THORLABS BSC201 User Manual
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THORLABS BSC201 User Manual

Benchtop stepper motor controller
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BSC201
Benchtop Stepper Motor Controller
User Guide
Original Instructions

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  • Page 1 BSC201 Benchtop Stepper Motor Controller User Guide Original Instructions...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Appendix C Preventive Maintenance ............48 Appendix D Specifications and Associated Products ......49 Appendix E Stepper Motor Operation - Background ........ 51 Appendix F Regulatory ................57 Appendix G Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts ..........61 HA0277T Rev Hk Dec 2016...

  • Page 3: Chapter 1 Safety

    To minimize the possibility of this happening it is strongly recommended that any such modes that result in prolonged unresponsiveness be disabled before the software is run. Please consult your system administrator or contact Thorlabs technical support for more details.

  • Page 4: Chapter 2 Overview

    Chapter 2 Overview 2.1 Introduction The BSC201 is an enhanced single-channel Stepper Motor Controller using the Kinesis software. Many features are provided, including a choice between trapezoidal and S-shaped velocity profiles, a higher theoretical microstep resolution (409600 for a 200 full step motor) and speeds more than twice that achieved by their predecessors.
  • Page 5 For simplicity of operation, the software incorporates pre-configured settings for each of the Thorlabs stages and actuators, while still exposing all parameters individually for use with other stepper motor driven systems.

  • Page 6: Apt Pc Software Overview

    2.2 Kinesis Software Overview 2.2.1 Introduction The BSC201 controllers share many of the benefits of the Thorlabs range of motor controllers. These include USB connectivity (allowing multiple units to be used together on a single PC), fully featured Graphical User Interface (GUI) panels, and extensive software function libraries for custom application development.
  • Page 7 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller Consider the control supplied for the BSC201 controller. This Control provides a complete user graphical instrument panel to allow the stage to be manually operated, as well as a complete set of software functions (often called methods) to allow all parameters to be set and motor operations to be automated by a client application.
  • Page 8 F1 key when running the Kinesis server, or via the Start menu, Start\Programs\Thorlabs\Kinesis\Kinesis Help. 2.2.3 Software Upgrades Thorlabs operate a policy of continuous product development and may issue software upgrades as necessary. HA0277T Rev Hk Dec 2016...

  • Page 9: Chapter 3 Getting Started

    If you experience any problems when installing software, contact Thorlabs on +44 (0)1353 654440 and ask for Technical Support. DO NOT CONNECT THE CONTROLLER TO YOUR PC YET 1) Download the software from www.thorlabs.com.

  • Page 10: Mechanical Installation

    Chapter 3 3.2 Mechanical Installation 3.2.1 Siting The BSC201 is designed to be mounted free standing on a shelf, benchtop or similar surface. Caution When siting the unit, it should be positioned so as not to impede the operation of the rear panel power supply switch or the control panel buttons.

  • Page 11: Electrical Installation

    Shock Warning The unit 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 to the UK, Europe and the USA, with the appropriate power plug already fitted.
  • Page 12 Chapter 3 3.3.4 Rear Panel Connections Fig. 3.1 Rear panel connections USB - USB port for system communications. Note The USB cable length should be no more than 3 metres unless a powered USB hub is being used. HANDSET IN - Provides connection for the MJC001 Joystick - see Section 4.8. and Section A.2.

  • Page 13: Front Panel Controls And Indicators

    Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller 3.4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators ENABLE Precision Motion Controller Power Fig. 3.2 Front panel controls and indicators Power LED – Indicates that power is applied to the unit. Enable button – Used to enable/disable channel functionality. The associated LED is lit when the channel is enabled.

  • Page 14: Selecting The Stage Type

    Kinesis server to apply automatically, suitable default parameter values on boot up of the software. With some Thorlabs stages, the controller will recognise the stage at switch on, and no further action is required; for others, it is necessary to tell the controller which stage is connected as follows.

  • Page 15: Verifying Software Operation

    Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller 4) Select your actuator type (e.g. HS NanoMax 300 X-Axis) from the list displayed. Note To use the increased resolution and velocity funcitionality offered by these controllers, the stage types prefixed by ‘HS’ (e.g. HS NanoMax 300) must be selected.

  • Page 16: Chapter 4 Operation - Tutorial

    Fig. 4.1 Typical User Screen 1) Run the Kinesis software - Start/All Programs/Thorlabs/Kinesis/Kinesis. Notice how the HS NanoMax 300 X Axis actuator type, selected in Section 3.6. is displayed in the ‘Settings’ window. See Section 5.3. for further details on the...

