Hewlett Packard (HP) Interferometer Measurement System-Hobbyist's Special 1,2,3

Description: PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION IN ITS ENTIRETY! These are basic interferometer-based DISPLACEMENT measurement systems using an HP/Agilent 5517 laser, interferometer optics, optical receiver(s), and the Micro Meausrement Display 2 (µMD2) providing digital readout with a resolution of better than 0.0001 mm or 0.000004 inches. Note that they are NOT rangefinders and must be zeroed to a reference to then measure displacement, which is the CHANGE in position. For complete educational setups useful for introducing the concepts of heterodyne interferometers (rather than for an actual application), check out listing: 304057636078. It will have essentially everything in the single axis system here, plus opto-mechanical parts including, mounts for the laser, interferometer, and optics, as well as a linear stage and rail, all on an optical breadboard making them easily reconfigurable for various types of interferometers. And some of the experiments will demonstrate how sensitive these interferometers are to physical and environmental effects. Where a particular configuration is out of stock, it may mean some specific parts are on order or I've simply not updated the quantities, so contact me. Similarly, if there is something you want but isn't listed, custom configurations may be available. 5501Bs are no longer included as a standard selection, though a 5501B may be available if for some reason that's what you really want. There may also be higher power lasers available at extra cost (400-700 µW or more). However, this is NOT a turnkey system - some assembly is definitely required! If what you expect is a fully packaged polished system, then you will have to spend $$$$ for a commercial solution. They typically start at around $20,000, but won't be fundamentally better for anything you are likely to care about. Assembly will entail circuit board soldering, construction of cables, precise stable mounting and alignment of the laser, optical receiver(s), interferometer(s), and remote reflector(s), and installation of the various subsystems in suitable enclosures. The buyer will need to provide wire and heat-shrink tubing or other insulation for the cables, and is also expected to have a functioning brain available. Since the latter seem to be in short supply these days, please confirm with your body ahead of time. ;-) In addition to the laser, the single axis system includes a laser head connector, 10780 optical receiver, Interferometer with remote reflector, power supplies for the laser and 10780 optical receiver, and the SG-µMD2 USB measurement display kit. Additional electronic parts, as well as the Windows application and firmware will be included, so only wire, solder, and a bit of basic electronics experience should be sufficient to be able to complete the system successfully. Wiring information to build cables as well as a manual with detailed "Heathkit™-style" step-by-step assembly instructions for the measurement display PCB will also be provided. However, this is NOT a turnkey system - some assembly is definitely required! Two and three axis systems include additional interferometer optics, remote reflectors, optical receivers, and the required HP/Agilent 10700A or 10701A beam splitters. If a single axis system with high power laser is ordered initially, it may be upgraded to a 2 or 3 axis system (pending availability) for the difference in cost within 60 days of delivery. All systems may be ordered without the interferometer optics if you already have some, or if you're willing to search on eBay or elsewhere for bargains. ;-) The laser head (transducer) is fully functional and will result in a resolution and accuracy similar to that of a new $10,000 laser. But it may NOT MEET HP/Agilent specifications for any standard 5517 laser model. So, this is NOT a cheapo way of repairing the $100,000,000.00 wafer Fab you picked up on eBay for $1.98+shipping! However, it is guaranteed to lock normally and produce a stable beam with clean REF and MEAS signals, and has been tested fully by Laser Sam of Sam's Laser FAQ (Google will find it) in a monitored interferometer setup for a minimum of 8 hours. And the accuracy and stability of measurements will be similar to that of full-spec lasers. The output power is at least 175 µW for the "Standard" laser provided with the single axis system and 275 µW for the "High Power" laser provided with the two and three axis systems. The laser in the low cost systems has an output power of at least 120 µW, which is plenty for a single axis. "Ultra-High Power" lasers are also available with up to more than 600 µW if you'd like bragging rights for having more power than your local Fab. ;-) Inquire for details. REF for most of these lasers ranges from 1.3 to 1.8 MHz. At 1.3 MHz, the maximum slew rate for using a Plane Mirror Interferometer is around 0.15 meters per second. Other lasers with a higher REF as well as those that fully meet spec may be available at additional cost. Inquire with your heart's desires. ;-) The default beam diameter is between 4 and 6 mm. However, even the 6 mm beam may have a Gaussian profile, not the cut off profile of full spec laser. This is generally of no consequence. To reiterate, the lasers in these kits DO NOT meet specs for any standard 