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THORLABS BPC301, User Manual

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THORLABS BPC301 User Manual Download Page 35

Rev F Dec 2018

Page 32

Chapter 5 Software Reference

Chapter 5 Software Reference 

5.1 GUI Panel

The following screen shot shows the graphical user interface (GUI) (one panel per

card fitted) displayed when accessing the controller using the APTUser utility.

Fig. 5.1   BPC301 Piezo Driver Software GUI 

Output Control

 - used to adjust and set the voltage or position output as displayed in

the main digital display. 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.  Note  that  the  read  out  in  the  main  digital  display  is

independent of the operating mode (open or closed 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 decrement the piezo position. When the button is clicked,

the piezo is driven in the selected direction, one step per click. The step size can be

set in the 'Settings' panel or by using the SetJogStepSize method. 

Travel

 - the range of travel (in µm) of the piezo actuator.

Note

The serial number of the BPC301 unit associated with the GUI panel, the APT server 

version number, and the version number (in brackets) of the embedded software 

running on the unit, are displayed in the top right hand corner. This information 

should always be provided when requesting customer support.

Summary of Contents for BPC301

Page 1: ...HA0248T BPC301 Benchtop Piezo Controller User Guide Original Instructions ...

Page 2: ...chanical Installation 10 3 2 1 Siting 10 3 2 2 Environmental Conditions 10 3 3 Electrical Installation 11 3 3 1 Connecting To The Supply 11 3 3 2 Fuses 11 3 3 3 Powering Down The Unit 11 3 3 4 Rear Panel Connections 12 3 4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators 14 3 5 Button Operation 15 3 5 1 Resolution Button 15 3 5 2 Zero Button 15 3 5 3 Max Voltage Button 16 3 6 Control Potentiometer Operation 16...

Page 3: ...sor 25 4 8 Using the MZF001 Joystick 26 4 9 Load Response 28 4 10 Creating a Simulated Configuration Using APT Config 29 Chaper 5 Software Reference 32 5 1 GUI Panel 32 5 2 Settings Panel 33 5 2 1 General tab 34 5 2 2 Output tab 35 5 2 3 Force Sensing tab 36 5 2 4 Setting the Position Sensor Zero 36 5 2 5 Choice of Display Mode 36 5 2 6 Detection of Range of Travel 37 Appendices Appendix A Rear Pa...

Page 4: ...ne or more benchtop units via a standard USB hub Manual controls are located on the front face of the unit to allow manual adjustment of the 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 maximum drive voltage and zeroing of the piezo can also be selected from the...

Page 5: ...lso accessible through the ActiveX programmable interfaces which allow the user to build automated alignment routines See Section 1 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 s...

Page 6: ...the APT server 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...

Page 7: ... and 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 illustr...

Page 8: ... line before running 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 ...

Page 9: ...ware 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 the BPC301 APT piezo co...

Page 10: ...tage of and are built on top of the powerful functionality provided by the APT ActiveX Server as shown in Fig 1 2 Fig 1 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...

Page 11: ...k 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 Warning 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 moisture may impair operatio...

Page 12: ...ardware and a communications error may be generated To minimize the possibility of this happening it is strongly recommended that any such modes that result in prolonged unresponsiveness be disabled before the APT software is run Please consult your system administrator or contact Thorlabs technical support for more details Caution Some PCs may have been configured to restrict the users ability to...

Page 13: ...nit has 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...

Page 14: ...A When shipped to other territories the appropriate power plug must be fitted by the user Cable identification is as follows Brown Live Blue Neutral Green Yellow Earth Ground Warning Piezo actuators are driven by high voltages Voltages up to 150V may be present at the SMC connector This is hazardous and can cause serious injury Appropriate care should be taken when using this device Persons using ...

