The commands described below have been developed as a custom set, as no device in the SCPI standard is an exact analogue.

Please note that not every command described in the following sections applies to every MX & MBX series, TLX1, & TLX2 Item #. In order for a command to apply to a specific instrument, the instrument must have the related built-in component. For example, the Laser Control Commands do not apply to instruments that do not include an internal tunable laser. The following table lists the commands supported by each instrument.

Section 2.2 Section 2.3

Section 2.4

Section 2.5

Section 2.6

Item #

RF Amplifier Commands

Laser Control Commands

Mach-Zehnder Modular Bias Control
Commands

System Commands

Variable Optical Attenuator Commands

MBX2,

MBX3

–

–

MBX

MXxxA

–

MXxxB

MXxxC

–

MXxxD,

MXxxE

MXxxG

–

TLX1, TLX2

–

–

Figure 6 The Available Command Set for Each Instrument Corresponds to its Built-In Functionality

Valid commands will return a value of 1 on receipt. Valid queries return a value/string as noted in the query descriptions in Sections 0 through 2.6. The following table lists possible return values for exception handling.

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2.1 Command Return Codes

Return Value 1 Values without “Err:” indicator string Err: Feature not present
Err: Parameter error Err: Illegal parameter value Err: Data out of range Err: Numeric data error Err: Data type error Err: Storage fault Err: System error
Err: Execution error Err: Undefined header Err: Tunable laser not selected Err: Laser is locked Err: This command requires bootloader >= 1.7.4

Return Explanation Response to a valid command Response to a valid query
Issued a command to an instrument that does not have the built-in hardware. See Figure 6 for command compatibility. System application firmware < V1.9.5 reports as Err: Hardware missing Issued a command with a parameter value that is outside of the acceptable range. Refer to the command description for acceptable value ranges. Issued a command with a parameter value that is outside of the range supported by this device. Issued a command with a data value that is outside of the acceptable range. Refer to the command description for acceptable value ranges. Issued a command with a numeric data value that is outside of the acceptable range. Refer to the command description for acceptable value ranges. Issued a command with the incorrect data type. Refer to the command description for acceptable data types. An error occurred accessing the internal EEPROM. Could not continue to execute the command. The system encountered an internal error while processing the command. Could not continue to execute the command. An error occurred attempting to execute the given command. Check that unit is powered on and in run mode. Issued an invalid command or a command with invalid formatting or a command not recognized by the current system application firmware. Issued a command pertaining to a tunable laser while the fixed wavelength laser is active. Applies to dual-band instruments only. Issued a command to access the laser and the laser is locked by the Interlock mechanism. Issued a command that is only supported in bootloader code version 1.7.4.
Figure 7 Return Values and Explanations

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2.2 RF Amplifier Commands
The MX series of instruments include several that have a built-in RF amplifier, and the following commands apply only to these instruments. The amplifier type is digital (limiting) in some of these products, such as the MXxxA, MXxxB, MXxxC. In other products, such as the MXxxD and MXxxE, the amplifier type is linear (analog). Only digital RF amplifiers have crossing point and swing settings, and only these RF amplifiers can operate in either analog or digital modes. In contrast, the gain may be set only for linear RF amplifiers. Unless otherwise noted, the following RF Amplifier commands apply to both amplifier types.

Command Set Crossing Point (Analog Mode)
Get Crossing Point (Analog Mode)
Set Crossing Point (Digital Mode)
Get Crossing Point (Digital Mode)
Set Gain
Get Gain
Set Amplifier Mode to Analog

Syntax AMP:CROSSing:ANAlog: N
AMP:CROSSing:ANAlog? AMP:CROSSing:DIGital: N AMP:CROSSing: DIGital?
AMP:GAIN: N AMP:GAIN? AMP:MODE: 1

Description
N is a floating-point value between -1.0 and 1.0, inclusive. This parameter applies to the digital amplifier operating in analog mode and determines the location of the crossing point. N has no units; -1.0 corresponds to the maximum possible negative offset, and 1.0 corresponds to the maximum possible positive offset. The available range, which depends on the amplifier’s voltage limits and the current AMP:SWING setting, may be smaller than this full 1.0 to 1.0 range. When this is the case, N values within ±1.0 but exceeding the currently available range will set the crossing point to the closest permitted value. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.
Returns a floating-point value between -1.0 and 1.0, inclusive. This value has no units and corresponds to the current crossing point for the digital amplifier when it operates in analog mode. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.
N is a floating-point value between -1.0 and 1.0, inclusive. This parameter applies to the digital amplifier operating in digital mode and determines the location of the crossing point. Please see AMP:CROSS:ANA for additional information. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.
Returns a floating-point value between -1.0 and 1.0, inclusive. This value has no units and corresponds to the current crossing point for the digital amplifier when it operates in analog mode. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.
N is a floating-point value between 10.0 and 23.0 in decibels. This value sets the gain of linear (analog) type amplifiers. This command is not available for instruments with digital (limiting) or fixed gain amplifier types.
Returns a floating-point value between 10.0 and 23.0 in decibels, which corresponds to the current gain of the linear (analog) type amplifier. This command is not available for instruments with digital (limiting) or fixed gain amplifier types.
Sets the operation of the digital amplifier to analog mode. This includes setting the crossing point to that currently specified for analog mode operation (AMP:CROSS:ANA) and applying the maximum possible swing. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.

