FPM-301 Display Measurement System Overview

Apr 26, 2018Product Announcements

Key reasons to consider the FPM-301

  • Need to measure optical performance of displays / DUTs no larger than 17″
  • Want the DUT to remain fixed and not move
  • Lab or production space constrained and need a portable test system
  • Need or want a light safe enclosure
  • No need for viewing angle performance or plan on using a viewing angle imager
  • Want the flexibility to choose instruments, display drive, and other options
  • Would like to use NI TestStand for automated test sequences

System architecture

The FPM-301 is enclosed in a light safe, portable cabinet that is designed to be used in production, QA/QC, or laboratory environments.  The FPM-301 shares the same cabinet as our PanelTest system but offers the flexibility and many of the features found in our FPM V Series line of measurement systems.

At 71″ (H) x 36″ (W) x 28″ (D), the FPM-301 provides the balance between system size and test capability.  If you like the light safe enclosure design but need to test panels larger than 17″ or if you want a two-axis goniometer, you should consider the FPM-305 or FPM-505.  The FPM-305 is a larger variant of the FPM-301 3 -Axis system and the FPM-505 adds the goniometer for viewing angle performance assessment.

3-Axis motion base

The FPM-301 includes a 3-axis motion base which makes it easy to align instruments to the DUT, set-up common measurements such as uniformity or center screen, and to measure the DUT at different locations.

The X and Y axes allow you to position the instrument along the display horizontal and vertical (depending on DUT orientation). The Z-Axis allows you to adjust the measurement distance of the movable instruments. Note that the actual minimum and maximum measurement distance depends on the instrument selected and the DUT depth.

Since the FPM-301 is a 3-axis system, there is no goniometer to move the display or gimbal to move the instrument detector for viewing angle measurements. If you want viewing angle measurements, you would need to select a viewing angle imager or consider our FPM-505 or other 5-axis systems.

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X-Axis
~20″ range (left-right)
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Y-Axis
~12″ range (front-back)
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Z-Axis
~6″ range (up-down)

Test displays and DUTs up to 17″

While the FPM-301 has a substantially smaller footprint than the FPM-305 or FPM-505, you can still measure up to 17” displays.  This makes it ideal for testing cell phones, tablets, laptop displays, small monitors, and other specialty displays.

The stationary mounting plate makes it easier to fixture and drive the DUT since you don’t need to worry about the DUT moving for viewing angle measurements. The mounting plate simplifies system alignment while also providing for a fixed instrument option (discussed below).

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Display Under Test (DUT)
Test up to 17″ diagonal displays (16:9)
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DUT Mounting Plate

16″ (D) x 20″ (W) plate with 1/4″ x 20 holes on 1″ centers

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DUT Cabling
Easy to access DUT cabling

Use multiple optical instruments

One of the key features with our FPM series line of systems is the ability to install your instrument of choice.  Once you have identified the optical instruments you want to use, we will ensure that they can be installed into your system.

The FPM-301 supports multiple optical instruments.  Up to three instruments can be mounted on the XYZ stage with motion control and one can be installed at the top of the cabinet for either center-screen or full-screen measurements depending on your configuration.

In the set-up shown below, the FPM-301 has two motion-controlled “movable” instruments installed; a fiber-optically coupled spectrometer for color and luminance measurements and a TRD-200 temporal response detector for response time and flicker.  Again, you have flexibility to choose your instruments.

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Instrument Option #1
3-axis motion-controlled, fiber-optically coupled spectrometer shown
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Instrument Option #2
3-axis motion-controlled, Temporal Response Detector shown
In addition to the motion-controlled instruments, there is room for a “fixed-position” instrument.  In this configuration, we installed a FLIR thermal imaging camera which has a full view of the DUT and provides thermal data at specific locations on the DUT surface.
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Instrument Option #3
Fixed position, thermal imaging camera shown
Since full automated control requires software support, we have software interfaces for most of the popular instruments on the market.  You can control your instrument through our ViewPoint Manual Control Application or via automated test sequences in NI TestStand.  If you prefer to use the instrument manufacturer’s software separately, you can do that too.

Optional thermal plate for temperature stabilization

In this set-up, an aluminum thermal electric Hot/Cold plate is provided to control the DUT temperature. The plate is driven by thermal electric coolers (TEC) and temperature can be controlled manually or programmatically. Temperature can be controlled from 0° to 70° Celsius.

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Thermal Plate
8.5″ x 6″ aluminum plate with 0 °C to 70 °C temp. control

Other notable features

We discuss many of the key features of our FPM V Series here but a few are worth repeating:

  • Display Drive – Works with our T-Drive line of LCD Testers or pick your own TPG
  • Runs ViewPoint and NI TestStand software
  • Excel formatted reports
  • Build your own custom test sequences or have us do it for you
  • Includes on-site set-up and installation with three days of training

Summary

The FPM-301 is our most compact V Series FPM, but with many of the capabilities of our larger systems.  Enclosed in a small, portable, light safe enclosure, the three-axis system can test up to 17″ displays.  The FPM-301 can be configured with multiple optical instruments of your choice and also allows for many of the popular options available on our FPM series measurement systems.  If you want to learn more about the FPM-301 or our other systems, check out the More information below.

More information

Contact us if you have questions, comments, or if you would like to speak with one of our engineers.

Click here to learn more about the FPM-301 and our FPM V Series display measurement systems.

Click here to learn more about our full line of display measurement systems.