Operation; General - THORLABS MAX200 Manual

3.1 General

Caution. The MAX200 series stages form part of the Thorlabs Nanopositioning system
and should be driven by one of the Thorlabs BSC10X series Stepper Motor Controllers.
For full compatibility, the controller should have Firmware version 1.0.3 or higher. The
Firmware version is displayed in brackets, in the top right hand corner of the GUI panel
for the Motor ActiveX control.
The stages are connected to the controller via a flying lead terminated in a D-type
connector.
Warning. The stepper motor controller must be switched OFF before the stages are
plugged in or unplugged. Failure to switch the controller off may result in damage to
either the controller, the stage, or both.
For a complete tutorial on using the stage with a stepper motor controller, see the
relevant controller manual. Basic steps in controlling the stage are as follows:
1) Run the APTConfig utility and associate the controller serial number, stage type
and channel number – see the APTConfig helpfile for further details.
2) Move each axis to its home position, to establish a zero datum.
3) Set commands to move each axis by relative and absolute amounts – see the
helpfile supplied with the APT server for more information.
A default configuration for the stage is stored in the APT server – see Table 3.1.
6
Table 3.1 Standard configurations for motor drives
Parameter
Maximum Velocity
Minimum Velocity
Slope
Backlash control
Backlash distance
Mode
Microsteps to units
Offset
Minimum position
Maximum position
Chapter 3
Value
-1
10 mm s
-1
0 mm s
-2
0.5 mm s
1
0.01 mm
Linear
51200
0.5 mm
0.00 mm
X-axis - 50mm
Y-axis - 75mm

Operation