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TST101
T-Cube Stepper Motor Controller

User Guide

Original Instructions

Summary of Contents for TST101

Page 1: ...TST101 T Cube Stepper Motor Controller User Guide Original Instructions ...

Page 2: ... 2 2 Mounting Options 13 3 2 3 Removing the Baseplate 14 3 3 Electrical Installation 15 3 3 1 Connecting a Motor 15 3 3 2 Using The TCH002 Controller Hub 15 3 3 3 Connecting To A Standalone Power Supply 16 3 4 Connect The Hardware 16 3 5 Select the Stage Type using APTConfig 17 3 6 Verifying Software Operation 19 3 6 1 Initial Setup 19 Chapter 4 Standalone Operation 21 4 1 Introduction 21 4 2 Fron...

Page 3: ...ng Loading a Settings file 35 5 10 Creating a Simulated Configuration Using APT Config 38 5 11 Stage Axis Tab 41 Chapter 6 Software Reference 42 6 1 Introduction 43 6 2 GUI Panel 44 6 3 Settings Panel 44 6 3 1 Moves Jogs Tab 44 6 3 2 Stage Axis Tab 49 6 3 3 Advanced Tab 53 Appendices Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details 55 Appendix B Preventive Maintenance 56 Appendix C Specifications an...

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: ...hly flexible parameter set also supports operation a wide range of stepper motors and associated stages actuators For convenience the footprint of this unit has been kept to a minimum measuring only 60 mm x 60 mm x 47 mm 2 4 x 2 4 x 1 8 and with the facility to directly mount to the optical table close to the motorised device convenient when manually adjusting motor positions using the top panel c...

Page 6: ... described for both front panel and PC operation Tutorial sections Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 provide a good initial understanding on using the unit and reference section Chapter 6 covers all operating modes and parameters in detail 2 2 T Cube Controller Hub As a further level of convenience when using the new T Cube Controllers Thorlabs also offers the new T Cube Controller Hub TCH002 This product h...

Page 7: ...ed 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 e...

Page 8: ...ed 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 Stepper Driver T Cube e g to implement a positioning algorithm this application illus...

Page 9: ...ttings have global effect such as switching between simulator and real operating mode associating mechanical stages to specific motor actuators 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 Con...

Page 10: ...ed 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 APT stepper driver unit This Control provides a complete user graphical instrumen...

Page 11: ... System Architecture Diagram Refer to the main APT Software online help file APTServer hlp for a complete programmers guide and reference material on using the APT ActiveX Controls collection This is available either by pressing the F1 key when running the APT server or via the Start menu Start Programs Thorlabs APT APT Help Additional software developer support is provided by the APT Support CD s...

Page 12: ...ng 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 all current hardware activity Caution Some PCs may have been configured to restrict the users ability to load software and on these systems the software may not install r...

Page 13: ...ith a baseplate fitted ready to be bolted to a breadboard optical table or similar surface If desired the baseplate can be removed and the unit can be stood on rubber feet see Section 3 2 3 For multiple cube systems a USB controller hub TCH002 is available see Section 2 2 for further details Full instructions on the fitting and use of the controller hub are contained in handbook ha0146T T Cube Con...

Page 14: ...g the unit to the baseplate Retain the bolts for future use if the baseplate is refitted 2 Invert the unit 3 Remove the backing paper from the rubber feet supplied taking care not to touch the exposed adhesive surface 4 Position the feet as desired then press and hold for a few seconds until the adhesive has bonded 5 The unit may now be used freestanding sitting on its rubber feet Detail A Detail ...

Page 15: ...pin D type connector as shown above which is compatible with all Thorlabs stepper motor actuators refer to Appendix A for details of pin outs 3 3 2 Connecting To A Standalone Power Supply Fig 3 3 Front Panel Power Supply Connector 1 Using the front panel connector as shown above connect the unit to a regulated DC power supply of 15 V 1A MOTOR TST101 ...

Page 16: ... parameters must first be set These parameters relate to the physical characteristics of the stage being driven e g min and max positions leadscrew pitch homing direction etc To assist in setting these parameters correctly it is possible using the APT Config utility to associate a specific stage type and axis with the motor controller Once this association has been made the APT server applies auto...

