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Connecting to MMF101/MMF102 by Thorlabs in Python

Instrument Card

These Two-Position, High-Speed Flip Mounts flip lenses, filters, and other optical components into and out of a free-space beam. As shown by the image below, up to two optic mounts can be attached to the same flipper unit, allowing the user to alternate between optics. The flip action can be controlled in four ways: by the button on the top of the unit, via the included remote handset, via the external SMA connectors, or via a PC running the included software (see the Motion Control Software, Kinesis Tutorials, and APT Tutorials tabs for more information). The flipper position rotates 90° clockwise or counterclockwise when it is toggled and may be toggled either by an absolute signal level (i.e., low and high control voltages correspond to specific flipper positions) or by an edge (i.e., a change in the control voltage level causes the flipper to rotate). The unit has magnetic limit switches at both positions to identify which position the flipper is in.

MMF101/MMF102

Device Specification: here

Manufacturer card: THORLABS

THORLABS

Thorlabs, Inc. is an American privately held optical equipment company headquartered in Newton, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1989 by Alex Cable, who serves as its current president and CEO. As of 2018, Thorlabs has annual sales of approximately $500 million.

  • Headquarters: USA
  • Yearly Revenue (millions, USD): 550
  • Vendor Website: here

Demo: Send commands to a Polulu stepper motor driver

Connect to the MMF101/MMF102 in Python

PROTOCOLS > SCPI

To connect to a Thorlabs MFF101 or MFF102 mirror flipper using Qcodes Community, you can use the following Python script:

from qcodes import Station
from qcodes.instrument_drivers.Thorlabs import Thorlabs_APT
from qcodes.instrument_drivers.Thorlabs.MFF10x import Thorlabs_MFF10x


# Create a Thorlabs APT server
apt = Thorlabs_APT()


# Connect to the mirror flipper
mff = Thorlabs_MFF10x('mff', device_id=1, apt=apt)


# Create a station and add the mirror flipper
station = Station()
station.add_component(mff)


# Connect to the mirror flipper
mff.connect()


# Now you can use the mirror flipper
print(mff.position())


# Disconnect from the mirror flipper
mff.disconnect()

This script creates a Thorlabs APT server and connects to the mirror flipper using the Thorlabs_MFF10x instrument driver. It then adds the mirror flipper to a station and connects to it. Finally, it retrieves the current position of the mirror flipper and disconnects from it.

Note: Make sure you have the necessary dependencies installed, such as qcodes and the Thorlabs APT software.