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BPC201
Benchtop Piezo Controller

User Guide

Summary of Contents for BPC201

Page 1: ...BPC201 Benchtop Piezo Controller User Guide ...

Page 2: ...nstallation 13 3 2 1 Siting 13 3 2 2 Environmental Conditions 13 3 3 Electrical Installation 14 3 3 1 Connecting To The Supply 14 3 3 2 Fuses 14 3 3 3 Powering Down The Unit 14 3 3 4 Rear Panel Connections 15 3 4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators 16 3 5 Button Operation 17 3 5 1 Resolution Button 17 3 5 2 Zero Button 17 3 6 Control Potentiometer Operation 18 3 6 1 Moving the Piezo using the Cont...

Page 3: ...g the Controller with a Force Sensor 27 4 8 Creating a Simulated Configuration Using APT Config 29 Chapter 5 Software Reference 32 5 1 GUI Panel 32 5 2 Settings Panel 34 5 2 1 General tab 34 5 2 2 Force Sensing tab 35 5 2 3 Setting the Position Sensor Zero 35 5 2 4 Choice of Display Mode 35 5 2 5 Detection of Range of Travel 36 Appendices Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Detail 37 Appendix B...

Page 4: ...n when there is a risk of injury from electrical shock Warning Given when there is a risk of injury to users Caution Given when there is a risk of damage to the product Note Clarification of an instruction or additional information Warnings If this equipment is used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer the protection provided by the equipment may be impaired In particular excessive moistu...

Page 5: ... piezo position using the digitally encoded adjustment pot The display is easy to read and can be set to show either applied voltage or position in microns Open or closed loop control and zeroing of the piezo can also be selected from the front panel Fig 2 1 APT Single Channel Piezo Controller BPC201 The APT piezo controller is supplied with a full suite of software support tools An intuitive grap...

Page 6: ...Section 2 2 for a full description of the APT system software and background on the advantages of the ActiveX Control technology The key innovation of the APT range of controllers and associated mechanical products is the ease and speed with which complete automated alignment systems can be engineered at both the hardware and software level All controllers in the APT range are equipped with USB co...

Page 7: ... which provides all of the necessary APT system software services such as generation of GUI panels communications handling for multiple USB units and logging of all system activity to assist in hardware trouble shooting It is this APT server engine that is used by software developers to allow the creation of advanced automated positioning applications very rapidly and with great ease The APT serve...

Page 8: ...d loaded to allow multiple operating configurations to be created and easily applied For many users the APTUser application provides all of the functionality necessary to operate the APT hardware without the need to develop any further custom software For those who do need to further customise and automate usage of the controller e g to implement a positioning algorithm this application illustrate...

Page 9: ...unning the APT software These settings have global effect such as switching between simulator and real operating mode and incorporation of calibration data The APTConfig utility is provided as a convenient means for making these system wide settings and adjustments Full details on using APTConfig are provided in the online help supplied with the utility Use of the APT Config utility is covered in ...

Page 10: ...are component Consequently ActiveX Controls can be incorporated into a wide range of software development environments for use by client application developers Development environments supported include Visual Basic Labview Visual C C Builder HPVEE Matlab VB NET C NET and via VBA Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Word Consider the ActiveX Control supplied for a Piezo Drive Card fitte...

Page 11: ...uilt on top of the powerful functionality provided by the APT ActiveX Server as shown in Fig 2 2 Fig 2 2 System Architecture Diagram Refer to the main APT Software online help file APTServer hlp available from the Windows Start menu for a complete programmers guide and reference material on using the APT ActiveX Controls collection Additional software developer support is provided by the APT Suppo...

Page 12: ...tion Note When operating via a PC direct user interaction with the unit is accomplished through intuitive graphical user interface panels GUIs which expose all key operating parameters and modes The user can select multiple panel views displaying different information about a particular hardware unit The multitasking architecture ensures that the graphical control panels always remain live showing...

Page 13: ...s been stored at a low temperature or in an environment of high humidity it must be allowed to reach ambient conditions before being powered up Caution When siting the unit it should be positioned so as not to impede the operation of the rear panel power supply switch Ensure that proper airflow is maintained to the rear of the unit Warning Operation outside the following environmental limits may a...

Page 14: ...t must be connected only to an earthed fused supply of 110 to 230V Use only power supply cables supplied by Thorlabs other cables may not be rated to the same current The unit is shipped with appropriate power cables for use in the UK Europe and the USA When shipped to other territories the appropriate power plug must be fitted by the user Cable identification is as follows Brown Live Blue Neutral...

Page 15: ...onnector These differential inputs can be used to control the position of the piezo actuator from an external source where 11 74 V gives maximum piezo displacement The input impedence is 20kΩ load Polarity is selected in the Settings panel see Section 5 2 or in software by calling the Piezo SetIPSource method see the APTServer helpfile available from the Windows Start menu The difference between t...

