17
Single-Channel Brushless DC Servo Controller
3.5
Connecting The Hardware and Powering Up
1) Install the APT Software - see Section 3.1.
2) Connect the stage to the Controller unit.
3) Connect the Controller unit to your PC.
4) Connect the Controller unit to the power supply and switch ‘ON’.
Windows
TM
should detect the new hardware. Wait while Windows
TM
installs the
drivers for the new hardware - see the Getting Started guide for more information
5) Wait until the Channel Enable LEDs stop flashing (~3s). This indicates that phase
initialisation is complete.
6) Run the APTUser utility and click the ‘Home’ button on each GUI panel. When
homing is complete, the Channel Enable LEDs on the controller front panel stop
flashing.
7) The stage can now be moved using the GUI panel, or by sending commands to
move each axis by relative and absolute amounts – see the helpfile supplied with
the APT server for more information.
8) See the Getting Started Guide supplied with the controller, or Chapter 4 of this
manual, for a brief tutorial on operation of the unit.
Note
The USB cable length should be no more than 3 metres unless a powered
USB hub is being used.
Note
3-phase brushless DC motors are commutated electronically, i.e. the
controller drives the coils with a precisely controller waveform, that
depends on the position of the rotor (or, with linear motors, the position
of the coil housing). On power up, the position of the rotor is not known.
The controller establishes this by energising the coils and measuring the
resulting movement. This is why on power up, the stage (motor) makes a
slight buzzing noise and moves about slightly for a few seconds. Phase
initialisation can only take place if the motor can move unobstructed
during this time.