# Release v1.21

```warning::  
    Only devices with firmware v1.17 or higher can be upgraded.  
    Do not perform an upgrade if your device has an older firmware or if you are unsure which version is installed.
    Click :ref:`here <Firmware-Version>` for information on how to find out the firmware version of your device.
```

Firmware v1.21 improves the performance in the near range and enables detection down to 1.5m.

## Improved Near Range

```note::  
    The reduced minimum range setting of 1.5m is only fully effective with the latest hardware revisions and is, therefore, not automatically enabled with a firmware update.
```

Due to an improved manufacturing process and improved software algorithms, Cube 1 devices can now achieve a minimum range of 1.5m (previously 4.5m).
For enabling the reduced blind zone, use either the Advanced Filter Settings in the WebGUI scan pattern editor or the corresponding parameter in the Blickfeld Scanner Library.

![](assets/distance_filter.png)

## Adjustment Possibility for Horizontal Phase Offset [v1.21.1]

With the patch release v1.21.1, an adjustment parameter for the horizontal phase offset to the advanced configuration of the Blickfeld Scanner Library was added.
A shift in the horizontal phase offset manifests itself in a horizontal misalignment of the upper half of the scan field with respect to the lower half as shown in the next image.
The horizontal phase offset parameter can now be adjusted to correct this effect.

### How To

```note::  
    Make sure that you have installed at least firmware version v1.21.1 on the Cube.
```

The simplest way of adjusting the horizontal phase offset is by using the Python package of the Blickfeld Scanner Library.

Open the WebGUI, configure the default scan pattern and direct the Cube towards a scene with some vertical structures such as a wall, column or similar in the center of the frame.
Use the viewer of the WebGUI to observe the point cloud and activate the 2D view.
You might want to adapt the coloring scale so that the offset can be observed well, as visualized in the example below.

![](assets/2021-06-02-08-40-06.png)

Now the updated Python package of the BSL can be used to correct the offset.

    # Install latest Python package
    $ pip install blickfeld_scanner -U

Open a Python console, connect to your device via the IP address or hostname and fetch the current advanced configuration.

    $ python
    Python 3.7.3 (default, Jul 25 2020, 13:03:44) 
    [GCC 8.3.0] on linux
    Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
    >>> import blickfeld_scanner
    >>> scanner = blickfeld_scanner.scanner("<hostname_or_ip>")
    >>> config = scanner.get_advanced_config() # Retrieve current config
    >>> config.processing.horizontal_phase_offset # Print current value
    4.2000000000000004e-05

The offset can be adjusted using this script while observing the point cloud output using the WebGUI viewer.
If the upper half is shifted to the right with respect to the lower half, the parameter should be decreased in microsecond steps.
If, instead, the upper half is shifted to the left the parameter should be increased.
The unit of the parameter is seconds and the required adjustment should only be a few microseconds.


    >>> config.processing.horizontal_phase_offset = config.processing.horizontal_phase_offset - 1e-6 # Example for decreasing
    >>> scanner.set_advanced_config(config) # Apply config

Adjust the value of `horizontal_phase_offset` iteratively until the upper and lower halves of the scan field are aligned:

![](assets/2021-06-02-09-00-33.png)

Lastly, save the configuration permanently.

    >>> scanner.set_advanced_config(config, persist=True) # Persist config

## Bugfixes

### Scan Pattern Switch [v1.21.2]

A bug related to the laser energy adjustment upon scan pattern switching has been fixed.