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Command Set Amplifier Mode to Digital
Get Amplifier Mode Set Amplifier Power On Set Amplifier Power Off Get Amplifier Power Status
Get Amplifier Status
Set the Amplifier Swing (Digital Mode)
Get the Amplifier Swing (Digital Mode)
Set the Amplifier Swing to V (Digital Mode)

Syntax AMP:MODE: 0
AMP:MODE? AMP:POWer: 1 AMP:POWer: 0 AMP:POWer? AMP:SETpoint?
AMP:SWING: N
AMP:SWING? AMP:SWING:VPI

Description
Sets the operation of the digital amplifier to digital mode. This includes setting the crossing point to that currently specified for digital mode operation (AMP:CROSS:DIG) and applying the current value of swing (AMP:SWING). The default value of swing is the amplifier’s value for V at 1 GHz, which is determined at the factory and place in instrument memory. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.
Returns 0 if the amplifier mode is set to analog and 1 if the amplifier mode is set to digital. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.
Sets amplifier power to “on” and returns 1 on receipt of command.
Sets amplifier power to “off” and returns 1 on receipt of command.
Returns 0 if the amplifier power is set to “off” and 1 if the amplifier power is set to “on.” This command returns the most recent requested power state, which may differ from the amplifier’s currently active power state. AMP:SET? can be used to verify the last requested power state is active. A 1 is returned and a steady green dot shows in the AMP field of the instrument’s touchscreen when the amplifier is fully ready and has reached the requested settings. Otherwise, a 0 is returned and the green dot blinks. Amplifier settings are updated quickly, typically within a second. However, it is possible that an immediate query after sending a command to adjust amplifier voltage will find the amplifier in a transient state and return a zero. N is a floating-point value with a standard range of 3.0 to 7.0 Vpp. This command sets the swing of the digital amplifier when it operates in digital mode, and this value can be set while operating in analog mode. Some factory-customized units have an extended swing range. Use the touchscreen GUI on the instrument to view the available range. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types. Returns a floating-point value with units of Vpp. This is the swing setting applied when the digital amplifier operates in digital mode. This value can be retrieved while operating in analog mode. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types. Sets the swing to the amplifier’s V at 1 GHz and returns 1 on receipt of command. This V value is found for each instrument at the factory and saved to memory. It is the “optimal swing” setting applied when the V button on the touchscreen interface is pressed. This command is not available for instruments with linear (analog) amplifier types.

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2.3 Laser Control Commands
These commands are available for the TLX1 & TLX2 instruments and those MX series products with a built-in tunable laser, which include the MXxxB, MXxxE, and MXxxG. In the following, “Laser” refers to the built-in tunable laser, unless otherwise specified. Please note that the ITU channels are defined using a 50 MHz grid.

Be advised that there will be a delay between when requested laser state is specified in a “set” command and when the requested state becomes the active laser state, as the instrument requires a finite period of time to execute commands. Typical execution times are given in the following table for each relevant command. After setting laser parameter(s), the LASer:SETpoint? command can be used to determine the laser’s active status.

Command Set the ITU Channel Number
Get the ITU Channel Number
Set Dither On Set Dither Off Get Dither Status
Set Fine Tuning Frequency Offset
Get Fine Tuning Frequency Offset

Syntax LASer:CHANnel: N
LASer:CHANnel?
LASer:Dither: 1 LASer:Dither: 0 LASer:Dither? LASer:FINE: N
LASer:FINE?

