HydraHarp 400 TCSPC Software version 3.0.0.4 PicoQuant GmbH - April 2022 Introduction The HydraHarp 400 is a TCSPC and time tagging system with USB interface. The system requires a 686 class PC with USB 2.0/3.0 host controller, 4 GB of memory and at least a 1.5 GHz dual core CPU. The HydraHarp software is supported under Windows 8.1, 10 and 11. Windows 7 should still work but is no longer actively tested or supported. What's new in this Version Version 3.0.0.4 is a bugfix release addressing the following issues: - Fixes an issue with high resolution monitors where some user interface elements were not scaling very well - Fixes an issue with loading T3 files as histograms where loading always started at record 0, ignoring the user's input > 0 - Fixes an issue of properly storing TRES parameters in .phu files - Fixes an occasional freezing of the histogram display upon changing StopAt during a measurement - Fixes a version check issue of the built-in firmware updater - Updated file demos in C for compatibility with more recent compilers. - Now officially supporting Windows 11. Please read the notes for version 2.0 below if you are upgrading from a software version prior to 2.0! What was new in version 3.0.0.3 Version 3.0.0.3 is a bugfix release addressing the following issues: - Fixes an issue with dual monitors where the large rate meters were off screen. - Fixes a bug where warnings were wrong or missing upon change of measurement modes. - Fixes some wrong and misspelled error messages. - Fixes a potential memorry allocation error. - Provides updated device drivers v2.16 with better recovery from USB errors, secure boot is now supported. - Supports Windows 10 and 8.1 (Windows 7 probably still works but is no longer tested and supported). - Updated specifications regarding relative humidity. - Running under Linux+Wine will now use Libusb 1.0 Please read the notes for version 2.0 below if you are upgrading from a software version prior to 2.0! What was new in version 3.0.0.2 Version 3.0.0.2 is a bugfix release addressing the following issues: - Fixes a firmware bug in continuous mode where the hardware controlled start of a measurement did not work properly in repetition. - Fixes the elapsed time in TTTR mode (rolling over modulo 24h). - Fixes a data pointer time overflow. - Fixes the control panel where invalid input was not rejected. - Fixes the acquisition offset (1 ns steps now also in T3-Mode, extended range of 500000 ns). - Fixes the handling of legacy TTTR mode files. - Provides several corrections in file demos, manual and help - Provides new file demos for Python. - Improves the support information dialog. - Provides an updated device driver v2.13 (note: secure boot is not supported). - Supports Windows 10 and 8.1, Windows 7 still works but is no longer actively supported/tested. Please read the notes for version 2.0 below if you are upgrading from a software version prior to 2.0! What was new in version 3.0.0.1 Fixes an incompatibility with USB 3.0 ports of Intel Z97 chipsets. Fixes some minor bugs in file content and user interface. Provides bugfixed file demos for LabVIEW Provides an updated device driver to meet new Windows driver signing requirements (XP and Vista are no longer supported). Please read the notes for version 2.0 below if you are upgrading from a software version prior to 2.0! What was new in version 3.0 Fixes some bugs and provides more hardware debugging information for support cases. Provides a module firmware update replacing buggy versions. Uses a new file format. The idea is to place individual header data items not in a strict file position and order but to tag the items by name, so that future additions do not harm existing software. The new file format will therefore be future proof in terms of maintenance and compatibility across new versions. It is also compatible with the powerful SymPhoTime 64 software. Please read the notes for version 2.0 below if yo are upgrading from a software version prior to 2.0! What was new in version 2.1 Version 2.1 is an improved release that supersedes version 2.0.0.x. It includes a new driver (inf file version 6.0.0.6 and driver file version 2.10). Windows 8 is now officially supported. File formats remain unchanged. If you are still running version 1.x please see the notes below as to the implications of an upgrade. What was new in version 2.0.0.x. versus 1.2 - Supports HydraHarp devices with USB 3.0 interface - Supports time bin widths of up to 33.5 µs and histogram time spans up to 2.2 seconds. - Supports compressed TTTR overflow records for file size reduction at low count rates. - Fixes some minor bugs. - NOTE 1: This version requires a firmware update of the HydraHarp device. The software can perform this update when it is first started. - NOTE 2: This version has a new file format. IMPORTANT! The firmware update requirement has consequences that you must observe: 1. Once the update is performed you will no longer be able to use any HydraHarp software prior to version 2.0.0.x. 2. Custom software you may have written for file import will require minor adaptions for version 2.0.0.x. 3. You will no longer be able to use custom software based on HHLib.dll prior to version 2.0.0.x. 4. Custom DLL-based software you may have written will require minor adaptions for version 2.0.0.x. 5. In case of a power failure or computer crash during the update the device may become inoperational. 6. Reverting to old firmware or repairing a disrupted update requires a return to factory and may incur costs. Disclaimer PicoQuant GmbH disclaims all warranties with regard to this software including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no case shall PicoQuant GmbH be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential damages or any material or immaterial damages whatsoever resulting from loss of data, time or profits; arising from use, inability to use, or performance of this software and associated documentation. License and Copyright Notice With the HydraHarp hardware product you have purchased a license to use the HydraHarp software. You have not purchased other rights to the software. The software is protected by copyright and intellectual property laws. You may not distribute the software to third parties or reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software or part thereof. You may use and modify demo code to create your own software. Original or modified demo code may be re-distributed, provided that the original disclaimer and copyright notes are not removed from it. Copyright of the manual and on-line documentation belongs to PicoQuant GmbH. No parts of it may be reproduced, translated or transferred to third parties without written permission of PicoQuant GmbH. Acknowledgements When the HydraHarp software is used under Linux with Wine its uses Libusb to access the HydraHarp USB devices. Libusb is licensed under the LGPL which allows a fairly free use even in commercial projects. For details and precise terms please see http://libusb.info. In order to meet the license requirements a copy of the LGPL as applicable to Libusb is provided as part of the distribution archive. The LGPL does not apply to the HydraHarp software as a whole. Trademark Disclaimer HydraHarp, PicoHarp, TimeHarp and NanoHarp are registered trademarks of PicoQuant GmbH. Other products and corporate names appearing in the product manuals or in the online documentation may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective owners. They are used only for identification or explanation and to the owner’s benefit, without intent to infringe. Installation The HydraHarp software can be distributed on CD or via download. If you received the package via download it is packed in a zip-file. Unzip that file and place the distribution setup files in a temporary disk folder. Dependent on your version of Windows you may need to log on as administrator in order to perform the software setup. It is important to perform the setup as administator because otherwise the device driver installation will fail. Only if you intend to use the software without hardware, e.g. as a file viewer, you may run setup without administrator rights. The setup program setup.exe will install the HydraHarp software including driver, manual, online-help, sample data and programming demos for reading the data files. Contact and Support PicoQuant GmbH Rudower Chaussee 29 12489 Berlin, Germany Phone +49 30 1208820-0 Fax +49 30 1208820-90 email info@picoquant.com www http://www.picoquant.com