5517 laser. This is done deliberately to prevent their use in a commercial application. Even though the output power may be acceptable, the REF frequency is out of range and/or the beam size and profile may be non-standard. So just buying these kits because the laser can be obtained relatively inexpensively is not viable. They are fine for hobbyist/experimenter/educational/research use and still have hundreds to thousands of hours of life remaining but will fail in a commercial Tool. Just power the laser on only when you will actually be using the system and they should last as long as you will care about this stuff. Except for the most demanding measurements, the accuracy will be just as good as soon as READY comes on solid. And entering the environmental conditions into the µMD2 GUI - temperature (1 ppm per change of 1 degree C), pressure (1 ppm per change of 2.5 mm/Hg), humidity (1 ppm per 30% change) - is orders of magnitude more significant than any errors due to the laser. Got it? Laser case styles vary but are all the same size and shape as in the photos. You can request a specific style of HP cover (as long as it's gray or dark brown) or an ugly and possibly abused Agilent silver/gold shroud pending availability. Functionally it doesn't matter. The HP covers tend to be in better cosmetic condition though. But please don't ask for photos so you can sneak this into a $100,000,000.00 ASML stepper! :) And please don't complain if the laser you receive has a nice HP cover instead of a beat up Agilent shroud. After you have accepted the system, the laser can be painted your choice of decorator colors. ;-) IMPORTANT: As with all lasers of this type, life expectancy cannot be predicted with certainty but there is no reason to expect the laser to fail quickly. However, since the laser does NOT meet HP/Agilent specifications, this system should NOT be used in a production environment or run 24/7. This would be asking for trouble. But it would be great for research, education, experimentation, or as an inexpensive entry into laser metrology and should be just as accurate as a system costing 20 times as much. And it would also permit an interferometer to be constructed at relatively low cost, with an upgrade to a laser that fully meets HP/Agilent specs once everything works and the benefits of using light as a yardstick (or nanometer stick) are appreciated. :-) However, to reiterate, this mostly applies to the REF frequency which impacts the maximum slew rate. Accuracy with the hobbyist lasers will be exactly the same as with full spec lasers. Note: Some laser heads may be missing the shutter wheel/aperture turret on the front, but a piece of paper with a 1 mm hole will serve the same purpose. (For HP/Agilent/Keysight 5517 lasers that fully meet - or usually way exceed - specifications, please see my other listings. Most are $$$ though.) The optical receivers may be 10780A/B/C or 10780F/U, or the equivalent Excel models. All these are functionally equivalent for the REF/MEAS frequencies of these lasers. But the 10780F/U lack a focusing lens and polarizer. There should be more than enough power here without a focusing lens; a polarizer will be included where needed. Also note that they are often missing one or more of the black plastic insulators on the sides since they seem to vanish more often than not, but plastic screws and washers can easily substitute for them. A limited number of short optical fibers and couplers are available which may be useful when it is inconvenient or impossible to mount the optical receiver in the return beam. These attach to the 10702A or 10706A interferometer cube and include a lens and polarizer. They are used with the 10780F/U optical receiver (which would be substituted for the free-space 10780A/B/C). Inquire if interested. The Interferometer optics are in excellent to mint condition. The HP Linear Interferometer may be used with the remote retro-reflector. Interferometers that include a Quarter WavePlate (HP 10722A or equivalent) may be configured as a Plane Mirror Interferometer (PMI). For these, a planar mirror is included which may be attached to a cheesy but satisfactory adjustable mount. Note that the interferometers may be from HP, Agilent, Keysight, Excel, or Zygo - or a combination for multi-axis systems. They are all physically and functionally equivalent. But should you care, I may be able to accommodate your wishes. ;-) To recap, each of the kits includes a fully functional 5517 laser and parts to construct the SG-µMD2 Measurement Display PCB. The specific type and quantity of the interferometers and optical receivers depend on the number of axes (and "none" is an option if you provide your own): Low Cost Single Axis System: Lower power 5517 laser, one (1) Interferometer with remote reflector, and one (1) 10780 Optical receiver. NOT recommended for overseas buyers because of reliability issues with the laser. In fact, I will probably be discontinueing this option entirely soon. Single Axis System: Standard 5517 laser, one (1) Interferometer with remote reflector, and one (1) 10780 Optical receiver. Two Axis System: High Power 5517 laser , one (1) beam splitter, two (2) Interferometers with remote reflectors, and two (2) 10780 optical receivers. You may request a 9 mm beam if the maximum path length will be more than a few meters.Three Axis System: High Power 