Page 15: ...IG IN Reserved for future use not implemented at this time TRIG OUT Reserved for future use not implemented at this time USB USB port for system communications HANDSET IN Provides connection for the MZF001 Jopystick see Section 4 8 and Section A 4 INTERCONNECT For Future Use CH ID For channel selection when using the MZF001 joystick see Section 4 8 EXT IN and EXT IN BNC connector Used to control t...

Page 16: ...sitive input minus the negative input equals 10V If either input is unconnected it contributes 0V The differential nature of these inputs can be useful in some applications as they reject unwanted common mode signals Although they are differential these inputs can also be used in single ended mode In this configuration the ve input can be considered as non inverting and the ve input as inverting T...

Page 17: ...is not lit the display is showing the output voltage in Volts Zeroed LED Indicates that the piezo has been zeroed This LED flashes during the zeroing operation Closed LED Indicates that the unit is operating in Closed Loop mode If the LED is not lit the unit is operating in open loop Volts Microns Button Selects either Volts or Microns to be displayed Open Closed Loop Button Selects Open or Closed...

Page 18: ...e 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 Each actuator has a unique offset value Therefore the offset should be adjusted whenever an actuator is replaced Temp...

Page 19: ... 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 using the Control Potentiometer 1...

Page 20: ...y Start All Programs Thorlabs APT APT User 6 Your APT Piezo Controller is now ready for use See the Getting Started Guide supplied with the controller or Chapter 4 of this manual for a brief tutorial on operation of the unit 3 9 Verifying Software Operation 3 9 1 Initial Setup 1 Install the APT software as detailed in Section 3 1 2 Connect the controller to the actuators see Section 3 3 4 and the ...

Page 21: ...escribed in Chapter 4 for further guidance on basic operation Note The APT Config 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 p...

Page 22: ...isplayed so that multiple APT units can be controlled All basic operating parameters can be set through this program and all basic operations such as piezo moves can be initiated Hardware configurations and parameter settings can be saved to a file which simplifies system set up whenever APT User is run up This tutorial shows how the APTUser application provides all of the functionality necessary ...

Page 23: ... Tutorial 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 24: ...emoved 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 to adjust...

Page 25: ...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 4 4 2 Moving the Piezo using the Output control 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 ...

Page 26: ...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 Select the General tab as shown in above 3 In the Jog Step S...

Page 27: ...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 Select the General tab 4 In the Drive Input Source field select BNC SW 5 Click OK to save the settings and close the window Any voltage on the rear panel BNC connector is now amplified by the unit and presented...

Page 28: ... 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 this parameter is 30 to be compatible with our FSC102 force sensor which is specified to read forces up to 30N 4 The force sensor may display an offset when no contact is apparent The Force Offset parameter is used to remove ...

Page 29: ...ller the controller need not be connected to a host PC thereby allowing remote operation 1 Connect the stage to the controller as detailed in the handbook supplied with the stage and controller unit 2 Using the lead supplied connect the CONTROLLER EXT IN terminal on the joystick console to the HANDSET IN connector on the rear panel of the Controller unit Fig 4 1 Connections In order to establish c...

Page 30: ...n the joystick console stop flashing 3s This indicates that initialisation is complete 6 Press and hold the High Low button for 2 seconds then release to zero the stage When zeroing is complete the green LED stops flashing 7 The stage can now be moved using the joystick GUI panel or by setting commands to move by relative and absolute amounts see the helpfile supplied with the APT server for more ...

Page 31: ...v F Dec 2018 Page 28 Chapter 4 PC Operation Tutorial 4 9 Load Response The response of the BPC301 to varying load and frequencies is shown below Fig 4 8 Response of BPC301 to Varying Loads and Frequencies ...

Page 32: ...re designed as 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...

Page 33: ...eration Tutorial 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 BPC301 ...

Page 34: ... a unique 8 digit 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 ...

Page 35: ...ed 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 decrem...

Page 36: ...he 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 see Section 5 2 1 Proportional displays the proportional feedback loop constant for the selected channel 0 to 255 Integral displays the...

