Environmental Requirements

Operating and Storage Conditions

Environmental Requirement	Operating	Storage
Ambient Temperature	+10 to +35ºC	-20 to +70ºC
Relative Humidity (non-condensing)	10 to 90%	10 to 95%
Atmospheric Pressure	82 to 103 kPa	70 to 106 kPa

NOTE: Ambient operating temperatures higher than 35ºC are acceptable for Small Form Factor and Standard OEM Engine configurations if the Engine baseplate temperature is maintained below 45ºC.

Thermal Management of OEM Engines

In situations where an OEM Engine is contained in an environment hotter than 35ºC, such as an enclosed space with other heat sources, Axsun recommends considering thermal management approaches including:

• Mounting the Engine baseplate to a cooler thermal reservoir and enhancing conduction with a SIL-PAD or thermal compound.

• Mounting fin heat sinks to the Engine baseplate and orienting it to encourage passive convective airflow, or using fans to actively cool it.

Even in room-temperature or laboratory environments, it is important not to thermally isolate the Engine baseplate by placing it directly on an insulating surface such as Styrofoam or wood. Recommended approaches include placing the Engine on the metallic surface of an optical table, or otherwise propping it up off an insulating surface (e.g. table, counter, desk) to encourage passive airflow under the baseplate.

If the Engine baseplate temperature becomes too hot, the laser module temperature can no longer be maintained by its integrated thermoelectric cooler (TEC) and the Engine firmware will automatically stop laser emission and transition to a 'TEC Error' state.

Unfortunately Axsun cannot identify a priori when specific thermal management solutions are necessary to maintain the OEM Engine's baseplate temperature below 45ºC, since each user's system approach has different characteristics such as on/off duty cycle, other heat sources, spatial and airflow constraints, operating environment, etc. Experimentally characterizing system temperatures is encouraged as an early exercise in any system design effort.

Spatial Orientation, Mounting, and Clearance

Benchtop Enclosure

Axsun Laser Engines in the Benchtop Enclosure configuration are designed to be operated upright with the enclosure's rubber standoffs placed firmly on a flat surface, providing an opportunity for airflow under the enclosure.

Access to the front and back of the Benchtop Enclosure is required for cabling connections.

OEM Configurations

Standard OEM, Small Form Factor OEM, and Integrated Engine configurations can be installed in an arbitrary orientation with respect to gravity; there is no preferred orientation.

2D drawings for each OEM configuration on the Dimensions page indicate the locations of four 8-32 tapped holes on the Engine baseplate which are intended for rigid mounting. Bolts must engage the baseplate by no more than 1/4".

Insure adequate clearance for electrical cables and optical fibers exiting the Engine. Be especially mindful of the minimum bend radius of single-mode optical fiber.