Page 16: ...most type of logic outputs to facilitate an input trigger see Section A 2 5 for further details TRIG OUT These outputs can be connected to an oscilloscope and can also be used to drive most optocouplers see Section A 2 4 for further details 3 4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators The front panel controls of the BPC201 piezo controller allow the unit to be operated as a standalone unit without the ...

Page 17: ... pot varies the output by a factor of 10 greater than in Fine mode In Open loop mode the full 75V range corresponds to about 12 turns of the pot in Coarse mode In Parked mode the Control potentiometer is disabled and turning it has no effect At power up the resolution defaults to Coarse 3 5 2 Zero Button The position sensor is a strain gauge fitted to the piezo actuator Due to limitations in manuf...

Page 18: ...bsequent anticlockwise turns do not effect the output but the voltage increases immediately the control is turned clockwise If the channel is in closed loop mode set using the closed loop button on the panel then this control can be used to adjust position output If open loop mode is selected using the open loop button then the control is used to adjust the voltage output 3 6 1 Moving the Piezo us...

Page 19: ...al on operation of the unit 3 8 Verifying Software Operation 3 8 1 Initial Setup 1 Install the APT software as detailed in Section 3 1 Connect the controller to the actuators see Section 3 3 4 and the PC then switch ON Wait approximately 5 seconds for the system to settle 2 Run the APTUser utility and check that the Graphical User Interface GUI panel appears and is active Fig 3 3 Gui panel showing...

Page 20: ...ig utility can be used to set up simulated hardware configurations and place the APT Server into simulator mode In this way it is possible to create any number and type of simulated virtual hardware units in order to emulate a set of real hardware This is a particularly useful feature designed as an aid to application program development and testing Any number of virtual control units are combined...

Page 21: ...User Utility The APT User exe application allows the user to interact with any number of APT hardware control units connected to the PC USB Bus or simulated via the APTConfig utility This program allows multiple graphical instrument panels to be displayed so that multiple APT units can be controlled All basic operating parameters can be set through this program and all basic operations such as pie...

Page 22: ... 1 Run the APT User program Start All Programs Thorlabs APT User APT User The APT server registers automatically the units connected on the USB bus and displays the associated GUI panels as shown in Fig 4 1 Fig 4 1 Typical APT User Screen ...

Page 23: ...must be removed before the position attained by a specific applied voltage and the position attained by a corresponding specified distance can be rationalized Each actuator has a unique offset value Therefore the offset should be adjusted whenever an actuator is replaced Temperature and prolonged use can affect the performance of the strain gauge and therefore the offset value It is good practice ...

Page 24: ...button 3 Click the position display Fig 4 3 Position Popup Window 4 Enter 10 0 into the pop up window 5 Click OK Notice that the position display counts up to 10 00 to indicate a move to a position 10µm from the Zero datum Note The piezo position can be entered only when operating in Closed Loop mode The position of the actuator is relative to the minimum position set for the arrangement using the...

Page 25: ...play decrements to show the decreasing piezo position 5 Click the Voltage button Notice how the display changes to show the voltage associated with the current piezo position 4 4 3 Jogging the Piezos When the jog buttons are pressed the piezo moves by the step size specified in the Jog Step Size parameter 1 Click the Settings button to display the Settings panel Fig 4 4 Piezo settings panel 2 Sele...

Page 26: ...xternal source e g 0 to 10V output To achieve this the controller must handle the amplification from 10V to 75V As an example the following procedure explains how to configure the unit as a piezo amplifier 1 Connect a 0 10V external source to the EXT IN or EXT IN connector on the rear panel 2 In the GUI panel click the Settings button to display the settings panel Fig 4 5 Piezo settings panel 3 Se...

Page 27: ...control a force sensor 1 In the GUI panel click the Settings button to display the settings panel and select the Force Sensing tab Fig 4 6 Piezo settings panel 2 Check the Force Sense Mode box to select Force Sensing Mode 3 Enter the calibration factor for the type of force sensor being used For example if set to 1 the GUI digital display shows a detected force of 0 to 1 The default setting for th...

Page 28: ...played next to the digital display on the GUI panel Fig 4 7 GUI Display Force Sensor Mode The system defaults to Position Force display mode and the digital display shows the force detected by the sensor The units of force are dependent upon the type of force sensor used ...

Page 29: ...an aid learning how to use the APT software and as an aid to developing custom software applications offline Any number of virtual control units can be combined to emulate a collection of physical hardware units For example an application program can be written then tested and debugged remotely before running with the hardware To create a simulated configuration proceed as follows 1 Run the APT Co...