Page 37: ...back loop constant for the selected channel 0 to 255 Input Source determines the input source s which controls the output from the HV amplifier circuit i e the drive to the piezo actuators SW Only the unit responds only to software inputs and the HV amp output is that set using the SetVoltOutput method or the GUI panel Output control BNC SW the unit sums the differential signal on the rear panel E...

Page 38: ...fic maximum operating voltage range This parameter sets a value for the maximum output voltage 75V 100V or 150 V If any other value is entered the unit will default to the nearest of these three settings Note Legacy piezo stages i e those fitted with an ident resistor are driven by 75 V The server will detect automatically if such a stage is fitted and in this case will limit the max voltage to 75...

Page 39: ...or Due to 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 t...

Page 40: ...isplay on the 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 6 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 ...

Page 41: ...functions are detailed in Fig A 1 Fig A 1 PIEZO 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 Note 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...

Page 42: ...fication Pin Description 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 Di...

Page 43: ...PLCs The digital 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 cont...

Page 44: ...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 Please see the APTServer helpfile for details on software calls used to control these logic IO A 2 4 5 Volt Supply A 5 V 250 mA supply is provided for interfacing to external circuits t...

Page 45: ... Fig A 6 Fig A 6 iNTERCONNECT Connector Pin Identification A 4 Rear Panel HANDSET Connector Provides connection to the MZF001 joystick The pin functions are detailed in in Fig A 7 Fig A 7 HANDSET Connector Pin Identification Pin Description 1 Not Connected 2 RX controller input 3 TX controller output 4 Not Connected 5 Ground 6 Not Connected 7 Not Connected 8 Not Connected 9 Not Connected Pin Descr...

Page 46: ...rical shock if the equipment is operated 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 su...

Page 47: ...nge 10V to 115 V DC 150 V Range 10 V to 159 V DC Position Feedback 9 Pin D Type Female Feedback Transducer Type Strain Gauge or Capacitive Sensor Detection Method AC Bridge 18 kHz Excitation Typical Resolution 5 nm for 20 µm Actuator e g PAZ005 Auto Configure Ident Resistance or Stage ID EEPROM in Actuator User Input Output D type 15 Pin Female 4 Digital Inputs TTL Levels 4 Digital Outputs Open Co...

Page 48: ...Data Housing Dimensions W x D x H 152 x 244 x 104 mm 6 x 9 6 x 4 1 in Weight 3 18 kg 7 lbs Product Name Part Number Drive Cable for Piezoelectric Actuators 3 0 m PAA100 Drive Cable for Piezoelectric Actuators 1 5 m PAA101 Piezoelectric Feedback Cable Male D type to Female LEMO converter 3 0 m PAA622 Z Focus Joystick MZF001 Strain Gauge Pre Amp circuit for use with third party closed loop piezos AM...

Page 49: ...an be done at design time or at 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...

Page 50: ...tus bits encoded in 32 bit integer LLGetHostStatusBits Gets the controller status bits encoded in 32 bit integer LLSaveHWDefaults Allows the current settings of the operation 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...

Page 51: ...s the event dialog when it has previously been disabled using the EnableEventDlg method StartCtrl Starts the ActiveX Control starts communication with controller StartOutputLUT 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 o...

Page 52: ...xpanding piezo is very large typically 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 ...

Page 53: ...the sensor 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 wi...

Page 54: ...ng closed loop 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 55: ...t 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 harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be r...

Page 56: ...Page 53 22882 D02 Single Channel Piezo Controller 75 V to 150 V F 2 CE Certificate ...

Page 57: ...o see right were sold to and are currently owned by a company or institute within the EC and are not dissembled or contaminated Contact Thorlabs for more information Waste treatment is your own responsibility End of life units must be returned to Thorlabs or handed to a company specializing in waste recovery Do not dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site USA Canada a...

Page 58: ...www thorlabs com ...

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