Help Needed: LPM Response Acceleration

In the last couple years, we've had a few different slow-reponse LPM's enter the market here at LPF. On this list, in order of appearance, are the Radiant Alpha, the LaserBee 2.5W USB, the LaserBee A, and the ARGMeter TEC version. I may have left out one or two, but those are the major players.

Looking at power graphs from these LPM's has always bothered me - because a really nice power graph is hiding in the data, it just needs to be extracted. Because both my hobby and academic research interests lie in the field of turning data into information, I want to try to see if I can do this and add it into Peregrine as a feature.

So... I need data!

I can't use datasets from the Radiant Alpha or the LaserBee A, because they don't have datalogging as a stock feature. I also can't use a dataset from the ARGMeter TEC variant because the sampling rate is too slow. Which leaves us with the LaserBee 2.5W USB being the only choice.

So, for those of you with LaserBee 2.5W LPM's who are interested in helping, here's what I need:

1. Download Peregrine. EagleEye unfortunately can't be used because it does not retain all the data when logging to a file.
2. Open Peregrine and connect to your LPM.
3. Start a new test via dropping down the "Measurement" menu and selecting "New."
4. Name the test based on the laser you are metering and press "Start."
5. Point the laser at the sensor!
6. When the test completes, drop down the "File" menu, hover your mouse over "Export," and select "Dataset."
7. Name the set and upload it then post a link here or PM it to me.

To get a good sample size and thus create a good formula, a variety of laser tests will be needed - 200mW reds, 2W blues, and unstable 500mW+ green DPSS lasers are both welcome and necessary.

Thanks everybody!

Trevor

Actually, the one ARGMeter TEC version in existence samples at 60Hz, it had a different LCD that could support the faster updates without flicker

I'll send you some data from the other TEC based LPM's I have on hand at the moment. What kind of a sampling rate do you need for the data to be useable?

ARGLaser said:

Actually, the one ARGMeter TEC version in existence samples at 60Hz, it had a different LCD that could support the faster updates without flicker

I'll send you some data from the other TEC based LPM's I have on hand at the moment. What kind of a sampling rate do you need for the data to be useable?

Click to expand...

Zoops, my bad. Fastest sampling rate possible.

Trevor

:bumpit: 3.7W USB should work as well.

I'm also interested in the data here.

Trevor said:

So, for those of you with LaserBee 2.5W LPM's who are interested in helping, here's what I need:

1. Download Peregrine. EagleEye unfortunately can't be used because it does not retain all the data when logging to a file.

Thanks everybody!

Trevor

Click to expand...

Which of your orifices are you pulling this false declaration
out of....:thinking:

EagleEye data logs and retains ALL the data collected during
a recorded test session.
Perhaps you are not using your used LaserBee 2.5W USB
correctly with EagleEye.

Or perhaps this is just a ploy to get others to use your
Windows software with our products...

Either way try to make an effort not to give out false info
to our customers about our products....:beer:

Good luck with this project just the same...


Jerry

That would just be terrible if someone used other free software with their hardware.

I just tested it out, Peregrine records the time interval with more significant figures than the LB software and the LB software appears to round to the nearest even number.
For this timing specific application Peregrine must be used.

So, Trevor is right. The LB software does not retain all the data; data is lost in the timing

LB:


Peregrine


Also, I think I found one of your crashing issues with EagleEye Jerry, I tried to export a graph with only 20s of data on it and it crashed.

lasersbee said:

Or perhaps this is just a ploy to get others to use your
Windows software with our products...

Click to expand...

With what purpose? The software is Open Source, I really see no motivation for him to try and get people to use Peregrine over Eagle Eye since he's not selling it.
Besides, he is only asking them to do this for one test.


Edit: Also, what is the point of the mA data being recorded with your software? I assume there's a purpose for it since it's there.

lasersbee said:

Which of your orifices are you pulling this false declaration
out of....:thinking:

EagleEye data logs and retains ALL the data collected during
a recorded test session.
Perhaps you are not using your used LaserBee 2.5W USB
correctly with EagleEye.

Click to expand...

I have in my possession a few datalogs from a LaserBee 2.5W USB when I was originally exploring the idea of increasing response time with PC-side software. None of them have a resolution finer than one second. That is the last time I checked, and as far as I know, EagleEye has not been updated since then because there is no publicly available changelog, or even a download page for users to get new versions with fixed bugs and new features.

A 1" resolution is FAR too wide to make a project like this viable. That's why I mentioned it in the OP - I didn't want somebody to make a bunch of datalogs for me using EagleEye only to have me not be able to use them.

At any rate, ARG is correct - in addition to the problem I thought existed, EagleEye also throws too much time data away. Accurate timing is absolutely critical for this project. EagleEye logs don't even distinguish between two entries that came in less than 100ms apart... that's hugely problematic and would make it impossible to come up with a formula with any semblance of scientific rigor.

That's why I wrote Peregrine to record readings with times noted to the millisecond; it allows accurate graphing and other analysis in other programs (like Excel) and makes projects like this possible.

You're welcome to update EagleEye and I'll update the OP to include it as a viable option to contribute data!

Trevor

wonder if Pman could use then Tec LPM I sold him with the ARG data logging add-on?

awillis2589 said:

wonder if Pman could use then Tec LPM I sold him with the ARG data logging add-on?

Click to expand...

Yup, I would have to increase the sampling speed on his add-on though