  • Page 17: Homing Motors

    Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller 4.2 Homing Motors Homing the motor moves the actuator to the home limit switch and resets the internal position counter to zero. The limit switch provides a fixed datum that can be found after the system has been powered up. Fig.

  • Page 18: Changing Motor Parameters And Moving To An Absolute Position

    Chapter 4 4.3 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position Absolute moves are measured in real world units (e.g. millimetres), relative to the Home position. Moves are performed using a trapezoidal or S-Curve velocity profile (see Appendix E , Section E.1.3.).

  • Page 19: Jogging

    Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller 4.5 Jogging During PC operation, the motor actuators are jogged using the GUI panel arrow keys. There are two jogging modes available, ‘Single Step’ and ‘Continuous’. In ‘Single Step’ mode, the motor moves by the step size specified in the Step Distance parameter.

  • Page 20: Setting Move Sequences

    Chapter 4 4.6 Setting Move Sequences The Kinesis software allows move sequences to be programmed, allowing several positions to be visited without user intervention. For more details and instructions on setting move sequences, please see the Kinesis Helpfile. 4.7 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings During operation, certain settings (e.g.

  • Page 21: Using A Joystick Console

    In order for the controller and joystick to be used without a host PC, the Move/ Jog settings, Stage/Axis settings and the Joystick settings must be persisted (saved) within the BSC201 unit before the following predure is performed. This is done by checking the ‘Persist Settings’ box on each settings tab - see Section 5.3.

  • Page 22: External Triggering

    Chapter 4 5) Set the joystick console ID switch and the controller channel ID switches as described in the preceding paragraph. Caution Do not set the switches to identical numbers as this may result in lack of joystick control. Also, do not set the channel ID switches to 'E' or 'F' as this is reserved for factory use and testing.

  • Page 23: Chapter 5 Software Reference

    Kinesis software. Fig. 5.1 BSC201 Software GUI Note The serial number of the BSC201 controller card associated with the GUI panel is displayed in the top right hand corner. This information should always be provided when requesting customer support.
  • Page 24 Chapter 5 Velocity Parameters - the present setting for the move velocity parameters and the jog step size. The travel range of the associated stage/actuator is also displayed. These settings can be adjusted as described previously, or by clicking the Settings button to display the settings window, see Section 5.3.2.
  • Page 25 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller Stop - halts the movement of the motor. Lower Display - Shows the present state of the motor, e.g. Idle, Moving, Moving EXT or Homing. Also shows the part number of the associated actuator or stage. 5.2.1 Keyboard Shortcuts Certain functionality can also be accessed via PC keyboard shortcuts as follows: Jog Forwards...

