Dear All,
Thank you for all your suggestions! The problem was solved by replacing the main controller board, which gave out false temperature readings. Some of my RS232-based tests read out temperatures up to 180C, but for one readout point only, which lead the Coherent engineer to suspect the board right away. He replaced it with a temporary one so that we could start using the laser again right away, and then with a final new board a few days later. Overall, Coherent proved to be great in handling the case, with a fast and efficient solution, as a result of which we were only down for less than a week. Big relief as well that we didn't have to buy a new diode!
Thanks again for everyone's help! Have a great weekend, Zoltan On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 9:48 AM, zhan cheng <[hidden email]> wrote: Hi, -- Zoltan Cseresnyes Facility manager, Imaging Suite |
«
Return to Confocal Microscopy List
|
1 view|%1 views
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |