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K-Cube Inertia Piezo Motor Driver
3.5 Selecting the Stage Type
To ensure that a particular stage is driven properly by the system, a number of parameters
must first be set. These parameters relate to the physical characteristics of the stage/
actuator being driven (e.g. min and max positions, leadscrew pitch, homing direction etc.).
To assist in setting these parameters correctly, it is possible to associate a specific stage
type with the motor controller channel. Once this association has been made, the server
automatically applies suitable default parameter values on boot up of the software.
The stage type can only be selected from the top panel settings menu - see Section 4.4.11.
for more details.
3.6 Verifying Software Operation
The APT Software should be installed (Section 3.1.) and the controller connected to
the actuators (see Section 3.4.) and the PC, before verifying software operation.
1) Run the APTUser utility and check that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) panel
appears and is active.
Fig. 3.5 GUI panel showing jog and ident buttons
2) Click the ‘Ident’ button. The display on the top panel of the associated controller
flashes. This is useful in multi-channel systems for identifying which channel is
associated with which GUI.
3) Click the green button next to the channel display to enable a channel.
4) Click the jog buttons on the GUI panel to move the actuator associated with the
selected channel. The step count display for the associated GUI should increment
and decrement accordingly.
Follow the tutorial described in Chapter 5 for further guidance on basic operation.
Note
To ensure correct operation, it is important to select the correct stage and axis type
as described above. Selecting an incompatible stage/axis type could result in
reduced velocity and/or resolution, and in the worst case could cause the stage to
run into the end stops or home incorrectly.
