ICE - THE POWER OF ETHERNET CONTROL
Although we live in the age of the Internet and the
World Wide Web, the impact of Internet Protocol communication
technologies such as Ethernet on laser and optoelectronics
instrumentation is still to be felt. Photonics control systems such
as laser controllers, ATE systems, or data loggers often remain
even today single-use designs dedicated to a single
application.
These dedicated designs typically require a redesign or even a
fresh start (adding significant product development time and cost)
when the systems they control are changed. Incredibly these systems
commonly use RS232, USB or venerable GPIB connections for remote or
system control. Such antique communication protocols limit speed
and functionality such that devices can only communicate with each
other via dedicated software running on a control computer and
control is predominantly one way: from the computer to the
device.
The performance and reliability of laser and photonics systems
depend on the performance and reliability of the electronics that
underpin them. Recognizing that a next-generation approach was
needed, M Squared has developed a range of compact rack mount or
standalone ICE-BLOC® photonic controllers. The range includes diode
drivers, temperature controllers, photodiode monitors,
data-loggers, and actuator drivers.
The core of the ICE-BLOC concept is modularity and
'Instrument Control by Ethernet' (ICE). As the name suggests, all
ICE-BLOC modules are controlled, and communicate with each other,
entirely via a super-fast Ethernet connection. ICE-BLOC modules can
be controlled, monitored, or diagnosed from across the room or from
an Internet-linked computer halfway around the world.
Ethernet control offers significant advantages over
RS232, USB or GPIB, including: ease of use, speed, distance,
peer-to-peer communication, lower cost, security, easy expansion,
and reliability. Intuitive user friendliness is assured by
standardized connections and a standard Internet browser as the
user interface. All with no need to install dedicated
software drivers on the control computer. Ethernet is also
inherently much faster than older protocols (up to 100Mb/s or about
one thousand times faster than RS232).
Ethernet is not only fast, but it also beats its
rivals for distance, providing direct connections of up to 100m,
and essentially no range limit with Internet Protocol (IP). In
stark contrast, USB is limited to 5m between repeaters. Ethernet
with IP is also intrinsically peer-to-peer, allowing a simple
connection from any device in a network or system to any other
device simultaneously. This is particularly useful for system
building: no single ICE-BLOC module need be singled out as a master
commander.