Page 30: ...apter 4 4 In the Simulator field check the Enable Simulator Mode box The name of the most recently used configuration file is displayed in the Current Configuration window 5 In the Control Unit field select 1 Ch Piezo Driver BPC201 ...

Page 31: ...git serial number In order to simulate a set of real hardware the Config utility allows an 8 digit serial number to be associated with each simulated unit It is good practice when creating simulated configurations for software development purposes to use the same serial numbers as any real hardware units that will be used Although serial numbers are 8 digits as displayed in the Load Configuration ...

Page 32: ...losed loop selected for the particular channel If the Volts button is selected then the read out is in volts even if the channel is in closed loop mode and the Output control is being used to adjust position Similarly if the position button is selected the read out is in microns derived from the strain gauge feedback signal even if the channel is operating in open loop Jog used to increment or dec...

Page 33: ...ts The step size can be set either via the Settings panel or by calling the SetJogStepSize method Input Source displays the input source associated with the selected channel The input source can be set either via the Settings panel or by calling the SetIPSource method If SW Only is displayed the unit responds only to software inputs and the output to the piezo actuator is that set using the SetVol...

Page 34: ... step size is measured in microns if in open loop mode the step size is measured in Volts Feedback Loop these parameters determine the response characteristics when operating in closed loop mode In general the default values should not be altered Proportional sets the proportional feedback loop constant for the selected channel 0 to 255 Integral sets the integral feedback loop constant for the sel...

Page 35: ... limitations in manufacture the strain gauge may give a small signal when the actuator is at zero position with zero volts applied This offset signal must be removed before the position attained by a specific applied voltage and the position attained by a corresponding specified distance can be rationalized The offset is removed by clicking the Zero button in the GUI panel or by calling the ZeroPo...

Page 36: ...GUI panel Fig 5 3 GUI Display Force Sensing Mode The system defaults to Position Force display mode and the digital display shows the force detected by the sensor The units of force are dependent upon the type of force sensor used 5 2 5 Detection of Range of Travel In the case of actuators with position feedback the Piezoelectric driver can detect the range of travel of the actuator since this inf...

Page 37: ...EZO IN Connector Pin Identification Pin Description 1 Strain Gauge excitation 2 15V out 3 15V out 4 Ground 5 AC Feedback IN 6 Ground 7 Actuator ID signal 8 Reserved for future use 9 Reserved for future use Notes Power supply for the piezo actuator feedback circuit It must not be used to drive any other circuits or devices This signal is applicable only to Thorlabs actuators It enables the system t...

Page 38: ...ption Return Pin Description Return 1 Digital O P 1 5 9 10 9 Digital Ground 2 Digital O P 2 5 9 10 10 Digital Ground 3 Digital O P 3 5 9 10 11 For Future Use Trigger Out 5 9 10 4 Digital O P 4 5 9 10 12 For Future Use Trigger IN 5 9 10 5 Digital Ground 13 Digital I P 4 5 9 10 6 Digital I P 1 5 9 10 14 5V Supply Output 5 9 10 7 Digital I P 2 5 9 10 15 5V Supply Output 5 9 10 8 Digital I P 3 5 9 10 ...

Page 39: ...outputs used here can be used to directly drive most optocouplers and the 5V supply available on pins 14 and 15 can be used to provide power for the optocouplers Fig A 4 Application Example Connection to Optocoupler Inputs The digital outputs can also be used to interface to external logic circuitry a pull up resistor may be needed if the external logic does not contain it or control other types o...

Page 40: ...ead LOW if the voltage is above 2 4V and HIGH when the output is below 0 8 V Please see the APTServer helpfile for details on software calls used to control these logic IO A 2 4 Trigger Output The trigger output is different from the rest of the digital outputs in that it is a 5V CMOS logic gate with a series 1 kOhm resistor for protection It behaves as 5V voltage source with 1 kOhm in series when...

Page 41: ...7 Trigger Input Schematic protection circuitry not shown When connected to a switch the inputs will read as logic LOW if the switch is open circuit and HIGH if the switch is closed When connected to a logic output or any other voltage source the input is guaranteed to read LOW if the voltage is above 2 4V and HIGH when the output is below 0 8 V A 2 6 5 Volt Supply A 5 V 250 mA supply is provided f...

Page 42: ...cations or an external remote control handset e g Thorlabs PHS101 Remote Handset The pin functions are detailed in in Fig A 8 Fig A 8 RS232 HANDSET Connector Pin Identification Pin Description 1 Not Connected 2 TX controller output 3 RX controller input 4 Not Connected 5 Ground 6 Not Connected 7 Not Connected 8 Not Connected 9 Supply Voltage for Handset 11 5V 100 mA maximum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ...

