D4T Dovetail Adapters for 30 mm Cage and SM1 Lens Tube Systems

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Item #	Qty	Description
PMT1002	1	Multialkali Amplified PMT, 230 - 920 nm, C-Mount Threads
DTC05	1	Male D4T Dovetail Adapter, External C-Mount Threads, Internal SM05 Threads
DTSM1	1	External SM1 Threads to Female D4T Dovetail Adapter
FBH700-10	1	Hard-Coated Bandpass Filter, Ø25 mm, CWL = 700 nm, FWHM = 10 nm
SM1L20	1	SM1 Lens Tube, 2.00" Thread Depth, One Retaining Ring Included
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Pairs of dovetail adapters can be used to connect lens-tube-based optical assemblies of filters and lenses to PMTs or cameras. In this example, a bandpass filter is used to limit the wavelengths incident on a PMT.

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View Imperial Product List

Item #	Qty	Description
PMT1002	1	Multialkali Amplified PMT, 230 - 920 nm, C-Mount Threads
DTC05	1	Male D4T Dovetail Adapter, External C-Mount Threads, Internal SM05 Threads
DTCP1	1	30 mm Cage Plate, Female D4T Dovetail, 8-32 Mounting Hole
RS3P8E	1	Ø1" Pedestal Pillar Post, 8-32 Taps, L = 3"
CF125	1	Clamping Fork for Ø1.25" Pedestal Bases, 1.24" Counterbored Slot, Universal
ER4-P4	1	Cage Assembly Rod, 4" Long, Ø6 mm, 4 Pack
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View Metric Product List

Item #	Qty	Description
PMT1002	1	Multialkali Amplified PMT, 230 - 920 nm, C-Mount Threads
DTC05	1	Male D4T Dovetail Adapter, External C-Mount Threads, Internal SM05 Threads
DTCP1/M	1	30 mm Cage Plate, Female D4T Dovetail, M4 x 0.7 Mounting Hole
RS3P4M	1	Ø25.0 mm Pedestal Pillar Post, M4 Taps, L = 75 mm
CF125	1	Clamping Fork for Ø1.25" Pedestal Bases, 1.24" Counterbored Slot, Universal
ER4-P4	1	Cage Assembly Rod, 4" Long, Ø6 mm, 4 Pack
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A PMT is mounted in a 30 mm Cage System via a DTCP1(/M) Cage Plate.

Features

• Male D4T Dovetail Adapters:
• External C-Mount or SM1 Threads for Mounting Components Such as Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) and Scientific Cameras
• Internal SM05 Threads for Mounting Optics or a Ø0.80" Smooth Bore
• 30 mm Cage Plate and SM1 Lens Tube Adapter Accept Male D4T Dovetails
• Dovetail Mounting Allows Components to be Rotated up to 360° for Alignment Adjustment

These D4T Dovetail Adapters with external C-mount* or SM1 threads can be mounted in the compatible DTCP1(/M) 30 mm Cage Plate or DTSM1 SM1 Lens Tube Adapter, enabling PMTs and scientific cameras to be quickly added to or removed from optical systems constructed using our optomechanical components. Additionally, the dovetail design of these adapters allows a mounted component to be rotated up to 360° for alignment adjustments, while also not requiring the mounted part to be rotated when adding or removing it from a system.

Male D4T Dovetail Adapters
These stainless steel adapters have external C-mount threads or SM1 threads for connecting components such as cameras and PMTs, as well as either internal SM05 threads or Ø0.80" smooth bores.

30 mm Cage and SM1 Lens Tube System Mounts for D4T Dovetails
Thorlabs offers two options for mounting the Male D4T Dovetail Adapters. The DTCP1(/M) Cage Plate can be integrated into a 30 mm cage system via four through holes for ER cage rods, and also features 8-32 (M4) threads for post mounting. The DTSM1 Lens Tube Adapter has external SM1 threads on one side, allowing it to be threaded directly onto Ø1" Lens Tubes and other SM1-threaded components. A D4T male dovetail installed in the cage plate or lens tube adapter can be locked in place using a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex setscrew on the side of the component.

*Note that C-mount and CS-mount standards both use 1.000"-32 threads; however, C-mount lenses have a flange focal distance (FFD) that is 5 mm longer than the FFD of CS-mount lenses, which may need to be taken into account when integrating lenses and cameras into optical systems.

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This photo shows the male D1N dovetail on the CERNA^® trinoculars next to the female D1N dovetail on the epi-illumination arm.

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This photo shows the male 95 mm dovetail on a microscope body and the female 95 mm dovetail on the CSA1002 Fixed Arm.

Introduction to Dovetail Connectors

Dovetails are used for mechanical mating and optical port alignment of microscope components, PMT Sensors, and Scientific Cameras. Components are connected by inserting one dovetail into another, then tightening one or more locking setscrews on the female dovetail. Dovetails come in two shapes: linear and circular. Linear dovetails allow the mating components to slide before being locked down, providing flexible positioning options while limiting unneeded degrees of freedom. Circular dovetails align optical ports on different components, maintaining a single optical axis with minimal user intervention.

Thorlabs manufactures many components which use dovetails to mate with our own components or those of other manufacturers. To make it easier to identify dovetail compatibility, we have developed a set of dovetail designations. The naming convention of these designations is used only by Thorlabs and not other microscope manufacturers. The table to the right lists all the dovetails Thorlabs makes, along with their key dimensions.

To learn which dovetail type(s) are on a particular component, consult its mechanical drawing, available by clicking on the red Docs icon () below. For adapters with a female dovetail, the drawing also indicates the size of the hex key needed for the locking setscrew(s). It is important to note that mechanical compatibility does not ensure optical compatibility. Information on optical compatibility is available from Thorlabs' web presentations.

For customers interested in machining their own dovetails, the table to the right gives the outer diameter and angle (as defined by the drawings below) of each Thorlabs dovetail designation. However, the dovetail's height must be determined by the user, and for circular dovetails, the user must also determine the inner diameter and bore diameter. These quantities can vary for dovetails of the same type. One can use the intended mating part to verify compatibility.

In order to reduce wear and simplify connections, dovetails are often machined with chamfers, recesses, and other mechanical features. Some examples of these variations are shown by the drawings below.

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Two examples of how circular male dovetails can be manufactured.

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Two examples of how circular female dovetails can be manufactured.