ALP: universal DMD controller for metrology and testing

摘要

The paper presents a current development in the field of high-speed spatial light modulators. The Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) developed and produced by Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) stimulated new approaches in photonics. Recently, TI introduced the Discovery general purpose chipset to support new business areas in addition to the mainstream application of DMD technology in digital projection. ViALUX developed the ALP parallel interface controller board as a Discovery 1100 accessory for high speed micromirror operation. ALP (Accessory Light Modulator Package) has been designed for use in optical metrology but is widely open for numerous applications. It allows for rapid launch into new DMD applications and can be integrated instantly into existing systems or may initiate new developments. The paper describes both, the general hardware architecture and the software concept of the new high-speed controller solution. Binary and gray-value patterns of variable bit-depth can be pre-loaded to on-board SDRAM via USB and transferred to DMD at high speed (up to 6900 XGA frames per second). Three examples are to illustrate how the approach enables advanced applications of DMD technology in metrology, testing and beyond.