Page 43: ... with the covers removed Only personnel authorized by Thorlabs Ltd and trained in the maintenance of this equipment should remove its covers or attempt any repairs or adjustments Maintenance is limited to safety testing and cleaning as described in the following sections Caution The instrument contains a power supply filter Insulation testing of the power supply connector should be performed using...

Page 44: ...Current 500mA channel Strain Gauge Position Feedback per channel Feedback D type 9 Pin Connector Analog Inputs BNC 0 to10 VDC User Input Output Connector Type D type 15 Pin Female Pin Functions Digital Output Digital Input Trigger Output Trigger Input 5V Output USB Port Version 1 1 Input Power Requirements DIN Connector Voltage 85 264 VAC Power 100W Fuse 2A General Data Housing Dimensions W x D x ...

Page 45: ...e for Piezoelectric Actuators 1 5 m PAA101 Drive Cable Extension for Piezo Actuators 1 5 m PAA101A Feedback Cable for Piezoelectric Actuators 1 0 m PAA605 Feedback Cable for Piezoelectric Actuators 3 0 m PAA606 Piezoelectric Feedback Cable Male D type to Female LEMO converter 3 0 m PAA622 Piezoelectric Feedback Cable Female D type to Male LEMO converter 3 0 m PAA623 Piezo Remote Control Handset PS...

Page 46: ...t run time Note that the appearance of the ActiveX Control GUI graphical user interface will change to the required format when the serial number has been entered The Methods and Properties of the Piezo ActiveX Control can be used to perform activities such as selecting output voltages reading the strain gauge position feedback operating open and closed loop modes and enabling force sensing mode A...

Page 47: ...on parameters to be saved into the onboard Flash memory of the hardware unit LLSetGetDigOPs Sets or Gets the user digital output bits encoded in 32 bit integer LLSetGetHostDigOPs Sets or Gets the user digital output bits encoded in 32 bit integer LoadParamSet Loads stored settings for specific controller SaveParamSet Saves settings for a specific controller SetAmpFeedbackSig Sets the feedback sign...

Page 48: ...utputLUT Starts outputting the voltage waveform LUT StopCtrl Stops the ActiveX Control stops communication with controller StopOutputLUT Stops outputting the voltage waveform LUT ZeroPosition Nulls the strain gauge reading to take out offset errors Properties APTHelp Specifies the help file that will be accessed when the user presses the F1 key If APTHelp is set to True the main server helpfile MG...

Page 49: ...ypically hundreds of newtons Perhaps the most useful property of these actuators is their ability to produce oscillating motion at considerable frequencies usually limited by the mechanical system driven rather than by the piezo actuator itself This ability is used to advantage in the NanoTrak control system for example The electric field gradient needed to produce a useful amount of expansion is ...

Page 50: ...measures the position the circuit subtracts the measured position from the demand position to get the error and a proportional integral feedback loop adjusts the voltage to the actuator until the error is virtually zero Some Thorlabs nanopositioning actuators have position sensing others do not The Piezoelectric control module allows both types to be controlled To control an actuator with position...

Page 51: ...control is a linear relationship between demand voltage and measured position see Fig E 4 in contrast to open loop control see Fig E 2 Fig E 4 Closed loop response amp actuator demand moving part open loop control amp actuator sensor a b s demand moving part closed loop control _ real position demand position ...

Page 52: ...nd found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device persuant to part 15 of the FCC rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause h...

Page 53: ...bin logo see Fig 1 sold to a company or institute within the EC currently owned by a company or institute within the EC still complete not disassembled and not contaminated Fig 6 1 Crossed out wheelie bin symbol As the WEEE directive applies to self contained operational electrical and electronic products this end of life take back service does not refer to other products such as pure OEM products...

Page 54: ...t a public waste disposal site F 2 3 Ecological background It is well known that WEEE pollutes the environment by releasing toxic products during decomposition The aim of the European RoHS directive is to reduce the content of toxic substances in electronic products in the future The intent of the WEEE directive is to enforce the recycling of WEEE A controlled recycling of end of life products wil...

Page 55: ...nc sales thorlabs com techsupport thorlabs com Europe Thorlabs GmbH europe thorlabs com France Thorlabs SAS sales fr thorlabs com Japan Thorlabs Japan Inc sales thorlabs jp UK and Ireland Thorlabs Ltd sales uk thorlabs com techsupport uk thorlabs com Scandinavia Thorlabs Sweden AB scandinavia thorlabs com Brazil Thorlabs Vendas de Fotônicos Ltda brasil thorlabs com China Thorlabs China chinasales ...

Page 56: ...d Saint Thomas Place Ely Cambridgeshire CB7 4EX UK Tel 44 0 1353 654440 Fax 44 0 1353 654444 www thorlabs com Thorlabs Inc 435 Route 206 North Newton NJ07860 USA Tel 1 973 579 7227 Fax 1 973 300 3600 www thorlabs com ...

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