Description
N is an integer from 1 and 96, inclusive, for the C-Band laser or from 1 and 93, inclusive, for the L-Band laser. This command sets the ITU channel of the laser and returns 1 on receipt of command. While tuning to the desired channel, the laser’s optical output may be temporarily reduced or turned off and then on.
Returns an integer value from 1 and 96, inclusive, for a C-Band laser or from 1 and 93, inclusive, for an L-Band laser. This command returns the most recent requested ITU channel, which may differ from the currently active ITU channel due to a typical channel set time duration of <10 s. The LAS:SET? command can be used to verify the last requested ITU channel is active.
Sets the laser dither to “on” and returns 1 on receipt of command.
Sets the laser dither to “off” and returns 1 on receipt of command.
Returns 0 if dither is set to “off” and 1 if dither is set to “on.” This command returns the most recent requested dither state, which may differ from the currently active dither state due to a typical dither set time duration of <10 s. The LAS:SET? command can be used to verify the last requested dither state is active.
N is an integer between -30,000 and 30,000, inclusive. The entered value is the frequency offset in MHz, and 1 is returned on receipt of command. Sending this command causes the laser frequency to be tuned to the sum of the current ITU channel frequency and this specified fine tuning frequency offset. The range of fine tuning frequency offsets spans the full frequency range between ITU channels.
Returns an integer between -30,000 and 30,000, inclusive, corresponding to the requested frequency offset in MHz. This value may differ from the current frequency offset due to a typical laser tuning time duration of <30 s. There is currently no accurate way to determine, via remote control, whether a finetuning operation has finished. However, other laser status information can be obtained using:
· LAS:FREQ? · LAS:SET? · LAS:OOP?

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Command Get Optical Laser Frequency
Get Nominal Laser Frequency
Get Reported Optical Output Power (OOP)
Set Laser Power On
Set Laser Power Off Get Laser Power Status
Select C-band Laser Select L-band Laser Select 1310nm Laser Get Selected Laser

Syntax LASer:FREQuency?
LASer:FREQ_NOMinal?
LASer:OOP?
LASer:POWer: 1 LASer:POWer: 0 LASer:POWer?
LASer:SELect: Cband LASer:SELect: Lband LASer:SELect: 1310
LASer:SELect?

Description
Returns a floating-point value with unit of GHz. The reported optical laser frequency, which is determined by the ITU channel (LAS:CHAN:N) and fine offset (LAS:FINE:N). As the resolution of the returned value is limited to 0.1 GHz (100 MHz), the values of the intermediate frequencies set using the fine- tuning feature are reported rounded to the nearest 0.1 GHz.
Returns a positive integer for the calculated frequency, generated from the nominal frequency of the ITU channel, with the current fine-tuning frequency offset added or subtracted. This value is in units of MHz. This is the same value that is displayed on the LCD GUI laser settings page. Note that it is derived from the requested frequency and does not represent a live measurement.
Returns a floating-point value with units of dBm. This value corresponds to the optical output power from the laser module measured by an integrated photodiode. A typical operating value is 13.5 dBm. This is a different measurement than the one reported in response to the LAS:TAP:DBM? command, which measures the downstream optical power via optical tap. The two measurements may differ slightly. Optical output power will be unstable during laser warm-up and frequency tuning.
Sets the laser power to “on” and returns 1 on receipt of command. To ensure optimal stability and full optical output power, allow the laser to warm up for 15 minutes after powering on.
Sets the laser power to “off” and returns 1 on receipt of command.
Returns 0 if the laser power is set to “off” and 1 if the laser power is set to “on.” This command returns the most recent requested power state, which may differ from the laser’s currently active power state. The LAS:SET? command can be used to verify the last requested power state is active. Additional laser status and setpoint information can be obtained using:
· LAS:SET? · LAS:OOP? · LAS:TAP:DBM?
· LAS:TAP:MW?
Selects the C-Band laser and returns 1 on receipt of command. This command is not available for instruments with a single laser. Selects the L-Band laser and returns 1 on receipt of command. This command is not available for instruments with a single laser. Selects the fixed 1310 nm laser and returns 1 on receipt of command. This command is not available for instruments with a single laser. Returns a string corresponding to the currently selected laser.

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Command Get Laser Status
Get Measured Optical Output Power in dBm
Get Measured Optical Output Power in mW Get Nominal Laser Wavelength

Syntax LASer:SETpoint?
LASer:TAP:DBM? LASer:TAP:MW? LASer:WAVE_NOMinal?

Description
When the following conditions are all true, a 1 is returned and a steady green dot shows in the laser field of the instrument’s touchscreen. Otherwise, a 0 is returned.
· The hardware key switch interlock on the front panel is in the “on” position.
· The instrument’s microcontroller, in response to remote or touchscreen control, has commanded the laser to power on.
· The laser’s currently active dither state (on or off) matches the last requested dither state.
· The laser’s currently active ITU channel matches the last requested ITU channel.
· The laser currently reports it is in the “ready” state. · The laser currently reports it is in the “enabled” state. · The laser currently reports its optical output power is
greater than 12.0 dBm.
Returns a floating-point value with units of dBm. This is a measurement of the optical output power measured downstream from the laser module using an optical tap. The value returned by LAS:OOP? is a measurement made by a photodiode integrated into the laser module. The two measurements may differ slightly. Optical output power will be unstable during laser warm-up and frequency tuning. Returns a floating-point value with units of mW, with the measurement details identical to those described for LAS:TAP:DBM?.
Returns a positive integer for the calculated wavelength, generated from the nominal frequency of the ITU channel, with the current fine-tuning frequency offset added or subtracted. The value is in units of 10 fm (femtometers). This is the same value that is displayed on the LCD GUI laser settings page. Note that it is derived from the requested frequency and does not represent a live measurement.

