THORLABS BPC301 User Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. THORLABS Manuals
  4. Controller
  5. BPC301
  6. User manual

THORLABS BPC301 User Manual

Benchtop piezo controller
Hide thumbs Also See for BPC301:
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
BPC301
Benchtop Piezo Controller
User Guide
Original Instructions
HA0248T

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the BPC301 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for THORLABS BPC301

Summary of Contents for THORLABS BPC301

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

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V Contents Chaper 1 Overview ......................1 1.1 Introduction ..................1 1.2 PC Software Overview ................3 1.2.1 Introduction ..................... 3 1.2.2 Kinesis Server ..................3 1.2.3 Software Upgrades ................. 4 Chaper 2 Safety ......................5 2.1 Safety Information ................5 2.2 General Warnings ................5 Chaper 3 Setup ......................6 3.1 Installing the Software ...............6...
  • Page 3 Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Detail ........29 Appendix B Preventive Maintenance ............35 Appendix C Specifications................36 Appendix D Piezo Operation - Background..........38 Appendix E Regulatory ................41 Appendix F Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts ..........43 Page 0 Rev F Mar 2022...

  • Page 4: Chaper 1 Overview

    , maximum drive voltage, and zeroing of the piezo can also be selected from the front panel. Fig. 1.1 Single Channel Piezo Controller (BPC301) The piezo controller is supplied with a full suite of software support tools. An intuitive graphical instrument panel allows immediate control and visualization of the operation of the piezo controller, and any other controllers that are installed in the system.
  • Page 5 See Section 1.2. for a full description of the Kinesis software. The key innovation of the Thorlabs range of controllers and associated mechanical products is the ease and speed with which complete automated alignment systems can be engineered at both the hardware and software level.

  • Page 6: Pc Software Overview

    HPVEE, Matlab, VB.NET, C#.NET and, via VBA, Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Word. Consider the control supplied for the BPC301 controller. The system provides a separate control for each piezo drive channel to allow the piezo unit to be manually operated, as well as a complete set of software functions to allow all parameters to be set and operations to be automated by a client application.

  • Page 7: Software Upgrades

    Start menu, Start\Programs\Thorlabs\Kinesis\Kinesis Help. 1.2.3 Software Upgrades Thorlabs often releases updated firmware for bug fixes and support for new features. We recommend all users to download the latest version of Kinesis software and use the included firmware update utility.

  • Page 8: Chaper 2 Safety

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V Chapter 2 Safety 2.1 Safety Information For the continuing safety of the operators of this equipment, and the protection of the equipment itself, the operator should take note of the Warnings, Cautions and Notes throughout this handbook and, where visible, on the product itself.

  • Page 9: Chaper 3 Setup

    If you are in any doubt about your rights to install/run software, please consult your system administrator before attempting to install. If you experience any problems when installing software, contact Thorlabs on +44 (0)1353 654440 and ask for Technical Support. Caution If your PC becomes unresponsive (e.g due to an operating system problem,...

  • Page 10: Mechanical Installation

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 3.2 Mechanical Installation 3.2.1 Siting The unit 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.

  • Page 11: Electrical Installation

    The unit must be connected only to an earthed fused supply of 85V to 264V. Use only power supply cables supplied by Thorlabs, other cables may not be rated to the same current. The unit is shipped with appropriate power cables for use in the UK, Europe and the USA.

  • Page 12: Rear Panel Connections

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 3.3.4 Rear Panel Connections Fig. 3.1 Rear panel connections AUX IO - This female 15-Pin D-type connector exposes a number of internal electrical signals. For convenience, a number of logic inputs and outputs are included, thereby eliminating the need for extra PC based IO hardware.
  • Page 13 Caution It is recommended that only cables supplied by Thorlabs are used to connect the piezo drive outputs. Other cables may not be rated to the same specification. If using third party cables for the high voltage output, the HV cable used must have insulation able to withstand 200V DC / 150V AC.

  • Page 14: Front Panel Controls And Indicators

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 3.4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators The front panel controls of the BPC301 piezo controller allow the unit to be operated as a standalone unit, without the need to connect to a PC.