  • Page 26: Settings Panel

    (refer to the Kinesis Server helpfile for further details. 5.3.1 Persisting Settings to Hardware Many of the parameters that can be set for the BSC201 controllers can be stored (persisted) within the unit itself, such that when the unit is next powered up these settings are applied automatically.
  • Page 27 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller 5.3.2 Moves/Jogs Tab Fig. 5.2 BSC201 Series Controller - Move/Jog Settings Display Units By default, the unit will display position in real world units (mm or degrees). If required, the units can be changed to so that the display shows other positional units (cm, µm, µrad etc).
  • Page 28 Chapter 5 In ‘Continuous’ mode, the motor actuator will accelerate and move at the jog velocity while the button is held down.. Fig. 5.3 Jog Modes Jog - the motor moves by the distance specified in the Step Size parameter. Continuous - the motor continues to move until the jog signal is removed (i.e.
  • Page 29 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller Backlash Distance - The system compensates for lead screw backlash during reverse direction moves, by moving passed the demanded position by a specified amount, and then reversing. This ensures that positions are always approached in a forward direction. The Backlash Distance is specified in real world units (millimeters or degrees).
  • Page 30 Chapter 5 The S-curve profile is a trapezoidal curve with an additional 'Bow Value' parameter, which limits the rate of change of acceleration and smooths out the contours of the motion profile. The Bow Value is applied in mm/s and is derived from the Bow Index field as follows: (Bow Index -1) Bow Value = 2...
  • Page 31 This section is applicable only to NRT100, NRT150, LTS150, LTS300 and MLJ050 series stages, DRV013 and DRV014 actuators. Fig. 5.6 BSC201 Series Controller - Calibration Settings Calibration enables the server to correct for any mechanical errors inherent in the system. Mechanical components, such as the leadscrew and linkages, can be machined only within a certain tolerance, e.g.
  • Page 32 They need to be set accordingly such that a particular stage is driven properly by the system. For BSC201 series controllers, the Kinesis software will automatically apply suitable defaults for the parameters on this tab during boot up of the software and these parameters should not normally be altered subsequently as it may adversely affect the performance of the stage.
  • Page 33 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller Homing Settings When homing, a stage typically moves in the reverse direction, (i.e. towards the reverse limit switch). The following settings allow support for stages with both Forward and Reverse limits. Note Typically, the following two parameters are set the same, i.e. both Forward or both Reverse.
  • Page 34 Chapter 5 5.3.5 Advanced Tab Fig. 5.8 Advanced Settings Encoder Settings Enabling the Encoder Settings will display another tab for use with Encoded stages. Please see the associated stage handbook for more details. Hardware Triggering Note The move parameters for triggered moves can only be set via software method calls in software.
  • Page 35 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller The trigger settings can be used to configure multiple units in a master - slave set up, thereby allowing multiple channels of motion to be synchronized. Multiple moves can then be initiated via a single software or hardware trigger command. Triggers This parameter sets the trigger mode for the associated channel.
  • Page 36 Power Settings The BSC201 controllers are designed to vary the phase powers (current) in the motor coils depending on the operating state of the motor - moving or stationary. Typically, when a stepper motor is at rest it is advisable to reduce the phase (holding) currents so that the motor does not overheat.
  • Page 37 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller steps) The moving phase powers are set automatically by the unit and cannot be adjusted. The Resting Power is entered as a percentage of full power. Note The default values applied by the software have been selected based on the type of stage or actuator associated with the motor drive.
  • Page 38 Fig. 5.10 Joystick Settings Joystick Settings If the optional Thorlabs joystick console is being used (MJC001) the following parameters are used to set the velocity and acceleration limits and the direction sense of any moves initiated from the joystick.- see Section 4.8. for more details on joystick use.

  • Page 39: Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details

    Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details A.1 Rear Panel Control IO Connector The ‘CONTROL I/O’ connector exposes a number of electrical signals useful for external control. It is possible to configure a particular controller to respond to trigger inputs, generate trigger outputs or both respond to and generate a trigger output - see Section 5.3.5.
  • Page 40 Chapter 5 A.1.1 Digital/User Outputs All digital outputs are of the open-collector type, with a 330 Ohm series resistor. When the output is set to a logic zero (which is also the default state), it behaves as open circuit. When it is a logic one, it behaves as a 330 Ohm resistor connected to ground. 330R Output Fig.
  • Page 41 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller A.1.2 Digital/User Inputs The digital inputs used in the controller are of the standard CMOS logic gate type with TTL compatible input levels and a built-in pull-up resistor (10 kOhm to +5V). They can be connected directly to mechanical switches, open-collector type outputs or most type of logic outputs.
  • Page 42 Chapter 5 A.1.4 Trigger Input The Trigger inputs are electrically identical to the digital inputs (i.e. a standard CMOS logic gate type with TTL compatible input levels and a built-in pull-up resistor, 10 kOhm to +5V). They can be connected directly to mechanical switches, open- collector type outputs or most type of logic outputs.
  • Page 43 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller A.1.6 +5 Volt Supply A +5 V, 250 mA supply is provided for interfacing to external circuits that require a power source. Caution Do not exceed the 250 mA maximum output current. For applications requiring higher currents an external power supply must be used. A.2 Rear Panel HANDSET Connector Provides connection to the MJC001 joystick.
  • Page 44 Chapter 5 A.3 Rear Panel MOTOR DRIVE Connectors The ‘MOTOR DRIVE’ connector provides connection to the motors. The pin functions are detailed in Fig. A.9. . Description Description Encoder A +ve CW Limit Stwitch Encoder A -ve CCW Limit Switch Encoder B +ve 0V User Encoder B -ve...

  • Page 45: Appendix B Using A Virtual Comm Port

    Appendix B Using A Virtual Comm Port When using the low level communications protocol messages to develop client applications outside of the software, communication with the device is facilitated by using a virtual comms port can be configured as follows: 1) Open the device manager by selecting Start/Control Panel/Device Manager/ 2) Click ‘USB Serial Bus Controllers’...
  • Page 46 Chapter 5 3) The ‘USB Device Properties’ window is displayed. 4) Select the ‘Advanced’ tab, and check the ‘Load VCP’ box. 5) Click OK, then power cycle the device being configured. HA0277T Rev Hk Dec 2016...
  • Page 47 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller 6) In the device manager, click ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’, and note the ‘USB Device Serial Port’ COM port number (e.g. COM3). This COM port can then be used by the client application to communicate with the device using the low level protocol messages.

