Chapter 1 Introduction - THORLABS ELL6 Operating Manual

ELL6(K), ELL9(K), and ELL12(K) Optic Slider Kits Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 1 Introduction
The ELL6, ELL9, and ELL12 are multi-position optic sliders with millisecond switching times enabled by Thorlabs'
Elliptec™ piezoelectric resonant motor technology. The ELL6 Dual-Position Slider and the ELL9 Four-Position
Slider are both compatible with SM1 optics, while the ELL12 Six-Position Slider is used with SM05 optics.
The resonant piezo design of the motors offers fast response times and precise positioning and are therefore
particularly useful in scanning applications. These piezo motors also do not include magnets like traditional
motors, making them ideal for applications that are sensitive to electromagnetic interference.
The high-speed digital signal processing (DSP) architecture supports a multi-drop serial communication
protocol, and a set of digital IO lines allows the user to control the movement and state manually by switching
the lines high (5V) or low (0V).
The sliders can be post-mounted using our ER series cage system rods and a CP33(/M) Cage Plate (see Section
3.2.). They are also compatible with 30 mm cage systems. The ELL6, with its single motor, can be
simultaneously controlled and powered via USB. The TPS101 5 V power supply is also compatible. As the two
motors on the ELL9 and ELL12 require greater power, a 5 V power supply is included with the ELL9K and ELL12K
bundles.
A hand-held controller is also supplied with the kits to allow manual switching between the optic positions.
The units can also be driven remotely via PC-based software, downloaded from www.thorlabs.com. A
compatible USB driver is included in the software download package.
Rev. B, April 5, 2023 Page 1