Page 17: ...he unit 5 In the Stage field select your actuator type e g HS ZST213 B from the list displayed Stage selections for the TST101 are as follows Note To use the increased resolution and velocity funcitionality offered by these controllers the stage types prefixed by HS e g HS NanoMax 300 X Axis must be selected Failure to select the correct stage type will result in reduced velocity and resolution No...

Page 18: ...0mm HS TST 17DRV013 25mm 6 Click the Add Change Stage Association button The actuator type and serial number are added to the list in the main window as shown above 7 The server reads in the stage and controller information on start up Shut down the APTConfig utility and proceed to Section 3 6 to verify the software operation See the APT Config utility on line help for further information ...

Page 19: ...i panel showing jog and ident buttons 2 Check that the actuator type and serial number associated in Section 3 5 are displayed in the GUI panel 3 Click the Ident button The LED on the front panel of the Stepper Driver T Cube flashes This is useful in multi channel systems for identifying which driver unit is associated with which GUI 4 Click the jog buttons on the GUI panel and check that the moto...

Page 20: ...al 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 to build a model of the real system which can then be used to test the application software offline If using real hardware ensure that Simulator Mode is disabled If using a simulated set...

Page 21: ...tion adjustment of settings such as lead screw pitch and gearbox ratio allowing support for many different actuator configurations These parameters can be set via the APT Server software see Chapter 5 Furthermore when used with the extensive range of Thorlabs ZST motorised opto mechanical products many of these parameters are automatically set to allow out of the box operation with no further tuni...

Page 22: ...R LED Lit when power is applied to the unit This LED can be configured to flash when the Ident button is clicked on the APT Software GUI panel see Section 6 3 3 for further details 4 3 Potentiometer Operation The potentiometer slider is sprung such that when released it returns to it s central position In this central position the motor is stationary As the slider is moved away from the centre the...

Page 23: ...mode it is possible from the front panel to save the current position as the Go To Position value To save the current position as the Go To Position value press and hold the required button for 2 seconds 4 4 4 Jogging The front panel buttons can also be configured to jog the motor This mode of operation is enabled by setting the Button Mode parameter to Jogging on the Advanced settings tab see Sec...

Page 24: ... Using the APT 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 operati...

Page 25: ...is displayed in the Settings window See Section 5 11 and Section 6 3 for further details on the parameter values shown in the Settings display Fig 5 2 Stepper Driver T Cube Software GUI The APT User utility will be used throughout the rest of this tutorial to interface with the Stepper Driver T Cube ...

Page 26: ...ig 5 3 Stepper Driver T Cube GUI 1 Click the Home button Notice that the led in the button lights to indicate that homing is in progress and the displayed position for both channels counts down to 000 000 i e the home position 2 When homing is complete the Homed LED is lit as shown above See Appendix E Section E 2 2 for background information on the home position Note Homing can also be performed ...

Page 27: ...easured in real world units e g millimetres relative to the Home position 1 Click the position display Fig 5 4 Absolute Position Popup Window 2 Enter 3 0 into the pop up window 3 Click OK Notice that the position display counts up to 003 000 to indicate a move to the absolute position 3 00mm ...

Page 28: ...ck the Settings button bottom right hand corner of the display to show the Settings panel Fig 5 5 Settings Panel Move Jogs Tab 2 Select the Move Jogs tab as shown in Fig 5 5 3 In the Moves field enter parameter values as follows Max Vel 0 25 Accn Dec 0 1 4 Click OK to save the settings and close the window 5 Any further moves initiated will now be performed at a maximum velocity of 0 25mm per seco...

Page 29: ...jog velocity while the button is held down 1 On the GUI panel click the Settings button to display the Settings panel Fig 5 6 Settings Panel Move Jogs Tab 2 Select the Move Jogs tab as shown in Fig 5 6 3 In the Jogs field enter parameter values as follows Velocity Profile Max Vel 0 25 Accn Dec 0 1 Operating Modes Jogging Single Step Stopping Profiled Step Distance 0 1 4 Click OK to save the settin...