5517 laser, two (2) beam splitters, three (3) Interferometers with remote reflectors, and three (3) 10780 optical receivers. IMPORTANT: Due to laser/parts availability, the following paragraph has changed slightly: Except for the Low Cost Single Axis System, the laser will have a beam between 4 and 6 mm in diameter, which will work equally well with any of the interferometer optics offered in this listing over a distance of up to at least 2 meters. However, if your maximum distance from the laser to the moving retroreflector or mirror will be more than that, you may request a 9 mm beam at no extra charge pending availability. And if you intend to use a standard Single Beam Interferometer on any of the axes, then the beam diameter should between 4 and 7 mm. Just let me know at the time of purchase if there is a preference and I will attempt to accommodate it. Most lasers with the Low Cost Single Axis Systems have a 4-5 mm beam, but that should be fine over a distance of at least 2 meters. For short working distances and/or where space is tight, a 1 mm beam may be requested free of charge for any of the systems. A 1 mm beam should work up at up to 0.5 m (1 m total path length on any axis). Confused yet? Just ask! ;-) Each of the interferometers may be:None: No interferometer optics or remote reflector are included.Linear Interferometer (LI): 10702A or 10706A cube, 10703A retroreflector, and one (1) generic unmounted 1 inch retro-reflector (cube corner trihedral prism). Basic Plane Mirror Interferometer (PMI): 10702A or 10706A, 10703A, 10722A or equivalent, one (1) generic unmounted 1 inch retro-reflector (cube corner trihedral prism), and one (1) 3/4x3/4 inch planar mirror on simple adjustable mount.Complete HP/Agilent Plane Mirror Interferometer (PMI): 10702A or 10706A with 2x10703A and 10722A (which comprise a standard 10706A PMI), and one (1) 3/4x3/4 inch planar mirror on simple adjustable mount.In addition, the following options are available for the interferometers but you must request them as they are not included in the standard variations: Single Beam Interferometer (SBI): A 10705A (or equivalent Zygo or Excel) Single Beam Interferometer (SBI) may be substituted for the Basic PMI at the same cost. It will include the 10705A cube with QWPs, 10704A retro-reflector, and a generic unmounted 1/2 inch cube corner trihedral prism to be used as a remote reflector. The SBI is useful where space is tight. The Complete HP/Agilent PMI is easiest to set up where the maximum distance from the interferometer to the moving mirror or retroreflector may be more than 0.5 meter. However, if the generic CC is used for the reference arm ONLY of the interferometer (either LI or PMI) attaching the generic CC to the 10702/6A in place of the 10703A using hot melt glue, 5 Minute Epoxy, or rubber bands ;-) should also be satisfactory for long distance measurements. Also, with a bit of creativity, a Single Beam Interferometer and its mating 10704A retro-reflector can be configured as a mini-PMI over short distances using a laser with a narrow beam. Inquire about any of these options and I will create a Special variation. The SG-µMD1 kit that has been shipped with these kits in the past is no longer available. It has been replaced by the SG-µMD2 kit. Both use a custom PCB and assembly will be required. But the good news is that it's all just installing parts and soldering with testing along the way, and all parts are through-hole. So for anyone with decent soldering skills, it should be no biggie. Heathkit™-style step-by-step assembly instructions are provided. ;-) Photos above show the pile of parts and a typical assembled PCB in the interferometer diagram. Allocate a couple hours to do the assembly. It looks worse than it is. The assembly isn't that bad if you are used to fine soldering, or know someone who is, really. ;-) And assembly of the SG-µMD2 is simpler than for either the original ChipKit DP32 or SG-µMD1. The soldering for the minimal version of the single axis SG-µMD2 is literally just a 28 pin socket and approximately a dozen other small parts. The only downside of SG-µMD2 is that it doesn't support sub-wavelength interpolation. However, (1) the native resolution of SG-µMD2 is twice that of SG-µMD1 (1/2 the basic increment) so interpolation is less important and (2) averaging in the GUI can provide similar performance for slowly varying displacements. If your total displacement is under around 50 nm and the zero location can be set, the interpolation firmware that exists now will work for one axis. Use at your own risk. If SG-µMD2 does eventually have real interpolation, it will be a free firmware upgrade. But my brain had been overheating and shutting down lately thinking about the interpolation so there will be some delay. :( :) The Micro Measurement Display (µMD) provides most of the functions of a commercial system like the HP-5508A and more. A PC with a USB port running Windows XP or later and .NET 4.0 or later is required for the custom µMD application. The PC is NOT included but most systems (desktops, laptops, or netbooks) more recent than the Jurassic period should be satisfactory. :) So dust off that old laptop and put it to good use! Sorry, µMD does not run on a phone - yet! (However, data may be streamed in real-time wirelessly to an Android device using additional hardware and firmware, NOT