  • Page 15: Button Operation

    Chapter 3 Setup Zero Button – Initiates the zeroing routine - see Section 3.5.2. Note The ‘Zero’ and ‘Open/Closed Loop’ buttons perform the same function as their respective equivalents on the software GUI panel. If a control PC is connected, pressing these buttons has the same effect as pressing the correspondingGUI button.

  • Page 16: Max Voltage Button

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 2) When the zeroing move has been completed, the ‘Zeroed’ LED is lit and the controller switches to closed loop mode. 3.5.3 Max Voltage Button The Max Voltage button sets the max limit of the drive output voltage. When the button is pressed and released, the present limit flahes on the main display.

  • Page 17: Adjusting The Display Brightness

    - see the Getting Started guide for more information 5) Run the Kinesis software Start/Programs/Thorlabs/Kinesis/Kinesis. 6) Your Piezo Controller is now ready for use. See Chapter 4 of this manual, for a brief tutorial on operation of the unit.

  • Page 18: Verifying Software Operation

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 3.9 Verifying Software Operation 3.9.1 Initial Setup 1) Install the software as detailed in Section 3.1. Connect the controller to the actuators (see Section 3.3.4.) and the PC, then switch ON. Wait approximately 5 seconds for the system to settle. Caution In applications requiring the highest level of accuracy and repeatability, it is recommended that the controller unit is powered up approximately 30 minutes...

  • Page 19: Chaper 4 Pc Operation - Tutorial

    Caution Thorlabs often releases updated firmware for bug fixes and support for new features. We recommend all users to download the latest version of Kinesis software and use the included firmware update utility. Failure to do this could result in stages not being recognized by the latest controllers.

  • Page 20: Setting The Position Sensor Zero

    This tutorial shows how the Kinesis application provides all of the functionality necessary to operate the hardware. 1) Power up the hardware, and wait until the BPC301 has finished booting up, then run the software - Start/All Programs/Thorlabs/Kinesis/Kinesis. The software registers automatically the units connected on the USB bus and displays the associated GUI panels as shown in Fig.

  • Page 21: Moving The Piezo

    Chapter 4 PC Operation - Tutorial 4.4 Moving the Piezo The piezo can be manually positioned in three ways: by entering a position, by using the ‘CONTROL’ potentiometer or by clicking the ‘Jog’ buttons. 4.4.1 Entering the piezo position Note The piezo position can be entered only when operating in ‘Closed Loop’...

  • Page 22: Jogging The Piezos

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 4.4.2 Jogging the Piezos When the Step buttons are pressed, the piezo moves by the step size specified in the Jog Step Size parameter. 1) Click the Step Button to display the Step Size window.. Fig.

  • Page 23: Choice Of Display Mode

    Chapter 4 PC Operation - Tutorial 3) Select the ‘General’ tab. 4) In the ‘Input Source’ field, select ‘Software + External Signal’. 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 at the HV OUT (piezo drive) connector and the position of the piezo actuator can be controlled by varying the 0-10V external source.

  • Page 24: Using The Controller With A Force Sensor

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V 4.8 Using the Controller with a Force Sensor The controller unit can also be used to control a force sensor. 1) In the GUI panel, click the ‘Settings button to display the settings panel and select the Force Sensing tab.

  • Page 25: Using The Mzf001 Joystick

    Chapter 4 PC Operation - Tutorial 4.9 Using the MZF001 Joystick The MZF001 joystick console has been designed for microscope users, to provide intuitive, tactile, manual positioning of the MZS500 stage. It is used in conjunction with a BPC30X series piezo controllers. Up to 3 joysticks can be connected to each other, interfacing neatly into a multi-channel control application.

  • Page 26: Load Response

    – see the helpfile supplied with the server for more information. 4.10 Load Response The response of the BPC301 to varying load and frequencies is shown below. Fig. 4.6 Response of BPC301 to Varying Loads and Frequencies Page 23...

  • Page 27: Chaper 5 Software Reference

    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 Kinesis software. Fig. 5.1 Piezo Driver Software GUI Note The serial number of the driver card associated with the GUI panel is displayed in the top right hand corner.