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2.4 Mach-Zehnder EO Intensity Modulator Commands
The MBX series and several of the MX Series of instruments have built-in controllers for lithium-niobate-based, Mach-Zehnder EO intensity modulators (MZMs). The following commands apply only to these instruments, which include the MBX series, MXxxA, MXxxB, MXxxD, MXxxE, and MXxxG.

Command Get Calibration Status
Set Dither Amplitude Get Dither Amplitude Set Dither Frequency Get Dither Frequency Set Hold Ratio
Get Hold Ratio
Set Hold Voltage

Syntax MZM:CALibrating?
MZM:Dither:AMPLitude: N MZM:Dither:AMPLitude? MZM:Dither:FREQuency: N MZM:Dither:FREQuency?
MZM:HOLD:Ratio: N
MZM:HOLD:Ratio?
MZM:HOLD:Voltage: N

Description
Returns a 0 if the MZM bias is not currently being calibrated and a 1 calibration is currently in progress. The MZM bias is calibrated automatically when the MZM Bias controller is turned on for the first time or when recalibration is triggered manually (MZM:RESET or using the RESET AUTO BIAS button on the touchscreen GUI). Calibration data is maintained when the bias controller is turned off and on without powering down the MX instrument, but MZM calibration data is not stored upon instrument shut-down.
N is a positive integer between 20 and 2,000, inclusive, with units of mVpp. It sets the dither amplitude for those MZM bias modes that reference this value. Not all MZM bias modes use dither.
Returns the current dither amplitude setting in mVpp as a positive integer between 20 and 2,000. This will return the stored dither setting. It is not a measurement of the dither in the output from the MZM. Not all MZM bias modes use dither.
N is a positive integer between 1,000 and 10,000, inclusive, with units of Hz. Not all MZM bias modes use dither.
Returns the current dither amplitude setting in Hz as a positive integer between 1,000 and 10,000, inclusive. This will return the stored dither setting. It is not a measurement of the dither in the output from the MZM. Not all MZM bias modes use dither.
N is a positive integer between 250 and 10,000, inclusive. It has no units and represents the input power required to achieve the desired input to output power ratio. Determine N by first choosing the desired ratio of input to output powers, then multiply that ratio by 100. (e.g. If desired input and output power values are the same, their ratio is 1.0 and N = 100. If the input is 100.00 times greater than the output power, N = 10,000.) This setting is used only in Auto Power Ratio Positive and Auto Power Ratio Negative MZM bias modes.
Returns a positive integer between 250 and 10,000, inclusive. It has no units and represents the input power required to achieve the desired input to output power ratio, as described in the entry for MZM:HOLD:R:N. This will return the stored ratio setting. It is not a measurement of the MZM bias output. It is only used in Auto Power Ratio Positive and Auto Power Ratio Negative MZM bias modes.
N is an integer between -10,000 and 10,000, inclusive, and has units of mV. This setting is used only in Manual Voltage MZM bias mode.

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Command Get Hold Voltage Set MZM Bias Mode
Get MZM Bias Mode

Syntax MZM:HOLD:Voltage?
MZM:MODE: N
MZM:MODE?

Description
Returns an integer between -10,000 and 10,000, inclusive, and has units of mV. This will return the stored ratio setting. It is not a measurement of the MZM bias output. It is only used in Manual Voltage MZM bias mode.
N is a positive integer between 0 and 9, inclusive. Set this value to select the MZM bias mode. The mode associated with each value is:
· 0: Bias control is off. 0 V is applied to the MZM bias. · 1: Auto Peak bias mode, which uses dither to maintain operation at
the peak of the modulation function.
· 2: Auto Null bias mode, which uses dither to maintain operation at the lowest point (null) of the modulation function.
· 3: Auto Quad Pos bias mode, which maintains operation at the positive quadrature position on the modulation function. This is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Quad Mode and positive slope, with dither on. Not available on MX110G models.
· 4: Auto Quad Neg bias mode, which maintains operation at the negative quadrature position on the modulation function. This is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Quad Mode and negative slope, with dither on. Not available on MX110G models.
· 5: Hold Quad Pos bias mode: o All models except MX110G: holds the bias at the last voltage found in Quad mode. It is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Quad Mode and positive slope, with dither off.
o MX110G: maintains operation at the positive quadrature position by holding the option input/output ratio 3 dB down from peak. This is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Quad Mode and positive slope. Note: dither is off in this mode.
· 6: Hold Quad Neg bias mode: o All models except MX110G: holds the bias at the last voltage found in Quad mode. It is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Quad Mode and negative slope, with dither off.
o MX110G: maintains operation at the positive quadrature position by holding the option input/output ratio 3 dB down from peak. This is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Quad Mode and negative slope. Note: dither is off in this mode.
· 7: Manual Voltage bias mode, which is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Manual Mode while the “bias” setting is selected.
· 8: Auto Power Ratio Pos, which is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Manual Mode while the “ratio” setting and positive slope are selected.
· 9: Auto Power Ratio Neg, which is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to select Manual Mode while the “ratio” setting and negative slope are selected.
Returns a positive integer between 0 and 9, inclusive, corresponding to the current MZM bias mode. The mode associated with each value is defined in the Set MZM Bias Mode description.

