ITLA Evaluation Board
Clean Light portfolio – PPEB200 – Application Note
The PPEB200 ITLA evaluation board is a convenient tool to use the Pure Photonics
tunable laser in a lab environment. It provides convenient features that facilitate the
evaluation of the ITLA, saving the user time by providing the following:
1. Mechanical interface: the unit comes with a metal plate onto which an ITLA can be
mounted. The metal plate slides under two clamps to provide heat-sinking to the
base-plate.
2. Electrical interface: the unit comes with a 110V power adapter and converts the
input 16V (from the power supply) to the required -5.2V and +3.3V for the ITLA. In
addition, the digital lines are controlled and displayed (through LEDs) on the board.
3. Communication interface: the ITLA is controlled through a low-voltage RS-232
interface. The evaluation board converts this signal to a high voltage RS-232 signal
that can be connected to the serial port on the PC (or to a USB-serial converter).
Application note PPEB200, vA
February 2015
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1. Contents
1. Contents ................................................................................................................... 2
2. Power Supply Circuitry ............................................................................................. 3
3. ITLA Connector......................................................................................................... 4
4. Evaluation Board Control and Monitoring Hardware ................................................. 5
Push Button Controls ................................................................................................... 5
Dip Switch Controls ..................................................................................................... 5
LEDs ............................................................................................................................ 5
5. Evaluation Board RF Inputs and Outputs ................................................................. 6
6. Other Evaluation Board Connectors ......................................................................... 7
7. Installation of the ITLA on the Evaluation Board ....................................................... 8
Installing the ITLA ........................................................................................................ 8
Mounting the ITLA to the Evaluation Board ................................................................. 8
Completing the Installation .......................................................................................... 9
Application note PPEB200, vA
February 2015
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2. Power Supply Circuitry
The PPEB200 evaluation board can be powered through two separate inputs: a 16V input
from a power adapter (included with the unit) or through banana-plugs powered from
separate voltage sources. The latter configuration allows for monitoring of current draw
and power consumption. The source selection is done with on-board switches.
The different components that are relevant for the power supply are indicated in the below
picture. The DC input jack can be used to input a DC voltage from 8 to 25 volts. This
voltage can be supplied by a standard laptop computer power supply (included). The
specific power supply voltages to run both the evaluation board and the ITLA module are
derived from this single power supply input.
The banana input jacks can be used to input separate DC power supply voltages (jacks
for +3.3V, -5.2V, and ground are provided). The banana jack inputs would typically be
used in a situation where the power dissipation or per-supply current draw needs to be
measured.
The board and module power supply sources are selectable using two switches on the
evaluation board. The board power supply switch (marked “BOARD POWER” on the
board) can be set to either banana (power to the board comes from the banana input
jacks) or DC (power to the board comes from the DC input jack). These switch positions
are also labeled (“DC” and “BAN.”) on the board. The ITLA power supply switch (marked
“ITLA POWER” on the board) sets the power source for the ITLA module itself; this can
be set to select power coming from the evaluation board, or power coming from the
banana jacks. These switch positions are labeled (“BOARD” and “BAN.”) on the board.
The four possible combinations of these two switches are shown in the table above.
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February 2015
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3. ITLA Connector
The host-side (on the evaluation board) and module-side (on the ITLA module itself)
connectors are used to connect the ITLA to the evaluation board. The ITLA connectors
are shown in below figure. The pinout of the connector is shown in below table.
The host- and module-side ITLA connectors are connected with a flex cable; for details
on installing the ITLA module and the flex cable, please refer to section 6.
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February 2015
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4. Evaluation Board Control and Monitoring Hardware
Push Button Controls
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Reset button (left): resets the ITLA module by pulling the RST line low
Module I/O Select button (right): pressing and releasing this button resets the
module communications interface (MS signal on the OIF interface)
Dip Switch Controls
The ON position noted on the switch module corresponds to a signal low (note that the
signals are active low).
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Disable (switch position 1): Disables the module’s optical output when switched to
the ON position (connected to the DIS pin, pin 2 on the ITLA module connector).
Switch position 2 is unused.
Module I/O select SW enable (switch position 3): enables the module select signal
to be controlled through software.
LEDs
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Module I/O Select (top left): on when module select enabled (connected to MS
signal on ITLA connector)
Heartbeat (top right): pulses when the evaluation board communication link with
the ITLA module is OK (LED will appear dim)
+3.3V (bottom, second from left): on when +3.3V power supply OK
-5.2V (bottom, third from left): on when -5.2V power supply OK
Disable (bottom, third from right): on when laser is disabled (connected to DIS
signal on ITLA connector)
Reset (bottom, second from right): on when ITLA module in reset (connected to
RST signal on ITLA connector)
SRQ (bottom, far right): on when service request received from ITLA module
(connected to SRQ signal on ITLA connector)
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February 2015
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5. Evaluation Board RF Inputs and Outputs
The evaluation board comes equipped with three BNC connectors as shown above. The
BNC connector on the far left of the picture is an input for TxTRACE; this connector can
be used to input a trace tone to the ITLA.
The other two BNC connectors provide diagnostic outputs for supplier use only.
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February 2015
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6. Other Evaluation Board Connectors
Several other connectors are provided on the evaluation board for communication and
control purposes. These connectors are pictured above:
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RS-232 connector: This connector is used to communicate with the ITLA module
using a PC. Pin-out is as follows; Rx (pin 2); Tx (pin 3); GND (pin 5); RTS (pin 7,
tied to module select MS*).
JTAG connector: This connector is for supplier use only.
I2C connector: This connector is for supplier use only.
Service connector: This connector is for supplier use only.
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February 2015
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7. Installation of the ITLA on the Evaluation Board
Installing the ITLA
To install the ITLA on the metal mounting plate, align the screws of the ITLA with the
holes in the mounting plate (only one correct direction). Start to tighten each screw slightly
and then pull-out the black mounting tabs.
Then gradually tighten each screw in a zig-zag pattern, to prevent that any one mounting
area gets excessive stress (due to lack of freedom of movement). Do not overtighten the
screws (either hand-tighten or apply 1 lb-force torque).
Dependent on the connection cable used, determine if the flex-cable on the ITLA needs
to be removed. If so, apply only upwards force to remove the connector, a small wiggling
movement can help to free up the connector. Avoid shearing forces on the connector.
Please observe the following precautions:
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Optical fibers and connectors should always be handled with care to avoid
breakage and scratched or dirty connector end faces. When the unit is not
mounted on the evaluation board, it should be kept in the clamshell container it
shipped in, with the fiber pigtail loosely coiled inside the container.
The electrical and optoelectronic circuitry on the evaluation board can be damaged
by inadvertent electrostatic discharges (ESD). Use wrist-straps, grounded work
surfaces, and anti-static techniques when operating these modules.
The units must be kept in a static-free environment/container when not in use and
when being transported.
Mounting the ITLA to the Evaluation Board
First, slide the tray with the ITLA module under the white holding clamps. Ensure that the
tray slides in straight and without excessive friction. Guide the fiber away from the clamps
to avoid damage.
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February 2015
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Connect the provided ITLA connector cable between the connector on the ITLA module
and the connector on the evaluation board.
Completing the Installation
Connect power to the evaluation board either through the DC jack, through the banana
jacks, or both, and configure the power supply select switches to the desired configuration
(see section 1 for details on power supply selection/configuration).
Connect an RS-232 cable between the serial port of a PC and the RS-232 port of the
evaluation board.
Application note PPEB200, vA
February 2015
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