  • Page 28: Settings Panel

    Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V Parameters Display - shows the maximum working voltage of the associated piezo actuator and the present setting for the step size Settings - Displays the 'Settings' panel, which allows the operating parameters to be entered for the motor drive - see Section 5.2. Open Loop and Closed Loop LEDs - When Open Loop or Closed Loop mode is selected, the corresponding LED is lit.

  • Page 29: Control Tab

    The default values of 100 (proportional) and 100 (integral) have been optimised to work with most Thorlabs piezo actuators, so usually these values can be left unchanged.
  • Page 30 This must be set up to suit the maximum specified operating voltage of the piezo actuator connected to the unit. Most Thorlabs piezo actuators are specified for either 75V or 150V maximum operation. In general, the maximum voltage should not be exceeded because it can cause damage to the piezo actuator.

  • Page 31: Advanced Tab

    Chapter 5 Software Reference 5.2.3 Advanced Tab Input Settings Input Source - the voltage output of the unit is a sum of up to 3 contributing sources: the software (GUI) 'Output Voltage' setting, the front panel potentiometer and the external input source, which in turn can be set to Hub Channel 1, Hub Channel 2 or 'EXT IN' SMA connector - see Analogue Input Source parameter.

  • Page 32: Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Detail

    † 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 Thorlabs actuators. It enables the system to identify the piezo extension associated with the actuator.
  • Page 33 Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Detail A.2 Rear Panel AUX I/O Connector A.2.1 Pin Identification This female 15-pin D-Type connector exposes a number of internal electrical signals. For convenience, a number of logic inputs and outputs are included, thereby eliminating the need for extra PC based IO hardware.
  • Page 34 Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V A.2.2 Digital 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.
  • Page 35 Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Detail A.2.3 Digital 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 36 Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V A.3 Rear Panel INTERCONNECT Connector Although this Male 9-Pin D-type connector exposes internal electrical signals for use with serial communications or an external remote control handset, no firmware support is available at present. The pin functions are detailed in in Fig.

  • Page 37: Appendix B Preventive Maintenance

    The equipment contains no user servicable parts. There is a risk of 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. Maintenance is limited to safety testing and cleaning as described in the following sections.
  • Page 38 Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V Appendix C Specifications and Associated Parts C.1 Specifications Parameter Value Piezoelectric Output (SMC Male) Voltage Output 75 V, 100 V, and 150 V DC/channel Output Current 500 mA Voltage Stability 100ppm over 24 hours (after 30 mins warm up time) Noise <3m V RMS Typical Piezo Capacitance...

  • Page 39: Appendix C Specifications

    Appendix C Specifications and Associated Parts Parameter Value Housing Dimensions (W x D x H) 152 x 244 x 104 mm (6 x 9.6 x 4.1 in.) 3.18 kg (7 lbs) Weight: C.2 Associated Products Part Product Name Number Drive Cable for Piezoelectric Actuators (3.0 m) PAA100 Drive Cable for Piezoelectric Actuators (1.5 m) PAA101...
  • Page 40 – see Fig. D.1. In this way, the distance from positive to negative electrodes is very small. A large field gradient can therefore be obtained with a modest drive voltage (75 V in the case of Thorlabs actuators). expansion piezoelectric...

  • Page 41: Appendix D Piezo Operation - Background

    Some Thorlabs nanopositioning actuators have position sensing, others do not. The Piezoelectric control module allows both types to be controlled.
  • Page 42 Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V moving open loop control part demand actuator moving closed loop control part demand a + b/s actuator sensor Fig. D.3 Open loop and closed loop control The result of using closed-loop control is a linear relationship between demand (voltage) and measured position –...

  • Page 43: Appendix E Regulatory

    Appendix E Regulatory Appendix E Regulatory E.1 Declarations Of Conformity E.1.1 For Customers in Europe See Section E.2. E.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.
  • Page 44 Single-Channel Piezo Controller, 75 V to 150 V E.2 CE Certificate Page 41 22882-D03...

  • Page 45: Appendix F Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

    "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.
  • Page 46 www.thorlabs.com...

Table of Contents