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Trigger MZM Calibration Get MZM Status
Get Post-MZM Power in dBm
Get Post-MZM Power in mW
Get MZM Bias Voltage Get MZM Bias Voltage 2

MZM:RESET MZM:SETpoint?
MZM:TAP:DBM? MZM:TAP:MW? MZM:Voltage?

Triggers a MZM bias calibration and returns a 1. While the calibration is running, the MZM:CAL? command returns a 1.
A 1 is returned and a steady green dot shows in the Bias field of the instrument’s touchscreen when the MZM bias is stable and at setpoint. A 0 is returned and the green dot in the Bias field blinks while the MZM is not at setpoint.
Returns the optical power, as a floating-point value in dB, output by the MZM. This value is the scaled optical power measurement made at a tap located at the output of the MZM.
Returns the optical power, as a floating-point value in mW, output by the MZM. This value is the scaled optical power measurement made at a tap located at the output of the MZM.
Returns the current MZM bias voltage as a floating-point value in Volts.

MZM:VOLTAGE2? MX110G and MX100E variants ONLY. Reports second bias voltage as a floating-point value in Volts.

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2.5 System Commands
The system commands described in this section apply to all MX & MBX series, TLX1, & TLX2 instrument Item #s. The LED brightness commands given below allow the user to either individually set the brightness of the red, green, and blue LEDs or to set the brightness of the White LED which is a combination of the red, green and blue LEDs being controlled at the same level automatically, that contribute to the under-chassis lighting integrated into the housings of these instruments. The brightness can be set using a scale from 0.0 to 1.0, and the default combination is a value of 0.0 for the red LEDs, 0.0 for the green, 0.75 for the blue, and 0.75 for white. These LEDs can be used to provide a visual indicator of a change in instrument status. For example, the lighting could be changed to green to indicate the conclusion of a test driven by remote-control commands.

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Command Get System Bootloader Version Get System Firmware Version Get System Hardware Version Get System Model Number Trigger Restart
Get System Serial Number Trigger Sleep Trigger Wake Set System Wavelength
Get System Wavelength

Syntax SYStem:BOOTloader?

Description Returns the bootloader version as a string.

SYStem:FIRMware? Returns the firmware version as a string.

SYStem:HARDware? Returns the hardware version as a string.

SYStem:MODEL?

Returns the module number as a string.

SYStem:RESTART SYStem:SERial?

Triggers a safe shutdown and reboots the system as a quick way to restore all settings to default. Returns a 1 on receipt of command. This will also power down the LCD GUI. After restart, the screen will be off and the system will come up to standby mode (with the standby button LED amber), the same state that it normally goes into after powering on.
Returns the serial number as a string.

SYStem:SLEEP SYStem:WAKE SYStem:WAVElength: N
SYStem:WAVElength?

Puts the system in standby and returns a 1 on receipt of command.
Brings the system out of standby and returns a 1 on receipt of command.
N is the positive integer value with units of nm. This command sets the system wavelength, which is used to select which calibration values to use when configuring the VOA and when evaluating the power measurements made at the taps. Setting the system wavelength optimizes the instrument for use at that wavelength. Setting this value is equivalent to using the touchscreen GUI to set the system wavelength. Note: For MBX2 the N is the positive integer value 785, 852, or 940 with units of nm to match the available calibrated wavelengths. For MBX3 the N is the positive integer value 980, 1064, or 1310 with units of nm to match the available calibrated wavelengths. For MBX the N is the positive integer value 1310, 1550, or 1590 with units of nm to match the available calibrated wavelengths.
Returns a positive integer value with units of nm that correspond to the current system wavelength setting. Note: For MBX2 the returned positive integer values will match the calibration wavelengths of 785, 852, or 940 nm. For MBX3 the returned positive integer values will match the calibration wavelengths of 980, 1064, or 1310 nm. For MBX the returned positive integer values will match the calibration wavelengths of 1310, 1550, or 1590 nm.

