The APEX2 series light sources are complete illumination systems designed to provide a fully integrated, compact, and economical solution for scientific and industrial applications. These CE and RoHS compliant systems can be simply used as is once plugged in or the light output can be modified to the user's requirements with their integrated features such as the filter wheel, iris, and utility software for USB control.
The APEX2-QTH uses the 6338 100 W QTH lamp as its illumination source. QTH lamps exhibit better output stability than arc lamps and do not produce strong UV light emission or toxic ozone. Their smooth spectral output curve make them useful for radiometric and photometric applications.
The output flange of the APEX2 is the standard Oriel 1.5 inch flange, making for easy mechanical coupling with several existing Oriel instruments. Along with its wide compatibility with existing Oriel software packages, the APEX2 can be used with the following instruments:
Upon receiving the APEX2-QTH, the unit is ready to use after a simple lamp drop-in installation of the lamp. The user does not have to spend time aligning the lamp or programming the power supply to output the proper voltage and current. Simply plug in the unit and it is ready for use.
If the full output intensity of the 100 W QTH lamp is not required, an external DC voltage supply can be connected to the rear of the APEX2-QTH. An input voltage range of 0-5 VDC can be input into the system, 0 VDC corresponds to the lamp being off and 5 VDC allows the lamp to operate at its maximum 100 W power.
A manual shutter is integrated into the APEX2 to allow the user to close off the light path, blocking any light output from the system. This allows the user to be protected from UV radiation when light output is not required, such as warming up the lamp while preparing a setup or making a minor change in setup, without frequent and unnecessary restarts of the lamp.
The APEX-2 includes a manual iris, capable of reducing the light output intensity to 2% at its smallest setting. This iris is convenient for preventing detector saturation. By reducing the size of the output aperture instead of using optics, a neutral density filter and mechanical coupling are not necessary.
A filter wheel is integrated into the assembly of the APEX2. Up to six order-sorting or neutral density filters can added (1.0 in or 25.4 mm diameter, 0.2 in. or 6 mm thickness) and filters can be changed as fast as 1.7 s/filter. An LED display indicating the filter wheel's current position is located on the rear panel so user can observe this while not being in the path of the output light, preventing exposure to UV radiation. Aside from manual control via the push button on the system, the filter wheel position can be controlled externally using the following methods: