Sutter Instrument MP-285 User manual

REFERENCE MANUAL
Rev. 3.10b ( 20070405)
MP-285
Micromanipulator
Reference Manual

MP-285
Micromanipulator
Reference Manual
(Rev. 3.10b (20070405))
Sutter Instrument Company
One Digital Drive
Novato, CA 94949
voice: 415-883-0128 web: www.sutter.com
fax: [phone] email: [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2007 Sutter Instrument Company. All Rights Reserved.
MP-285 MICROMANIPULATOR REFERENCE MANUAL – REV. 3.10B (20070405)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION.......................................................................................................................... 1
A BOUT THE R EFERENCE M ANUAL .................................................................................................................. 1
INPUT DEVICES........................................................................................................................................... 3
R OTARY O PTICAL E NCODER (ROE) ................................................................................................................ 3
J OYSTICK ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
A DJUSTMENT OF I NPUT D EVICE C HARACTERISTICS ....................................................................................... 5
CONTROLLER CONFIGURATION [PRGM]............................................................................................... 6
C ONTINUOUS M ODE S UB -M ENU [PRGM\C ONTINUOUS ] ................................................................................ 7
I. FOR USERS OF THE ROTARY OPTICAL ENCODER (ROE).......................................................... 7
\
]
\
i
i
II. FOR USERS OF THE JOYSTICK ..................................................................................................... 7
Speed range.................................................................................................................................................................8
Offset...........................................................................................................................................................................9
Jump to max at...........................................................................................................................................................9
Max speed .................................................................................................................................................................10
P ULSE M ODE S UB -M ENU [PRGM\P ULSE ].................................................................................................... 10
S ETUP S UBMENU [PRGM\S ETUP ] ................................................................................................................ 11
Axes [PRGM Setup\Axes] ........................................................................................................................ 11
New origin.................................................................................................................................................................12
Axis assignment........................................................................................................................................................12
Fourth (4
th
) Axis Menu [PRGM\Setup\4
th
axis] ..................................................................................... 14
New Setup [PRGM\SETUP\4
th
axis\New setup] ................................................................................... 15
New angle [PRGM\SETUP\4
th
axis\New angle] .................................................................................... 16
How the 4th Axis is defined..................................................................................................................... 16
How to Setup a Diagonal to Provide Coaxial Movement of a Pipette ................................................... 17
Direction of Movement Along the Diagonal ........................................................................................... 18
H ARDWARE [PRGM\S ETUP \H ARDWARE ] ...................................................................................................... 18
Dead zone [PRGM\Setup\Hardware\Dead zone .................................................................................... 19
To set the Dead zone value: .....................................................................................................................................19
U TILITIES [PRGM\S ETUP \U TILITIES ] ......................................................................................................... 20
Baud [PRGM Setup\Utilities\Baud] ........................................................................................................ 21
Info [PRGM\Setup\Utilities\Info]............................................................................................................ 21
SIO test [PRGM\Setup\Utilities\SIO test] .............................................................................................. 22
Reset [PRGM\Setup\Util ties\Reset] ....................................................................................................... 23
Center axes [PRGM\Setup\Utilities\Center axes] ..................................................................................24
AD test [PRGM\Setup\Utilities\AD test] ............................................................................................... 25
Pause [PRGM\Setup\Util ties\Pause] .................................................................................................... 25
Save/Load menu [PRGM\Save/Load] ...................................................................................................... 26
To access the Save/Load menu: ...............................................................................................................................26
V IEW /L OAD [PRGM\S AVE /L OAD \V IEW /L OAD ] .............................................................................................. 27
S AVE /C LEAR [PRGM\S AVE /L OAD \S AVE /C LEAR ] ........................................................................................... 27
MOVEMENT SCREEN [MOVE] ................................................................................................................. 29
C OURSE /F INE M OVEMENT R ESOLUTION [MOVE\3] AND [MOVE\6]............................................................ 30
C ONTINUOUS /P ULSE M OVEMENT M ODES [MOVE\MOVE].......................................................................... 30
