BioLED Control Module > Mightex

Manual/Analog Controllers

Mightex BLS-1000-2, BLS-3000-2, BLS-13000-1, and BLS-18000-1 LED controllers are designed for driving Mightex LED sources. The controllers have two operation modes:

Manual Mode: the output current can be controlled by manually turning the knobs; or

Trigger Mode: the output current can be controlled via an external analog input signal between 0 ~ 5V.

The control mode is selected with a slide switch on the front panel, and the factory default is “Manual” mode. BLS-1000-2 and BLS-3000-2 provide Maximum Current Selection DIP switches on the rear panel, which allow the user to set the maximum output current of the channel to 500/750/1,000mA for BLS-1000-2, and 1,000/2,000/3,000mA for BLS-3000-2, respectively. The factory default is set to 500mA for BLS-1000-2 and 1,000mA for BLS-3000-2, respectively. BLS-13000-1 and BLS-18000-1 has only one maximum current setting of 13,000mA and 18,000mA, respectively.

When the controller is set to “Trigger” mode, the output current is fully controlled by the input analog signal (0-5V).

FEATURES                                                           APPLICATIONS

* Dual Control Modes: manual or analog voltage-input                                                * Optogenetics 

* Fast response – up to 100kHz modulation frequency                                                 * Fluorescence excitation

* BNC connectors for analog voltage inputs                                                            * Microscopy

* Simple connections                                                                                     * Testing instruments

* Capable of driving variable loads                                                                      * Medical instruments

Software/TTL Controllers

Mightex BLS-SA/PL series BioLED control modules are modularized fully-customizable turn-key solutions for optogenetics, fluorescence excitation, and other biophotonics applications. Precisely-timed and high-intensity light pulses are required in optogenetics experiments to activate channel-rhodopsins (ChR2, ChR1 etc.) and halorhodopsins (NpHR) in order to excite and inhibit neurons. To meet these requirements, Mightex has developed a proprietary “IntelliPulsing” technology to allow BLS-series sources to output significantly higher power in pulse mode than what the LEDs are rated for in CW mode.

The control module features a linear LED driver design that eliminates light intensity ripples and oscillations often observed when low-cost buckpuck nonlinear drivers are used. Clean and highly repeatable pulses are critical to quantitative experiments. Both CW mode and pulse modes are supported. Time resolution of the control module is 20us and light intensity can be adjusted with 0.1% increments. Each driving channel on the control module has its own TTL trigger input. Rising edge, falling edge, and follower mode are supported in the trigger mode.

Mightex BioLED light source solutions come with a Windows-based operation software featuring an intuitive yet powerful graphic user interface. A software development kit (SDK) is also provided for user integration into environment such as Labview and Matlab.

An optional touch-screen control pad (P/N: BLS-PAD-000) is available, with which customers can control LEDs without a computer.

Analog and Digital I/O Control Module 

Mightex BioLED Analog and Digital I/O Control Module is a system-level control solution to be used in conjunction with the BioLED Manual/Analog Controlled LED Controllers and with the Polygon Patterned Illuminator. It greatly extends the flexibility and ease of system-level set-up when working with Mightex’s Polygon systems.

The I/O Control Module features four (4) independent channels. Each channel has an external trigger input (TTL), an analog voltage output (0-5V) and a digital output (LVTTL). All I/O connectors are BNC-type to work seamlessly with laboratory equipment. Intensity waveform of up to four (4) high-power LED light sources is controlled by the I/O Control Module1, each can output light at a different wavelength (i.e. color). Up to thirty-two (32) different waveforms can be programmed onto the I/O Control Module via USB or RS232. Each waveform can be associated with any one of the four LED’s to form a catalog of up to 128 unique Color/Waveform pairs.

The I/O Control Module can be synchronized with Polygon Patterned Illuminator. Each illumination pattern can be synchronized with one of the 128 Color/Waveform pairs, and one can generate a complex sequence of illumination Pattern/Color/Waveform combinations quickly and precisely. The I/O Control Module thus provides a convenient means to simultaneously achieve spatial, spectral, and temporal control of the most advanced illumination system for optogenetics and other experiments.

I/O Box Specifications