Page 30: ...d stage and actuator type minimum and maximum positions current position units per grid division and cursor position All units are displayed in real world units either millimetres or degrees The left hand display shows a circle which represents the current position of the motor associated with the specified controller absolute position data is displayed in the Chan Pos field The vertical divisions...

Page 31: ... the mouse position is displayed in the Cursor Position field 2 Click the left hand mouse button to initiate the move Jog Mode When Jogging mode is selected the motors are jogged each time the left mouse button is clicked The Jog direction corresponds to the position of the cursor relative to the circle current motor position e g if the cursor is to the left of the circle the motor will jog left T...

Page 32: ...be visited without user intervention For details on moving to absolute positions initiated by a mouse click see Section 5 7 1 From the Motor GUI Panel select Move Sequencer tab to display the Move Sequencer window Fig 5 8 Move Sequencer Window 2 Right click in the move data field to display the pop up menu Fig 5 9 Move Sequencer Pop Up Menu ...

Page 33: ...in the sequence The Dwell time is the time to wait in milliseconds Return if checked the system will move to the position specified in the Dist Pos field wait for the specified Dwell time and then return to the original position 4 Min Vel Acc and Max Vel the velocity profile parameters for the move The motor accelerates at the rate set in the Acc field up to the speed set in the Max Vel field As t...

Page 34: ...ing the data line s and selecting the appropriate option in the pop up menu shown below Fig 5 12 Pop Up Options 7 To run a single line of data right click the appropriate data and select Run from the pop up menu shown above 8 To run the entire sequence click the Run button shown below A Home move can also be performed from this panel by clicking the Home button Fig 5 13 Home and Run Buttons 9 To s...

Page 35: ...can be saved to a Settings Group which can then be uploaded on subsequent start up When saving only those settings applicable to the graphical panels displayed will be saved For example if two motor panels are displayed then the settings for both panels will be saved together in a single set with a single name Settings are saved by association with the serial numbers of the hardware units connecte...

Page 36: ...cessary using the Settings button on each GUI panel 6 From the File menu select Save Any previously saved settings are listed in the main display To save the current settings under a new name enter a file name into the upper display area and click Save To save the settings under an existing name select a filename from the main display then click Save ...

Page 37: ...t recently used settings group Caution Settings should only be loaded automatically when the same hardware set up is being used for prolonged periods of time The Automatically load settings on Startup box must be unchecked before the system configuration can be changed e g to drive a different stage actuator This is particularly important when the system has previously been used in simulator mode ...

Page 38: ... 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 colection 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 39: ...r 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 Stepper Driver T Cube TST101 ...

Page 40: ...e Each physical APT hardware unit is factory programmed with 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 Al...

Page 41: ... when the ZST6 actuator was selected using the APTConfig utility in Section 3 5 The APT server automatically applied suitable defaults for the parameters on this tab during boot up of any client software such as APTUser These parameters should not be altered for pre defined Thorlabs stages and actuators selected using APT Config as it may adversely affect the performance of the stage For third par...

Page 42: ...r utility Fig 6 1 Stepper Driver T Cube Software GUI Jog used to increment or decrement the motor position When the button is clicked the motor is driven in the selected direction at the jog velocity one step per click The step size and jog velocity parameters are set in the Settings panel see Section 6 3 Note The serial number of the Stepper Driver T Cube associated with the GUI panel the APT ser...

Page 43: ...te a particular stage Calib File the calibration file associated with the specified channel See the APTConfig utility helpfile for more details on assigning and using calibration files Min Max V the minimum velocity at which a move is initiated and the maximum velocity at which the move is performed Values are displayed in real world units mm s or degrees s and can be set via the Settings panel se...

Page 44: ... 1 Moves Jogs Tab Fig 6 2 Stepper Driver T Cube Move Jog Settings Moves Velocity Profile Moves can be initiated via the GUI panel by entering a position value after clicking on the position display box see Section 5 4 or by calling a software function see the APTServer helpfile The following settings determine the velocity profile of such moves and are specified in real world units millimetres or ...