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Command Set Red LED Brightness Get Red LED Brightness Set Green LED Brightness Get Green LED Brightness Set Blue LED Brightness Get Blue LED Brightness Set White LED Brightness Get White LED Brightness Set LEDs Power Mode
Get LED Power Status

Syntax RGB:RED: N
RGB:RED? RGB:GREEN: N
RGB:GREEN? RGB:BLUE: N RGB:BLUE? RGB:WHITE: N

Description
N is an integer value between 0 and 100, which is used to set the brightness of the red LEDs that contribute to the under-chassis accent lighting.
Returns an integer value between 0 and 100, indicating the brightness of the red LEDs that contribute to the under-chassis accent lighting.
N is an integer value between 0 and 100, which is used to set the brightness of the green LEDs that contribute to the under-chassis accent lighting.
Returns an integer value between 0 and 100, indicating the brightness of the green LEDs that contribute to the under-chassis accent lighting. N is an integer value between 0 and 100, which is used to set the brightness of the blue LEDs that contribute to the under-chassis accent lighting. Returns an integer value between 0 and 100, indicating the brightness of the red LEDs that contribute to the under-chassis accent lighting.
N is an integer value between 0 and 100, which is used to set the brightness of the White accent lighting.

RGB:WHITE? Returns an integer value between 0 and 100, indicating the brightness of the White accent lighting.

RGB:POWer: N RGB:POWer?

N is a positive integer between 0 and 2, inclusive. Set this value to select the Accent lighting mode. The mode associated with each value is:
· 0: Accent lighting OFF. · 1: Accent lighting is ON and the Red, Green and Blue can be changed
independently to control the hue and the brightness.
· 2: Accent lighting is ON and the Red, Green and Blue are controlled simultaneously to create the White accent lighting. The White can be changed to control the brightness.
Returns a positive integer between 0 and 2, inclusive, corresponding to the current Accent lighting mode. The mode associated with each value is defined in the Set LEDs Power Mode description.

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2.6 Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) Commands
The VOA commands described in this section apply to all MX & MBX Series, TLX1, & TLX2 instrument Item #s. These commands are provided for controlling the VOA and determining its status are described in the following tables.

Command Set the Optical Attenuation Value
Get the Optical Attenuation Value Get Difference between Actual and Setpoint Attenuation Get Measured Attenuation Provided by VOA Set VOA Mode to Constant Optical Output
Set VOA Mode to Constant Attenuation
Get VOA Mode Set the Optical Output Power Value in dBm

Syntax VOA:ATTen: N
VOA:ATTen? VOA:ERRor? VOA:MEASured? VOA:MODE: 1
VOA:MODE: 0
VOA:MODE? VOA:OUTput:DBM: N

Description
N is a floating-point value between 0.5 and 20.0, inclusive, with units of dB. This command sets optical attenuation of the VOA and returns 1 on receipt of a command with valid N. If set while operating in constant power mode, the operation of the VOA will not be affected. Instead, the value will be cached and applied when constant attenuation mode is activated.
The minimum N setting is variable with VOA known responsivity and may change with Wavelength setting. The lowest possible setting is 0.5.
Returns the attenuation setting of the VOA as a floating-point value between 0.5 and 20.0, inclusive, with units of dB.
Returns the difference between the attenuation provided by the VOA and the attenuation setpoint value as a floating-point value with units of dB.
Returns the value of attenuation provided by the VOA as a floating-point value with units of dB. The value of attenuation is the calculated ratio of the optical power measured before and after the VOA.
Sets the VOA mode to constant optical output power and returns 1 on receipt of command. While operating in this mode, the optical power measured after the VOA is monitored and the VOA bias voltage is adjusted to maintain the requested optical output power. Holding the optical output power constant requires adequate optical power input.
Sets the VOA mode to constant optical attenuation and returns 1 on receipt of command. While operating in this mode, optical power levels measured before and after the VOA are monitored. The VOA bias voltage is adjusted to maintain the specified ratio between the two.
Returns 0 if the VOA mode is set to constant optical attenuation and 1 if the VOA mode is set to constant optical output power.
N is interpreted as a floating-point value between -20.0 and 20.0, inclusive, and the units are dBm. This command sets optical output power of the VOA and returns 1 on receipt of command. While this range exceeds the maximum power output of the built-in laser, the entire range is supported to accommodate the use of higher-power external laser sources. If this value is set while operating in constant attenuation mode, it will not affect the operation of the VOA. In this case, the value will be cached and applied when constant power mode is activated.

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Command Get the Optical Output Power Value in dBm Set the Optical Output Power Value in mW
Get the Optical Output Power Value in mW Set VOA Power On
Set VOA Power Off
Get VOA Power Status Get VOA Status
Get Optical Power Output by the VOA in dBm Get Optical Power Output by the VOA in mW

Syntax VOA:OUTput:DBM? VOA:OUTput:MW: N
VOA:OUTput:MW? VOA:POWer: 1 VOA:POWer: 0 VOA:POWer? VOA:SETpoint?
VOA:TAP:DBM?