I NPUT D EVICE R ESPONSE A DJUSTMENT [MOVE\1,2,4 OR 5] ....................................................................... 30
Adjustment of Parameters affecting PULSE Movement ....................................................................... 30
Adjustment of Parameters effecting CONTINUOUS Movement (ROE users) .................................... 31
A DJUSTMENT OF P ARAMETERS EFFECTING CONTINUOUS M OVEMENT (J OYSTICK USERS ) ...................... 32
“4
TH
AXIS ” OR D IAGONAL MOVEMENT [MOVE\8] .......................................................................................... 33
S ETTING R ELATIVE ORIGIN [MOVE\0] AND R ELATIVE D ISPLAY MODE [MOVE\ENTR] .............................. 33
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ROBOTIC MOVEMENTS [MOVE\*] .......................................................................................................... 35
G ENERAL I NFORMATION ............................................................................................................................... 35
H OME F UNCTIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 36
Home[MOVE\*\Home]............................................................................................................................. 36
New home [MOVE\*\New home]............................................................................................................. 36
S HOW HOME [MOVE\*\S HOW HOME ]............................................................................................................ 37
G ENERALIZED R OBOTIC M OVEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 37
E XECUTE [MOVE\*\E XECUTE ] ..................................................................................................................... 38
R ESUMING FROM A PAUSE [MOVE\*\E XECUTE \R ESUME ] ............................................................................. 39
A BSOLUTE /R ELATIVE R OBOTIC P ROGRAM E XECUTION [MOVE\*\E XECUTE \A BS /R EL ] ............................... 39
To toggle between Absolute and Relative modes of Robotic program execution: ................................. 40
L EARN [MOVE\*\L EARN ].............................................................................................................................. 40
S AVING , L OADING AND V IEWING R OBOTIC P ROGRAMS [MOVE\*\S ELECT PROGRAM ] .................................. 43
To use “Save Clear”: ................................................................................................................................ 43 /
t
To use “Load” : ........................................................................................................................................ 44
To use “View” : ........................................................................................................................................ 44
SETUP SELECTION [*].............................................................................................................................. 45
T O USE THE S ETUP SELECTION MENU ( SELECT FACTORY INSTALLED SETUPS BY LABEL )........................... 45
To rapidly select any SETUP from the Main menu: .............................................................................. 45
MANIPULATOR INSTALLATION............................................................................................................. 47
M OUNTING THE MP-285: G ENERAL C ONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................ 47
M INIMIZING N OISE ........................................................................................................................................ 47
M OUNTING THE MP-285: S PECIFICS ............................................................................................................. 48
285210 Mounting Adapter Plate ............................................................................................................. 48
285RBI Rotary Base................................................................................................................................. 49
M OUNTING PIPETTE HOLDERS AND HEADSTAGES ......................................................................................... 49
P LATE - MOUNTED DEVICES ............................................................................................................................ 50
To install the CV-4 or EPC-7, 8 or 9 headstages onto the standard dovetail mounting plate:............. 50
R OD -M OUNTED D EVICES .............................................................................................................................. 51
A DJUSTING THE R OTATING D OVETAIL B ASE ................................................................................................. 52
To set the detent to a desired working position or angle: ...................................................................... 52
Further information abou the brake set screw: .................................................................................... 54
Further information about the relationship between the dovetail base, the brake disc and the dovetail
set screw that secures them together:..................................................................................................... 54
O PTIONAL M OUNTING C ONFIGURATIONS ..................................................................................................... 54
Horizontal offset ...................................................................................................................................... 54
Vertical offset ........................................................................................................................................... 55
M OUNTING THE MANIPULATOR ROTATED 90° FROM THE STAGE PLATE ......................................................... 55
M OUNTING THE MP-285 E LEVATED AT AN A NGLE ....................................................................................... 56
R EVERSING MP-285 HANDEDNESS ................................................................................................................ 57
R EVERSING THE CONFIGURATION OF THE X- AXIS SLIDE ASSEMBLY AND ITS WIRING HARNESS ...................... 58
R EVERSING THE CONFIGURATION OF THE BRAKE PLATE ............................................................................... 59
COMPUTER INTERFACE/SUPPLIED SOFTWARE................................................................................. 61
G ENERAL I NFORMATION ............................................................................................................................... 61
E RROR R EPORTING ....................................................................................................................................... 61
R EMOTE C OMMANDS ..................................................................................................................................... 61
S TATUS R ETURN D ATA .................................................................................................................................. 63
S ETTING UP FOR S ERIAL C OMMUNICATION ................................................................................................... 64
I NTERFACE P ROGRAMS .................................................................................................................................. 65
T HE V ISUAL C++ MP-285 I NTERFACE ........................................................................................................ 70
Preface ...................................................................................................................................................... 70
Installing the Visual C++ PC Controller ............................................................................................... 70
MP-285 PC Controller User Interface..................................................................................................... 71
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APPENDIX A. ANNOTATED MENU TREE.............................................................................................. 73
APPENDIX B. BALANCING INPUT DEVICE POTENTIOMETERS ...................................................... 74
J OYSTICK ...................................................................................................................................................... 74
APPENDIX C. TROUBLESHOOTING/FUSE REPLACEMENT............................................................... 76
T ROUBLESHOOTING ...................................................................................................................................... 76
F USE R EPLACEMENT ..................................................................................................................................... 78
R EPACKING THE MP-285 FOR S HIPPING ...................................................................................................... 79
APPENDIX D. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................................... 80
MP-285 MICROMANIPULATOR REFERENCE MANUAL – REV. 3.10B (20070405)

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GENERAL INFORMATION
About the Reference Manual
The MP-285 controller has been designed to fill the diverse needs of a wide range of applications in
the life sciences, engineering, and commercial sectors. The MP-285 uses a system of menus,
visualized on the controller display and accessed by keypad keystrokes, to provide for these varied
uses. A Menu tree, consisting of the complete MP-285 menu hierarchy can be found in Appendix A.
The starting point for menu tree access is the Main Menu:
S 1 * * * MP-285 Controller * * * P 1
Press MOVE, PRGM or select mag. With
!!
*
PRGM
*
MOVE
The main menu is displayed soon after the controller is turned on (a start up screen is briefly
displayed first). From the main menu you have access to three main branches of the menu tree
using the keys <PRGM>, <MOVE> and <*>. A main fourth branch is accessed by pressing
<MOVE> followed by <*>.
A large portion of the Reference Manual is organized according to the MP-285 menu structure. The
following table lists the major manual sections and the keypad keystrokes used to reach the
corresponding menu branch beginning at the Main (startup) Menu:
Manual Section Keystrokes from Main Menu
Controller Configuration <PRGM>
Movement Screen <MOVE>
Robotic Movement <MOVE><*>
Setup Selection <*>
Within each of these manual sections, you will find a description of each sub-menu item as well as a
step-by-step list of the keystrokes necessary to access and use each command.
In addition to sections describing menu items, the reference manual also has in-depth sections on
input devices, manipulator installation, and the serial computer interface. The section describing
input devices is presented first because some commands are specific to a particular input device and
rely on a sound understanding of how the device works.
Several areas are not detailed here because they are covered in the Operations Manual. These are
unpacking, basic setup, and the initial instruction on MP-285 operations for the beginner. If you are
a first time user of the MP-285, you may wish to consult the Operations Manual first. The
Operations Manual presents the most important information in a concise fashion to limit the amount
of time necessary for a first time user to begin experimental micromanipulation with the MP-285. In
contrast, the Reference manual covers all aspects of the MP-285 in depth and may be more useful to
experience MP-285 users.
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INPUT DEVICES
The MP-285 is usually supplied with one of two input devices: a Rotary Optical Encoder (ROE) or a
Joystick. Much of the operation of the MP-285 is dependent on the type of input device and how the
device interacts with the controller to make the manipulator move. The following section describes
the operation of each input device. Several sections of the Reference Manual are split into sub-
sections according to the type of input device being used.
Each input device has three separate input controls: one for each axis of the manipulator. The
controls are designated by which input channel they control. Each of the three colored LEDs on the
front panel of the MP-285 controller corresponds to an input channel. The table below details this
correspondence:
Table 1. Input device indicator LED assignments on front panel.
Input DeviceInput Channel
(Front panel LED color) ROE Knob Joystick Movement
Yellow Top Twist
Red Left Left/Right
Green Right Up/Down
Rotary Optical Encoder (ROE)
The Sutter Rotary Optical Encoder controls movement of the manipulator by using a separate knob
for each of the axes. Each knob turns the shaft of a digital encoder; a full turn of an encoder
produces 512 pulses or “clicks”. The pattern and speed of the clicks produced by the ROE are
directly related to how the knob is turned. The digital output of the ROE is translated by the MP-
285 controller into signals that drive the micromanipulator stepper motors.
The precise relationship between knob movement and micromanipulator response will depend on
several adjustable parameters that are discussed in other sections of this manual.
In addition to the knobs for each of the three axes, the ROE also has four buttons that allow easy
access to four functions of the MP-285 controller. The buttons control the following functions:
• Changing from continuous to pulse movement mode
• Switching from course to fine microstep size
• Selecting either diagonal or normal movement mode
• Sending the manipulator to a predefined “Home” location
The following figure is presented so that you can familiarize yourself with the controls on the ROE.
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Figure 1. Rotary Optical Encoder (ROE).
Joystick
The joystick provided with the MP-285 is a three-axis controller. A pair of handle movements
controls each axis: left/right deflections, up/down deflections or clockwise/counter-clockwise twists.
These movements are coupled to three potentiometers. The displacement of the joystick handle is
transduced into an electrical analog output that is converted by the MP-285 controller into signals
that drive the micromanipulator stepper motors. The relationship between handle deflection and
response will not necessarily be a linear one. Joystick response characteristics are adjustable and are
discussed in other sections of this manual.
The handle of the joystick is also mechanically linked to return springs which, when enabled, will
center the handle along its left/right and up/down axes. These springs can partially or fully be
disabled by the slide switches located near the base of the handle (see Figure 2). If your joystick
handle does not center itself, adjust these switches to enable the return springs.
The button on the end of the joystick handle is used for initiating movements when the controller is
in Pulse movement mode.
The following figure shows the controls present on the Joystick.
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Figure 2. Joystick.
Adjustment of Input Device Characteristics
As indicated, the response characteristics of each of the input devices are adjustable. The following
list outlines the part of the controller menu and the corresponding part of the MP-285 manual which
deals with each adjustment.
• Control of which input device channel is assigned to which manipulator stepper motor axis. The
MP-285 software allows full control over which ROE knob or pair of joystick moves is connected
to each of the three physical axes of the manipulator. Furthermore, one can control the direction
of movement commanded by a given input. Axes assignment is covered in the manual under
Controller Configuration and is adjusted using the menu command [PRGM\Setup\Axes].
• Adjustment of the resolution of micromanipulator movement produced by the input device. The
distance and the speed at which the MP-285 manipulator moves in response to a given amount of
input is controlled by several parameters. These are described in detail in the manual under
Controller Configuration and are adjusted using the menu command [PRGM\Continuous] for
continuous movement and the command [PRGM\Pulse Mode] for pulse movement. A subset of
these parameters can also be adjusted during movement using the menu command [MOVE\1,2,4
or 5] as described in the Movement Screen section of the manual.
• Set Dead Zone for Joystick. It is possible to set an amount of output from the joystick that will be
ignored by the controller. This is necessary so that baseline signal is not interpreted as a
movement command to be acted on by the controller. The adjustment of this parameter, referred
to as the Dead Zone, is performed under the menu command [PRGM\Setup\Hardware] and is
described in the Controller Configuration section of this manual.
• Finally, for the Joystick only, it is possible and occasionally necessary to make periodic
adjustments to the hardware. This adjustment is detailed in Appendix B.
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CONTROLLER CONFIGURATION [PRGM]
Many of the parameters which determine how the MP-285 controller responds to user input are
completely adjustable. While many users will find no need to adjust these parameters, this section of
the Reference Manual contains all the information necessary to understand and adjust all of the
parameters affecting controller function.
To enter the menu that will allow you to alter the configuration of your MP-285 controller do the
following:
1. Turn on the power and observe the Main menu:
S 1 * * * MP-285 Controller * * * P 1
Press MOVE, PRGM or select mag. with
!
*
!
2. Press <PRGM> on the controller keypad to bring up the Configuration menu:
Save/Load
!
Setup
!
1SetupmodePulse
!
Continuous
!
Setup currently loaded
The configuration menu shows four possible sub menus that can be accessed from this location. It
also gives the number of the currently loaded “Setup” where many of the controller parameters are
stored.
Parameter settings saved in a Setup memory slot determine the response characteristics of the MP-
285. The configuration menu and its sub menus contain commands for:
• Viewing and loading existing SETUPS ([PRGM\Save/Load\View & Load]).
• Adjusting SETUP parameters ([PRGM\Continuous], [PRGM\Pulse mode] and [PRGM\Setup]).
• Saving adjusted parameters [PRGM\Save/Load\Save & Clear].
The configuration menu also has provisions to adjust “global” parameters that are not effected by
nor stored in the currently loaded SETUP. They are however, “remembered” when the controller is
off. These functions include:
• Configuring the diagonal or 4th axis ([PRGM\Setup\4th axis]).
• Setting the location of the ABSOLUTE origin ([PRGM\Setup\Axes\New origin]).
• Modifying the controller to match various input devices ([PRGM\Setup\Hardware]).
• Configuring the RS232 port ([PRGM\Setup\Utilities\Baud rate])
• Configuring pause status in a Robotic routine ([PRGM\Setup\Utilities\pause])
Finally, there are other utility functions available from within the configuration menu to allow the
user to:
• Restore default SETUPS and global parameters ([PRGM\Setup\Utilities\Reset all values])
• Troubleshoot input devices ([PRGM\Setup\Utilities\AD test])
• Test serial port I/O ([PRGM\Setup\Utilities\SIO test])
• Run the automatic centering routine ([PRGM\Setup\Utilities\center axis])
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The remainder of this section gives the details of how to alter each of the parameters previously
listed. It is organized according to the sub-menu structure of the MP-285 controller.
Continuous Mode Sub-Menu [PRGM\Continuous]
When the Continuous movement mode is selected, input commands yield a continuous movement
with variable velocity.
Adjustable parameters in the Continuous mode sub-menu vary with the type of input device
connected to the MP-285 controller. The controller automatically identifies the input device and
presents the appropriate menu. This is necessary because input devices can have either digital
(Rotary Optical Encoder) or analog (Joystick) output.
The following discussion of the Continuous mode sub-menu is therefore organized by input device
type. Joystick users may skip section I and go directly to section II.
I. FOR USERS OF THE ROTARY OPTICAL ENCODER (ROE)
The ROE produces digital output. Thus, the motion of the knobs is “directly” coupled to the
micromanipulator’s movement. In continuous mode, micromanipulator velocity corresponds directly
to knob turning velocity.
The movement of the ROE knob is “encoded” as digital pulses or “clicks”. There are 512 clicks for
every full turn of a knob. Based on the settings of the controller, each click commands the execution
of a given number of stepper motor µsteps.
To change the responsiveness of the ROE, you simply change the number of µsteps/click as follows:
3. Press <PRGM> from the main menu to access the configuration menu:
Save/Load
!
Setup
!1SetupmodePulse
!
Continuous
!
4. Press <ENTR> to access the Continuous mode submenu:
Number of steps/click
µ
0.04@0.28=Steps/click
0.2@
m/Click
µ
µ
m/Click1.4=7
5. Using the keypad, enter the desired number of µsteps/click.
6. Press <ENTR> to accept the new value or <ESC> to abort and restore the original value. Note
that the right hand portion of the screen updates to reflect the new value and calculates the
number of µm/click for the two different available µstep sizes.
7. Press the <ESC> key to return to the Programming menu.
It is recommended that settings
≤ 10 be used. At very high µsteps/click settings (>20) it is possible to
move the knob much faster than the micromanipulator can respond. In this case ROE input is
ignored.
Note that µsteps/click can also be set from within the Movement screen while in the Continuous
mode ([MOVE\1,2,4 or 5]). See the Reference manual section on the Movement Screen Menu.
II. FOR USERS OF THE JOYSTICK
The MP-285 manipulator is designed so that the larger the deflection of the handle (on the joystick)
the faster the movement of the manipulator. The controller handles this by converting the amount
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of deflection (a change in voltage divider) into an output of appropriate frequency (µsteps/second)
applied to the micromanipulator stepper motors.
The conversion of the analog voltage from the divider to a signal of desired frequency is quantified by
the parameters: Speed Range, Offset, Jump to Max at…, and Max Speed.The four parameters are
described in detail below and each can be altered within the Continuous mode sub-menu if a Joystick
is attached.
To alter the four parameters:
1. Press <PRGM> from the main menu to access the configuration menu:
Save/Load
!
Setup
!1SetupmodePulse
!
Continuous
!
2. Press <ENTR> to access the Continuous mode sub-menu:
cursor positioned to
edit Speed range
9
10000speedMax99Offset
6000atmaxtoJump99rangeSpeed
To edit the parameters:
1. Press <TAB> to move the cursor to the parameter you wish to change
2. Enter a new value using the number keys on the keypad
3. Press <ENTR> to accept the new value or <ESC> to restore the original value
4. Press <ESC> to return to the configuration menu.
A graphical description of each of the parameters follows.
Speed range
Speed range establishes the slope of the relationship between input device deflection (voltage) and
micromanipulator velocity (µstep/second). It can take any value from 1-99 and is dimensionless.
Vel
oci
ty
Handle deflection (joystick)
small
range
e.g., 35
large
range
e.g.,99
min max
Figure 3. Speed range.
The functional effects of an increase in the speed range (i.e., slope of the velocity/deflection
relationship) are:
• An increase in the range of velocities that can be obtained within the limits of an input device’s
deflection
• A decrease in the resolution of velocity control
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Minimizing the speed range will give you a greater control of the micromanipulator velocity when
working under magnification and very near a “target”. You can tailor this parameter to meet the
specific requirements of your experimental application.
The Speed range can also be set from the Movement screen while in the Continuous mode (see
[MOVE\1,2,4 or 5]).
Offset
Offset establishes the Y intercept of the Velocity/deflection relationship. It can take any value from 1-
99 and is dimensionless.
Velocity
Handle deflection (joystick)
small
offset
large
offset
min max
Max
speed
Figure 4. Speed offset.
The primary functional effect of increasing offset is to increase the initial velocity of the
micromanipulator as input device deflection begins. An increase in the offset may also result
secondarily in a decrease in the effective Speed range by raising the upper end of the range above the
level of the Max speed (depending on the particular Speed range and Max Speed settings; see Max
speed section). In general, adjustment of the Offset parameter allows the Speed range to be shifted
to velocities that best match the experimental application and personal preference.
The Offset can also be set from the Movement screen while in the Continuous mode (see
[MOVE\1,2,4 or 5]).
Jump to max at...
At the “high speed” end of broad speed ranges are velocities at which motor resonance can occur.
This resonance may cause undesirable vibrations in the manipulator.
Jump to Max at... is a “cutoff” point meant to avoid operating the motors at undesirable stepper
motor speeds which may cause vibration in the manipulator. Jump to Max at… can take any value
from 1 to 9999. Its units are given in µsteps/second and are accurate only at settings
< 5000.
Vel oci ty
handle deflection (joystick)
offset
mi n max
Max
speed
Jump
to max
Vel oci ty
handle deflection (joystick)
offset
mi n max
Max
speed
no Jump to max
Jump to max
Figure 5. Jump to max speed.
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0
The functional effect of the Jump to max at… setting is on Speed range width. An increase in the
Jump to max at… value allows a broader Speed range before the velocity goes to Max speed.
However, any advantage gained by the broad Speed range may be offset by motor resonance during
the speed transition. Decreasing the Jump to max at… setting has the functional effect of narrowing
the Speed range. This may be useful when working under high magnifications when occasional fast
movements are still required for making an initial placement or final withdrawal of the
micromanipulator.
Max speed
The max speed parameter sets the maximal speed. The units of this parameter are µsteps/second.
This setting is very accurate below 1000 µsteps/second but becomes less accurate as velocity
increases to 10,000 µsteps/second. Above 10,000 µsteps/second the setting can be quite inaccurate.
Max speed, in conjunction with Jump to max at..., define the micromanipulator’s response at
maximum deflections of the joystick.
Vel oci t
handle deflection (joystick)
offset
y
mi n max
Max
speed
Vel oci t
handle deflection (joystick)
offset
Max
speed
y
mi n max
Figure 6. Max speed.
The functional effect of decreasing the Max speed setting is to lower the upper limit of velocity in
response to maximum deflection of the input device and thereby reduce the Speed range without
affecting the slope of the velocity/deflection relationship or the Offset. This is necessary, for example,
to prevent excursions that are too fast for a given level of magnification. Increasing the Max speed
setting has the opposite affect.