Page 45: ...lable Single Step and Continuous In Single Step mode the motor moves by the step size specified in the Step Distance parameter If the jog key is held down single step jogging is repeated until the button is released see Fig 6 3 In Continuous mode the motor actuator will accelerate and move at the jog velocity while the button is held down Fig 6 3 Jog Modes Single Step the motor moves by the step s...

Page 46: ...mine the instantaneous position velocity and acceleration of each axis at any given moment During a motion profile these values will change continuously Once the move is complete these parameters will then remain unchanged until the next move begins The specific move profile created by the system depends on several factors such as the profile mode and profile parameters presently selected and othe...

Page 47: ...s at the same rate until it reaches 0 again at the specified velocity The same sequence in reverse brings the axis to a stop at the programmed destination position Example Fig 6 5 Typical S Curve Profile The figure above shows a typical S curve profile In segment 1 the S curve profile drives the axis at the specified Bow Index BI until the maximum acceleration A is reached The axis continues to ac...

Page 48: ... parameters described previously are good examples of settings that can be altered and then persisted in the driver for use in absence of a PC To save the settings to hardware check the Persist Settings to Hardware checkbox before clicking the OK button Note The higher the Bow Index then the shorter the BI phases of the curve and the steeper the acceleration and deceleration phases High values of ...

Page 49: ... how to associate a stage and axis Once this association has been made the APT server will automatically apply suitable defaults for the parameters on this tab during boot up of the software These parameters should not be altered for pre defined Thorlabs stages selected using APT Config as it may adversely affect the performance of the stage For custom stage types not available using the APT Confi...

Page 50: ... to the Home position Velocity the maximum velocity at which the motors move when Homing For further information on the home position see Section E 2 2 Hardware Limit Switches The operation of the limit switches is inherent in the design of the associated stage or actuator The following parameters notify the system to the action of the switches when contact is made Select Rev Switch or Fwd Switch ...

Page 51: ...box Ratio parameter is applicable only to motors fitted with a gearbox Note The Steps Per Rev and Gearbox Ratio parameters together with the Pitch and Units parameters are used to calculate the calibration factor for use when converting real world units to microsteps However the Steps Per Rev parameter is entered as full steps not microsteps The system automatically applies a factor of 2048 micros...

Page 52: ...ardware check the Persist Settings to Hardware checkbox before clicking the OK button Caution The Persist Settings functionality is provided to simplify use of the unit in the absence of a PC When the unit is connected to a PC and is operated via APTUser the default APTServer settings will be loaded at boot up even if the Persist Settings option has been checked ...

Page 53: ...t in a light sensitive environment stray light from these LEDs could be undesirable Therefore it is possible to disable selectively one or all of the LED indicator modes described above by clearing the associated check boxes in the LED Indicator Modes field Button Control Settings The buttons on the front of the unit can be used either to jog the motor or to perform moves to absolute positions But...

Page 54: ...hat when the unit is next powered up these settings are applied automatically This is particularly important when the driver is being used manually in the absence of a PC and USB link The potentiometer button and LED parameters described above are good examples of settings that can be altered and then persisted in the driver for use in absence of a PC To save the settings to hardware check the Per...

Page 55: ...uator The pin functions are detailed in Fig A 1 Notes Pull low to enable Fig A 1 MOTOR I O Connector Pin Identification Pin Description Pin Description 1 Ground 9 2 CCW Limit Switch 10 5V 3 CW Limit Switch 11 Enc A ve 4 Phase B ve 12 Enc A ve 5 Phase B ve 13 Enc B ve 6 Phase A ve 14 Enc B ve 7 Phase A ve 15 For Future Use 8 For Future Use 5 10 11 15 6 1 ...

Page 56: ... 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 Warning Disconnect the power supply before cleaning the unit Never allow water to get inside the case Do not saturate the unit Do not use any type of ab...

Page 57: ...Encoder Feedback Bandwidth 500 kHz Position Counter 32 bit Operating Modes Position Velocity Velocity Profile Trapezoidal or S Profile Motor Drive Connector 15 Way D Type Motor Drive Outputs Phase A B Quadrature Encoder QEP Input Differential Limit Switch Inputs Forward Reverse Common Return Encoder Supply 5 V Front Panel Controls Sprung Potentiometer Slider Variable Speed Bidirectional Velocity C...