Description
Returns the power setting of the VOA as floating-point value between -20.0 and 20.0, inclusive, with units of dBm.
N is a floating-point value between 0.01 and 100.0, inclusive, and the units are mW. This command sets optical output power of the VOA and returns 1 on receipt of command. While this range exceeds the maximum power output of the built-in laser, the entire range is supported to accommodate the use of higher-power external laser sources. If this value is set while operating in constant attenuation mode, it will not affect the operation of the VOA. In this case, the value will be cached and applied when constant power mode is activated.
Returns the power setting of the VOA as a floating-point value between 0.01 and 100.0, inclusive, with units of mW.
Sets the VOA power to “on” and returns 1 on receipt of command. When the VOA is powered on, an active and automatic software control loop is engaged to vary the VOA bias voltage. This maintains the requested attenuation level, or optical output power, depending on the VOA operating mode.
Sets the VOA power to “off” and returns 1 on receipt of command. As VOA is in- line with the optical path, there is an insertion loss associated with it. When the VOA is powered off, the VOA bias voltage is set to 0.0 V, which minimizes the optical attenuation through the VOA.
Returns 0 if the VOA power is set to “off” and 1 if the VOA power is set to “on.” A 1 is returned, and a steady green dot shows in the VOA field of the instrument’s touchscreen, if the attenuation provided by the VOA is within 0.1 dB of the attenuation setpoint. The attenuation provided by the VOA is the calculated ratio of the optical power measured before and after the VOA. The attenuation setpoint references the last requested power setting if operating in constant power mode, and it references the last requested attenuation setting if operating in constant attenuation mode. If the difference between the attenuation provided by the VOA and the attenuation setpoint is >0.1 dB, a 0 is returned. This command returns a valid value whether or not the VOA is powered on.
Returns the measured optical output of the VOA as a floatingpoint value with units of dBm.

VOA:TAP:MW?

Returns the measured optical output of the VOA as a floatingpoint value with units of mW.

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Chapter 3: Remote Control Software

Chapter 3

Remote Control Software

Thorlabs provides a software tool for computers running Windows operating systems (Windows 7 and later). The Remote Control application is primarily intended to be used as a reference example as well as a tool for exploring the behavior of and interactions between the various remote control commands. Use it to experiment with all of the currently supported laser and VOA commands, as well as to see examples of the outgoing commands and replies from the MX & MBX series, TLX1, & TLX2 instrument. This tool sends serial commands to the instrument, but this application software is not intended for system integration, as it does not support running scripts or processes.

3.1 Installing the Software and Opening a Connection with the Instrument
Begin by downloading the application software by visiting the following link, typing in the Item # of the instrument, and clicking on the Software Download Icon shown in the list of files available for download.

https://www.thorlabs.com/manuals.cfm

Unzip the file whose name begins with “RCUP.” Keep the “Remote Control Utility Program.exe” file in the same directory with the “platforms” folder and other supporting files, as the application will not run if these are separated.

Before running the application, connect the instrument and the controlling computer using the appropriate cabling as described in Section 1.2. Power on the instrument and ensure the power button on the front panel is glowing green and the touchscreen is active. Wait until the computer discovers the instrument, and then launch the application. The application window is shown in Figure 7. The actual application window does not include the red, green, blue, violet and orange outlines shown in Figure 7, these outlines were drawn on an image of the window for illustrative purposes.

Figure 7 Laser Tab of the Remote Control Tool’s Application Window
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Select the “Connection Type” radio button corresponding to the utilized connector on the instrument. (The locations of the radio buttons are indicated by the red outline in Figure 7.) Then click the “Connect” button to open a connection to the instrument.

After clicking the “Connect” button, the “Status” field, which is located at the bottom of the region enclosed by the green outline, should show a number of lines of text. If the application established a connection with the instrument, the text shown in the status field will conclude with “Device Opened Successfully.”

If a connection was not established between the computer and instrument, the text in the “Status” field will note the failure. A common reason for a failure to connect is that the instrument has not been recognized by the computer; the software cannot find the instrument unless it has been discovered by the computer. It may take up to 30 seconds for the computer to recognize the instrument. If the device fails to open successfully, we recommend closing the Remote Control application, waiting a few seconds, re- opening the application, and attempting again to connect to the instrument. Other reasons the application may fail to successfully open a connection to the instrument include the connection already being open or another copy of the application running. If none of these are the source of the problem, and the problem persists when a different USB cable is used, please contact Thorlabs’ Technical Support for assistance.

3.2 Using the Remote Control Application
When using the application, clicking the buttons located at the top of the application window sends serial commands to the MX & MBX series, TLX1, & TLX2 instrument. The results of clicking the buttons are logged in the three rectangular text fields, which are bordered by the green outline in Figure 7. The commands sent by the computer are written to the PC Output field, the data sent back from the instrument in response to the commands are written to the Remote Instrument Output field, and the status of the software is written to the Status field.

