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AOToolkit Specification
Below there is a brief description of the aimed specification for the AOToolkit components. This page will be updated regularly. We expect the first prototypes and beta versions to be running by February 2005. Feel free to contact Dr. Carl Paterson to find out more about the specifications and/or suggest requirement for the toolkit components.
Bimorph mirrors
As part of the AOtoolkit some bimorph mirror configurations will be offered for different types of applications. We will also be able to design and manufacture configurations to suit particular applications.
Surface of a bimorph mirror reconstructed by a Zygo interferometer (4
actuators on).
The specification of the bimorph mirrors will vary, depending on the application and/or customer requirements. Two possible specification are given below.
| Number of actuators | 45 | 45 |
| Bandwidth | 1.5 KHz | 4.5 KHz |
Maximum spherical stroke |
+/- 35 um | +/- 12 um |
Maximum active diameter |
40 mm | 25 mm |
| Element capacitance | 3 nF | 3 nF |
| Maximum element drive DC voltage | +/- 300 V | +/- 300 V |
Wavefront corrector drivers
If bimorph or membrane mirrors are to be used as part of the AOToolkit, then drivers to convert the low voltage outputs from the control unit to the required analog high voltages required to drive the mirrors. Two specifications will be provided, a high-spec one, with a larger output voltages and low-cost one.
| Number of channels | 80 |
| Maximum slew rate | 1 V/us |
| Maximum settling time | 20 us |
| Voltage out | +/- 150 V (low-spec) and +/- 400 V (high-spec) |
| Current out | 0.03 A (low-spec) and 1 A (high-spec) |
| Power in | Universal, 240 V AC / 110 V AC 50Hz / 60 Hz |
Wavefront sensor
The primary wavefront sensor of the AOToolkit will be a Shack-Hartmann. A curvature sensor could be a second option, but this has not been decided yet. The Shack-Hartmann sensor will have different detector options (using the CameraLink standard) for different sensitivity/speed requirements, with an approximate number of 200 subapertures and 1000 frames per second.
Control Unit
The core of the AO toolkit is the control unit, which will be a stand-alone system containing the electronics to read and process data from the wavefront sensor and calculate the signals to send to the wavefront corrector.
The control unit can be connected via USB 2.0 to a PC for monitoring
the AO system performance (i.e. wavefront sensor input signals, mirror
signals), to modify control parameters and to record data if desired.