Page 58: ...or Requirements Peak Powers 15 W Step Angle Range 20 to 1 8 Rated Phase Current up to 1 A Peak Motor Mode Current Coil Resistance nominal 5 to 20 Ω Coil Inductance nominal 2 to 5 5 mH Phases 2 Position Control Open Loop ...

Page 59: ...ntrol can be used to perform activities such as homing stages absolute and relative moves and changing velocity profile settings A brief summary of ech method and property is given below for more detailed information and individual parameter descriptiond please see the on line help file supplied with the APT server Methods DeleteParamSet Deletes stored settings for specific controller DisableHWCha...

Page 60: ...ion Gets the current motor position returned by value GetPositionEx Gets the current motor position GetPositionEx_UncalibPosition Gets the current uncalibrated motor position returned by value GetPositionOffset Gets the motor position offset GetRelMoveDist Gets the relative move distance GetRelMoveDist_RelDist Gets the relative move distance returned by reference GetStageAxis Gets the stage type i...

Page 61: ...ove with specified distances MoveVelocity Initiates a move at constant velocity with no end point SaveParamSet Saves settings for a specific controller SetAbsMovePos Sets the absolute move position SetBLashDist Sets the backlash distance SetDispMode Sets the GUI display mode SetHomeParams Sets the homing sequence parameters SetHWLimSwitches Sets the limit switch configuration settings SetJogMode S...

Page 62: ...a motor move in a profiled decelleration manner 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 MG17Base will be launched DisplayMode Allows the display mode of the virtual display panel to be set read HWSerialNum specifies the serial number of the hardware unit to be associated with an ActiveX con...

Page 63: ...les on both the rotor and stator For example with a 24 step motor such as that used in the ZST actuators positional increments steps of 15 degrees can be achieved by switching the coils If the current through one coil is increased as it is decreased in another the new rotor position is somewhere between the two coils and the step size is a defined fraction of a full step microstep The size of the ...

Page 64: ...eleration of each axis at any given moment During a motion profile these values will change continuously Once the move is complete these parameters will then remain unchanged until the next move begins The specific move profile created by the system depends on several factors such as the profile mode and profile parameters presently selected and other conditions such as whether a motion stop has b...

Page 65: ...xample Fig E 3 Typical S Curve Profile The figure above shows a typical S curve profile In segment 1 the S curve profile drives the axis at the specified Bow Index BI until the maximum acceleration A is reached The axis continues to accelerate linearly Bow Index 0 through segment 2 The profile then applies the negative value of Bow Index to reduce the acceleration to 0 during segment 3 The axis is...

Page 66: ...tance zero offset When at the Home position the counters are reset to zero thereby establishing a fixed datum that can be found even after the system has been switched off See Section 5 3 for details on performing a Home move E 2 3 Limit Switches A linear stage moves between two stops and movement outside these limits is physically impossible Linear stages can include stages that control the angle...

Page 67: ... is often the case that the Minimum position is zero The Home and Minimum positions then coincide with movement always occurring on the positive side of the Home position Rotary stages have effectively no limits of travel The Minimum and Maximum positions are conventionally set to 0 and 360 degrees respectively When the position of a rotary stage is requested the answer will be reported as a numbe...

Page 68: ...ion The term backlash refers to the tendency of the stage to reach a different position depending on the direction of approach Backlash can be overcome by always making the last portion of a move in the same direction conventionally the positive direction Consider the situation in Fig E 6 a positive move from 10 to 20 mm is carried out as one simple move whereas a negative move from 20 to 10 mm fi...

Page 69: ...ate 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 required to correct the interference at his own expense Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the company could ...

Page 70: ...arest dealer for further information F 2 2 Waste treatment on your own responsibility If you do not return an end of life unit to the company you must hand it to a company specialized in waste recovery Do not dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site F 2 3 Ecological background It is well known that WEEE pollutes the environment by releasing toxic products during decom...

Page 71: ...71 6 3 CE Certificate ...

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