externally trigger hr2000+ spectrometer with dg535 delay generator

[MichaelHadrien]

Hello all,

I have three Ocean Optics HR2000+ spectrometers, an Ultra 100 laser, and a Stanford Research Systems DG535 delay generator. I'm using the delay generator to trigger the laser, shortly followed by the 3 spectrometers (all 3 simultaneously).

I've managed to get this procedure working in SpectraSuite and tried to replicate it in LabView using the HR2000+ LabView drivers. The spectrometers have individually worked in normal and external trigger mode in LabView, but as soon as I try to fire and sync all 3 spectrometers using the delay generator, LabView staggers their waveform acquisitions to happen one at a time. This defeats the purpose of the delay generator.

I tried using a flat sequence structure to make sure the integration times and triggering modes have executed before the waveform acquisitions begin with no success.

The attachment shows my code before I had a flat sequence frame between the trigger and waveform acquisition functions.

The delay generator has been controlled both manually and through LabView as well. I'm using a Win 7 machine.

Thank you for any help!

Sincerely,

Mike

[MichaelHadrien]

Initially I suspected this was a problem with the USB ports, but the spectrometer synchornization works in SpectraSuite. I'm hoping the same is the case with LabView..will I need to buy extra hardware? In my Google searches I keep bumping into DAQ devices to make this all work. There must be some other software based way without introducing another piece of hardware into the system.

[REDS]

Hi Michael,

What is the example code(s) from the HR2000+ LabVIEW drivers that you are basing from to come up with the VI you have implemented? I think the problem here is to come up with a VI that acquires continuously multiple channels simultaneously. We are achieving everything but the simultaneous part, right?

[MichaelHadrien]

Hi Daniel,

Attached is the driver I used.

My code looks more like the Acquire Multiple Waveform VI under the Example folder.

Are you suggesting I do something similar to the Acquire Continuous Waveform VI?

Everything works up until the simultaneous part, and it also works one spectrometer at a time.

Thanks!

--Mike

[MichaelHadrien]

This is the stripped down version of the code I'm using.

This one has a while loop in there, but previously I've had time sequence frames around the trigger and a separate one around read_spectra -> waveform parts.

[Brandon8806]

I was wondering if you got this to work properly. I am working on something similar but I am very new to LabView and not sure how to code it. I would appreciate if you could show what sub Vi you used to get the standford dg535 trigger to work.

[shrupa123]

This is a pretty old thread. I recommend making a new thread so that it has more exposure and is more likely to get a reply.

Regards,

Shreyas

[HariTejas]

Hi Daniel,

I am new to labview.

I am trying to implement a similar task, but with 16 HR-4000 spectrometers, and have come up with a similar vi like Michael's (specs_with_trig.vi) by following examples from the ocean Optics' drivers.

The problem is synchronization, I observe that labview activates and sets each spectrometer in turn, before reaching the while loop. After reaching the while loop all the executions happen in turn. Is there a way to make all of them work together in sync. Has there been some solution to this in the past few years.

Thanks

-Hari