The Evolution of Control Systems
Have you ever been frustrated when all of the electronic components in your experimental setup are from different vendors, are excessively bulky and are way overkill? You know, like when the only economical power supply you could find to drive your magnet is a four-quadrant model, and all you need is a single quadrant. Or when the Resistance Bridge you are using for reading your temperatures is way fancier than what’s necessary.
At Danaher Cryogenics, those days are over. The fruits of a recent development effort are a control system that’s intentional and optimized for the job at hand. Instead of having a half dozen different component boxes stacked up in a 19″ rack, Danaher has consolidated all the required functionality needed to control a Danaher cryostat (with a Chase cooler inside) into a single, 3U high, box. No more running cables between a temperature reader (or two), a power supply (or two), a PID controller and various other components. All of this functionality is consolidated into a single box.
HorseBox Temperature Controller
The HorseBox Temperature Controller contains the following functionality: Lock-in amplifiers for reading Ruthenium Oxide or Cernox® thermometers; diode readers for reading silicon diodes; PID modules for temperature control; heater drivers (low, high, and warmup) for powering gas gap heat switches and sorption pumps, and allowing for rapid, automated warmup.
Modularity and Expandability
One of the attractive features of the HorseBox Temperature Controller is its versatility. The system was intentionally designed to be expandable in a robust and modular fashion. The idea is to allow for convenient addition of modules to increase system sophistication, while only including necessary complexity to provide the required functionality.
In its simple state, HorseBox can be configured to run the Model DC1 Colt cryostat, which incorporates the Chase GL4 sorption cooler – a simple, single-shot ⁴He fridge. While in its most elaborate state, HorseBox can be configured to control a Model DC6 Charger cryostat, which hosts the Chase CMD cooler – a complex continuous fridge with Qty 4 sorption pumps and a mini dilution module.
The designed-in modularity allows for easy expansion. In its most complex manifestation, HorseBox can contain as much as Qty 8 lock-in amplifiers, Qty 12 diode readers, Qty 10 low power heaters, Qty 5 high power heaters, and Qty 2 warmup heaters.
User Experience with HorsePower
Danaher’s new HorsePower software makes interaction with, and control of, the cryostat a rewarding experience.
At the push of a button, the user can commence a cooldown cycle of their cryostat. Following the start command, the software then monitors vacuum levels, starts the pulse tube upon reaching a predefined pressure level and completes the system cooldown, including initiating and controlling the Chase cooler cycle. The cooldown process completes with the system beginning a PID regulation of the cold stage at the user’s desired temperature.
Network connection allows the user to remotely monitor and interact with the HorsePower software. All the while, the system is collecting data and generating plots on the large touchscreen. Exporting data for analysis or archival purposes is straightforward, as in clicking on an icon.
Our goal in developing the Rodeo Control System was to make using a cryostat a more convenient and rewarding process. We hope that we’ve gained at least a modest level of success in that aim.
Feedback from Customers
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Professor Dmytro Bozhko took delivery of the first Rodeo Control System, which was integrated into his new Model DC3 Palomino cryostat.
“The integrated control system provides a convenient one-push-button control of the cooldown and warmup processes as well as comprehensive logging and display of the information about all system parameters during the system’s operation,” states Professor Bozhko. “The well-thought-out thermal system provides for one-day cooldown to the base temperature and over a day hold time before needing to recharge the Chase cryocooler, which takes less than two hours and is fully automated. Warmup of the system is also assisted by integrated heaters allowing the system to reach room temperature overnight. Additionally, the system features a bayonet vacuum jacket fixture, which simplifies access to the cryostat and allows even single-person assembly.”
Future Plans for the Palomino, Danaher Developments
The 300 mK cryostat will be used for a broad range of quantum magnetism experiments, including the study of magnon Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) in the quantum limit using microwave spectroscopy as well as optical techniques like Brillouin Light Scattering (BLS) and the Time-Resolved Magneto-optical Kerr Effect (TR-MOKE). Here are a few other exciting things happening at Danaher Cryogenics.
Danaher Cryogenics is partnering with the University of Colorado and NIST laboratories in Boulder, CO to commercialize the Adaptive Cooling Technology (ACT) Pulse Tube invention. This product offers promise to the quest for more rapid and efficient cryogenic research. By speeding up system cooldown speed, and doing it without expending more energy, ACT will facilitate quantum research and development. Lastly, Danaher Cryogenics recently filed patent paperwork for its new SwiftSeal bayonet vacuum jacket fastening system. SwiftSeal makes opening and closing a cryostat a piece of cake.
