Request a diagnostic evaluation

Photographs matter more than the model number you have on record

On scientific platforms, especially discontinued ones, the configuration in the laboratory is frequently not the configuration in the instrument record. Custom and OEM builds, paired multi-wavelength systems, and modules that each carry their own designation all produce records that disagree with the hardware.

What we need photographed, read individually:

• The product label on the laser head, showing the complete model and serial number
• The product label on the controller
• The product label on the power supply
• The product label on any separate module, including wavelength-conversion, trigger or paired excitation units
• The rear panels and connections of each unit
• The installed arrangement, so we can see how the system is actually set up

A label photograph that is readable is worth more than a paragraph of description. Photograph it straight on, close, and in focus.

Describe how you measured, not only what you measured

A power reading without its method is not usable. Before we can interpret a number we need to know whether the number is real. Tell us:

• The instrument used, and the wavelength it is calibrated for
• Whether the sensor is fiber-coupled or free-space, and how the beam was presented to it
• Whether wavelength-selective optics were used to separate components, or whether everything reaching the detector was measured together
• The range or scale the instrument was set to, and its noise floor if you know it
• Whether the reading was taken at the output port or somewhere downstream in your setup

Evaluation request form

What happens next

1. We read the labels. The first thing we establish is whether the configuration is what the record says. On discontinued and OEM systems it frequently is not, and that changes everything downstream.
2. We reply with an assessment. Whether the system is one we can usefully evaluate, what we think the likely fault areas are, and what information is still missing.
3. You receive a written evaluation proposal. A defined diagnostic scope, a fixed fee, the tests to be performed, the turnaround, and what a negative result would mean.
4. You decide whether to ship. Only then. We would rather tell you at this stage that an evaluation is not worth your shipping cost than take the shipment and tell you afterward.
5. Evaluation and written findings. As-received condition report, bring-up, measurement, fault localization, and a written report with what was measured, what was found, what remains unknown, and the repair options with their risks and cost.
6. Repair only on your written approval. Within the approved scope. Any deviation requires a new approval.