INCLUDED.) The Graphical User Interface (µMD GUI) provides real-time displacement and velocity measurements using the included interferometer optics, as well as optional frequency analysis of the displacement data. µMD also supports straightness and angle measurements with appropriate optics and allows for their parameters to be entered if not standard. Environmental compensation parameters (temperature, pressure, humidity) may be entered manually. Up to three measurement axes are supported. See the screenshots for examples of the typical display. The two of them show the actual plot using µMD1 of a PZT driven with a triangle wave over a displacement of less than 60 nm and 10 nm, respectively (with interpolation, which may be available eventually for µMD2). Another shows the typical displacement/frequency (FFT) display. Other features include continuous monitoring of REF, MEAS, and DIFF frequencies; logging so that data can be exported to a data analysis application like Matlab or Excel; and Test Mode which has it's own function generator for simulated data which can be displayed and processed just like real data for verifying behavior or just checking out operation. There is much more information at "Micro Measurement Display 2". Google will find it. eBay is anal about off-site links. With the Plane Mirror Interferometer, the basic resolution using µMD2 is under 80 nm for displacement. When interpolation is available (or with GUI averaging of slowly varying displacement), it will easily display changes of 1 or 2 nm. For reference, 1 nm is about the width of 8 hydrogen atoms sitting side-by-side minding their own business. ;-) Using the basic configuration, above, it is possible to tap on my computer table two floors up at the other end of the house from the laser/interferometer and get a readily detectable response on µMD1 (via Windows Remote Desktop). However, your mileage may vary. The interferometer configuration could be modified or enhanced to demonstrate the principles of LIGO or to create a really sensitive earthquake detector or monitor the street traffic three blocks away. The advantage of µMD2 is that it supports REF frequencies up to beyond 20 MHz and thus should be usable with Zygo 7701/2 lasers (though none are offered in this listing). More relevant as noted is that the PCB assembly is also much simpler. The disadvantage is that there is no interpolation so the resolution is only ~80 nm with a Plane Mirror Interferometer for rapidly changing displacement. For slowly varying displacement, averaging in the GUI can significantly improve the resolution. But if you really want µMD1, contact me. In addition to the option with PCB and DigiKey Cart at eBay listing 303980234586, there may be one or two assembled SG-µMD1 PCBs available. If you get or buy an SG-µMD2 kit and interpolation becomes available, it will be a free firmware upgrade. The µMD development team is working overtime to complete interpolation with only minimal bugs, but it may still be awhile as their idea of overtime is quite limited. Additional components including various other HP/Agilent optics may also be available including HP/Agilent 10707 "Beam Benders" at $50 each. Alternatively, a configuration using another laser might be more appropriate for your needs. Contact me for possibilities. This laser comes with a 60 day warranty (see terms below). However, I will also provide a "Thesis Duration Warranty" free of charge. This means that if you are doing research for a degree and the laser is turned off when not actually being used for more than a few hours, I will guarantee that it will last the duration of your dissertation work as long as you aren't one of those perpetual students w ho never really intends to graduate. :) This will also apply to startup or incubator/maker space projects. In addition, I will be happy to provide lifetime email (or even possibly Zoom) tech support for the laser, interferometer, and/or where possible, your research. "Lifetime" is defined as yours or mine or however long you retain an interest in this stuff, not to exceed the future life of the Universe. ;-) The handling time is listed as 5 days because sometimes people want other items which I may need to order. eBay seems to be anal about this even if buyers never complain. But normally, shipping will be within 1 or 2 days at most. International shipping using the eBay Global Shipping Program (preferred), USPS, or your FedEx account only. (For FedEx, contact me before buying so I can enable it. Then there will only be a $25 handling fee.) Returns will only be accepted if EVERYTHING is in the original condition. For the SG-µMD2 PCB this means it has NOT been touched with a soldering iron. The cost of a µMD2 will be deducted from any refund if they have been soldered and require rework or must be scrapped. Please understand that testing and correcting PCB assembly errors (if even possible) takes time and may require replacing parts. There may also be a retesting fee for the laser. If in doubt about your ability and determination to complete the assembly successfully, ask lots of questions before buying and/or have someone else construct this kit or at least assist you. Thanks for looking! :) --- sam

Price: 825 USD

Location: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2023-08-27T03:13:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10 USD