Command responses can be saved or cleared from the Remote Instrument Output field by using the Save and Clear buttons to the right of the Remote Instrument Output field and bordered in an orange outline in Figure 7.

Commands sent by the computer and written to the PC Output field can be saved or cleared by using the Save and Clear buttons to the right of the PC Output field and bordered in the orange outline in Figure 7. Properly formatted text files, either by using the save of the PC Output field or by user entry, which contain SCPI commands can be loaded to the application using the Load button. Once loaded, the user can select the Start button to begin to send, in sequence, the loaded text file SCPI commands to the instrument. Once started, the user may select the Stop button to stop sending commands to the instrument. Hitting the Start button again will begin the sequence at the start of the loaded file.

The following examples illustrate the operation of the software and the interaction between the software and the touchscreen interface on the front panel of the instrument that includes a built-in laser, such as the MX40G.

Example: Using the Application to Change the Laser’s ITU Channel

· Adjust the “Channel” control (within the blue outline) to 5.

· Click the “Set Channel” button (within the violet outline).

· The text “LAS:CHAN 5”, which is the command sent to the instrument, is printed to the “PC Output” field (within green outline).

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· After a short delay, the text “1” is printed to the “Remote Instrument Output” field (within green outline). This indicates the command was received by the instrument.

· The text printed to the “Status” field indicates the response was received.

· Click the “Get Channel” button (below the violet outline).

· The text “LAS:CHAN?” , which is the command sent to the instrument, is printed to the “PC Output” field (within green outline).

· After a short delay, the text “5”, which is the most recent ITU channel requested, is printed to the “Remote Instrument Output” field (within green outline).

Example: Using the Software Application with the MX40G’s Front Panel Touchscreen
· Navigate to the Laser Settings Page, which is shown in Figure 8, from the Home Screen

· Use the Laser Settings Page to change the ITU Chanel to 6.

· Click the “Get Channel” button (within the violet outline) in the Remote Control
Application.

· The text “LAS:CHAN?” , which is the command sent to the MX40G, is printed to the “PC Output” field (within green outline).

· After a short delay, the text “6”, which is the ITU channel entered using the touchscreen, is
printed to the “Remote Instrument Output” field (within green outline).

Figure 8 Laser Settings Page of the MX40G

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3.3 Software Application Screenshots
The functions in the Laser tab (Figure 9) correspond to the commands described in Section 2.3: Laser Control Commands

Figure 9 Laser Tab
The functions in the VOA tab (Figure 10) correspond to the commands described in Section 2.6: Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) Commands.

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Figure 10 VOA Tab

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The functions in the Amp tab (Figure 11) correspond to the commands described in Section 2.2: RF Amplifier Commands.

Figure 11 Amp Tab
The functions in the MZM Bias tab (Figure 12) correspond to the commands described in Section 2.4: Mach-Zehnder EO Intensity Modulator Commands.

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Figure 12 MZM Bias Tab

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The functions in the System tab (Figure 13) correspond to the commands described in Section 2.5: System Commands.

Figure 13 System Tab
3.4 Custom Application Development
One option for users interested in developing custom software is to use our Remote Control application as a reference and starting point. Please contact us to request the source code. Using this source code and a development platform such as free version of the Qt® software, our example application can be modified and expanded.
When the computer is connected to the RS-232 port on the MX & MBX series, TLX1, & TLX2 instrument, commands are sent directly to the instrument’s universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART). This is not the case for applications communicating with the instrument over USB. In this case, commands sent by the computer address a Silicon Labs® USB to UART bridge chip built into the instrument. The UART is interfaced to the bridge chip. A dynamic-link library (DLL) available from Silicon Labs’ website can be used to communicate with the bridge chip.
If you have questions or would like guidance as you develop a custom test configuration, please contact us. We are happy to assist you.

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Chapter 4: Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

Chapter 4

Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

For technical support or sales inquiries, please visit us at www.thorlabs.com/contact for our most up-to-date contact information.

Corporate Headquarters Thorlabs, Inc. 43 Sparta Ave Newton, New Jersey 07860 United States sales@thorlabs.com techsupport@thorlabs.com
EU Importer Thorlabs GmbH Münchner Weg 1 D-85232 Bergkirchen Germany sales.de@thorlabs.com europe@thorlabs.com
Rev. H, July 25, 2024

Product Manufacturer Thorlabs Ultrafast Optoelectronics 110 Parkland Plaza Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 United States sales@thorlabs.com techsupport@thorlabs.com
UK Importer Thorlabs Ltd. 204 Lancaster Way Business Park Ely CB6 3NX United Kingdom sales.uk@thorlabs.com techsupport.uk@thorlabs.com
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www.thorlabs.com

References

• Thorlabs, Inc. - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control
• Thorlabs - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control.
• Thorlabs - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control.

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