  • Page 48: Appendix C Preventive Maintenance

    The equipment contains no user servicable parts. There is a risk of severe electrical 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.

  • Page 49: Appendix D Specifications And Associated Products

    Appendix D Specifications and Associated Parts D.1 Specifications Parameter Value Input/Output Motor Drive Channel 2-Phase Bipolar Motor Drive Output (15-Pin D-type Female) Differential Quadrature Encoder Interface Forward, Reverse Limit Switch Inputs Motor Control Jog Forward (15-Pin D-type Female) Jog Back User Outputs/Inputs Single - ended analog input (0-10 Volt) Trigger In/Out...
  • Page 50 Chapter 5 D.2 Associated Products Product Name Part Number Stepper Motor Actuator, 4mm travel DRV001 Stepper Motor Actuator, 25mm (1”) travel, trapezoidal leadscrew DRV013 Stepper Motor Actuator, 50mm (2”) travel, trapezoidal leadscrew DRV014 Stepper Motor Drive Cable (1.25 Metres) PAA 610 Stepper Motor Drive Cable (3.0 Metres) PAA 611 HA0277T Rev Hk Dec 2016...

  • Page 51: Appendix E Stepper Motor Operation - Background

    E.1 How A Stepper Motor Works E.1.1 General Principle Thorlabs’ actuators use a stepper motor to drive a precision lead screw. Stepper motors operate using the principle of magnetic attraction and repulsion to convert digital pulses into mechanical shaft rotation. The amount of rotation achieved is directly proportional to the number of input pulses generated and the speed is proportional to the frequency of these pulses.
  • Page 52 Chapter 5 E.1.2 Positive and Negative Moves Positive and negative are used to describe the direction of a move. A positive move means a move from a smaller absolute position to a larger one, a negative move means the opposite. In the case of a linear actuator, a positive move takes the platform of the stage further away from the motor.
  • Page 53 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller The S-curve profile is a trapezoidal curve with an additional 'Bow Value' parameter, which limits the rate of change of acceleration and smooths out the contours of the motion profile. The Bow Value is specified in mm/s and is derived from the Bow Index field as follows: The Bow Value is applied in mm/s...
  • Page 54 Chapter 5 E.2 Positioning a Stage E.2.1 General Whenever a command is received to move a stage, the movement is specified in motion units, (e.g. millimetres). This motion unit value is converted to microsteps before it is sent to the stage. If operating the unit by the front panel (local mode) this conversion is performed internally by the controller.
  • Page 55 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller used to provide a datum so that the Home position can be found. Movement is allowed right through the switch position in either direction. Datum switch +ve limit switch -ve limit switch (or stop) Linear stage Rotary stage Fig.
  • Page 56 Chapter 5 E.2.5 Power Saving The current needed to hold a motor in a fixed position is much smaller than the current needed to move it, and it is advantageous to reduce the current through a stationary motor in order to reduce heating. Although this heating does not harm the motor or stage, it is often undesirable because it can cause thermal movements through expansion of the metal of the stage.

  • Page 57: Appendix F Regulatory

    Appendix F Regulatory F.1 Declarations Of Conformity F.1.1 For Customers in Europe See Section F.3. F.1.2 For Customers In The USA This equipment has been tested and 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.
  • Page 58 • left over parts of units disassembled by the user (PCB's, housings etc.). If you wish to return a unit for waste recovery, please contact Thorlabs or your nearest dealer for further information. F.2.2 Waste treatment on your own responsibility If you do not return an "end of life"...
  • Page 59 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller F.3 CE Certificate...
  • Page 60 Chapter 5 HA0277T Rev Hk Dec 2016...

  • Page 61: Appendix G Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

    Appendix G Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts For technical support or sales inquiries, please visit us at www.thorlabs.com/contact for our most up-to-date contact information. USA, Canada, and South America UK and Ireland Thorlabs, Inc. Thorlabs Ltd. sales@thorlabs.com sales.uk@thorlabs.com techsupport@thorlabs.com techsupport.uk@thorlabs.com Europe Scandinavia...
  • Page 62 www.thorlabs.com...

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