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On this page
  • Launch GUI Tools & Confirm Connectivity
  • Live Imaging
  • Enable Laser Emission
  • Enable the DAQ Live Imaging mode
  • Idle
  • Disable the DAQ Live Imaging mode
  • Disable Laser Emission
  • Powering Off
  • Next Steps

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  1. Getting Started Guides
  2. Integrated Engine (Laser & DAQ)

Operating the Integrated Engine

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Last updated 2 years ago

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NOTE: The Axsun Integrated Engine will operate (in ) even if an Image_sync trigger connection is not yet established or before fiber optic connections are made.

You can follow the steps on this page to verify correct hardware & software installation and learn about the basic operational modes of your Axsun Integrated Engine by streaming unsynchronized image data consisting of only background noise, then return to the previous section later when connecting your Image_sync trigger and OCT interferometer optical fibers.

NOTE: If errors are encountered during the execution of the steps on this page, see the article for recommendations. if you are unable to overcome your error using the instructions in this Knowledge Base.

Launch GUI Tools & Confirm Connectivity

  • To operate the Integrated Engine you will be using the and the GUIs which were .

  • Insure that the device hardware is connected to the host PC and powered-on as described in the previous section.

  • Launch the Hardware Control Tool (AxsunHardwareControlTool.exe) and confirm that both Laser and DAQ devices are listed in the top left corner of the Hardware Control Tool main window (the order of the listed boards is inconsequential):

When connected successfully, the Hardware Control Tool (HWCT) will indicate a connected EDAQ (or DAQ) board with interface listed as "Ethernet" and a connected Laser Engine (or Light Source) listed with interface listed as "via DAQ". This is because the Laser Engine is communicating to the host PC over a RS-232 link between the two boards and then through the DAQ's Ethernet connection.

When connected successfully, the Hardware Control Tool (HWCT) will indicate a connected EDAQ (or DAQ) board and a connected Laser Engine (or Light Source) with both interfaces listed as "USB".

  • Launch the Image Capture Tool (AxsunImageCaptureTool.exe) and make the appropriate selection when prompted for either the Ethernet or PCIe capture interface:

  • The Image Capture Tool window will show a blank image and the selected session type will be indicated at the top of the window:

Live Imaging

Enable Laser Emission

  • Press the LASER: ON button on the Hardware Control Tool. When the laser is emitting,

    • an indicator next to the LASER: buttons will turn bright green:

    • an infrared phosphor card will show light emitted from the laser output fiber:

    • and a LED on the long edge of the Laser Engine board will illuminate:

Enable the DAQ Live Imaging mode

  • Press the EQAQ: LIVE button on the Hardware Control Tool:

  • Press the PCIeDAQ: LIVE button on the Image Capture Tool's PCIe tab:

  • If you have connected a valid Image_sync trigger, the Width (A-Scans) will correspond to the instantaneous period of incoming Image_sync trigger pulses and the Returned Image # will be counting up monotonically:

HINT: Change the frequency of your Image_sync trigger and observe how the Width (A-Scans) of the captured image changes automatically in response.

Idle

Disable the DAQ Live Imaging mode

  • Press the EDAQ: OFF button on the Hardware Control Tool.

  • Press the PCIeDAQ: OFF button on the Image Capture Tool's PCIe tab.

Disable Laser Emission

  • Press the LASER: OFF button on the Hardware Control Tool.

Powering Off

An Ethernet-connected Integrated Engine can be turned off at any time by simply unplugging the power supply cable from the AC/DC adapter.

When connected using the PCIe interface, we recommend shutting down and turning off the host PC prior to powering off the DAQ board, as PCIe devices are not "plug-and-play" and the Windows OS does not expect the DAQ device to disappear abruptly.

NOTE: If the PCIe DAQ is being used in a Thunderbolt-PCIe Expansion Chassis, the DAQ can be powered off (or unplugged at the Thunderbolt connector) without first powering off the host PC, because the Thunderbolt interface supports "plug-and-play" connectivity.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You have installed your Axsun Integrated Engine with its related Control and Capture software and successfully streamed images to your host PC in Live Imaging mode.

See the following pages for recommended further reading:

If installation errors were encountered when selecting the interface, the Image Capture Tool will provide relevant information in a pop-up dialog and then support review of previously-saved data files only (but not new data collection from a connected DAQ). See the page to overcome the errors and then try again to select the desired interface by pressing either the Ethernet or PCIe button:

The Image Capture Tool will immediately begin to update with live images and an indicator in the lower left region of the window will turn bright green to indicate Live Imaging. If you have not yet connected an Image_sync trigger, the Width (A-scans) indicator will show 256 (the default in Force Trigger mode) and an indicator in the lower left region of the window will turn bright red to indicate that is active:

Interact with other Integrated Engine operational modes such as Burst Recording as discussed in the .

Understand some background information on the DAQ's .

Integrate the software functionality of the Integrated Engine into your custom application using the and / application programming interfaces (APIs).

Learn about and to optimize your OCT image quality.

if your Integrated Engine included that optional component.

DAQ Troubleshooting
Architecture & Interfaces
AxsunOCTCapture
AxsunOCTControl
AxsunOCTControl_LW
Advanced Laser Engine Features
Advanced DAQ Features
Operate the Variable Delay Line
Force Trigger Mode
Making Connections
DAQ Troubleshooting
Contact Axsun
Hardware Control Tool
Image Capture Tool
installed in a previous section
Making Connections
Boards successfully connected via Ethernet in the HWCT.
Boards successfully connected via USB in the HWCT.
ICT indicating successful selection of the Ethernet capture interface.
ICT indicating successful selection of the PCIe capture interface.
ICT indicating neither interface successfully selected.
Live Imaging of background noise in Force Trigger mode.
Live Imaging of background noise with a valid Image_sync trigger connected.
Force Trigger mode
Ethernet/PCIe DAQ Board Reference Manual