Pulse Mode Sub-Menu [PRGM\Pulse]
With the controller in PULSE mode an input command for any axis results in movement of a given
length and speed. Using the pulse mode sub-menu, the user has control of both parameters.
Movement mode is selected by switching the “Cont./Pulse” control on the input device if using an
ROE. If you are using a Joystick, movement mode is selected by pressing <MOVE>while in the
Movement screen (joystick).
Pulse movement is initiated differently for each input device:
• Rotary Optical Encoder -produces 1 pulses per every 1/8th turn of a knob.
• Joystick - produces a pulse for each press of the button on the end of the joystick while the
joystick is deflected.
In the Pulse mode sub-menu, you enter length of the pulse and pulse speed in terms of µsteps and
µsteps/second respectively. The menu then automatically calculates and displays pulse length and
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speed in µm and µm/second. Note: the menu actually calculates and displays two values for each as
they are both dependent on the microstep size (course=0.2µm/µstep or fine=0.04µm/µstep)
The number of µsteps/pulse and the number of µsteps per second are adjusted as follows:
1. From the main menu, press <PRGM> to access the configuration menu:
Save/Load ! Setup !
1SetupmodePulse ! Continuous !
2. <TAB > to “Pulse” and press <ENTR >to select the pulse mode submenu. You will see the
following screen:
.04@ µ m/s200 µ m0.80St/s5000
.2@
µ m/s1000 µ m4.0Steps20
number of steps/pulse
µ
number of steps/second µ
3. Using the numbers on the keypad, enter the desired value for the number of µsteps per PULSE
and press <ENTR>
4. If you wish to set the number of µsteps per second, <TAB> to the lower line of the display, enter
a new value and press <ENTR>
5. Press <ESC> to return to the configuration menu.
µsteps/pulse and the number of µsteps per second can also be set from within the Movement screen
while in the Pulse mode ([MOVE\1,2,4 or 5])
The length of each individual µstep is set by altering the “resolution of movement” setting (coarse or
fine) and is adjusted as described in the Movement Screen section. This setting is continually
displayed on the bottom center of the Movement screen (0.2 or 0.04 µm min, respectively).
Setup Submenu [PRGM\Setup]
The Setup submenu is accessed through the configuration menu and allows access to several
important parameters, operations, and information screens described in this section. To access the
setup submenu:
1. From the main menu, press <PRGM> to access the configuration menu:
2. <TAB > 2X to “Setup” and press <ENTR >to select the pulse mode submenu. You will see the
Setup submenu:
UtilitiesHardware
!!
axis4thAxes !!
The remainder of this section is a detailed description of each of the items in the Setup submenu.
Axes [PRGM\Setup\Axes]
Press <ENTR> from the Setup submenu with the cursor on “Axes”. You will see the Axes menu:
! New
origin
Axes: 0 2 4
LEDs: Green Red Yellow
"" "" ""
This menu allows you to establish a New Absolute Origin, the position from which all movements are
measured unless you have activated the relative display feature.
MP-285 MICROMANIPULATOR REFERENCE MANUAL – REV. 3.10B (20070405)

1
2
From the Axes menu you may also set micromanipulator axis and motor direction that is assigned to
a given channel from an input device.
New origin
To establish a New Origin (Absolute Origin):
1. From the movement screen, move the manipulator to the desired location
2. Access the Axes menu using the following sequence of keystrokes:
Press <ESC> to return to the Main menu
Press <PRGM> to bring up the configuration menu
<TAB> 2X to “Setup” and press <ENTR>
Finally press <ENTR> to access Axes option.
3. You should be at the Axes menu with the cursor on “New Origin” (see diagram above). To reset
the absolute origin to zero press <ENTR>.
4. Press <ENTR> two more times to answer yes to the queries “Reset axis origins now?” and “Are
you sure?”
5. Press <ESC> 3X to get back to the main menu.
Axis assignment
To assign micromanipulator axis and motor direction for a given input channel:
1. From the Main menu, press <PRGM> to enter the configuration menu
2. <TAB> 2X to “Setup” and press <ENTR>
3. <TAB> to the input channel you wish to configure (i.e.: Green, Yellow, or Red). In the screen
shown, the cursor is positioned to configure the Green input channel:
! New
origin LEDs: Green Red Yellow
" 4 " 2 "" " 0 " Axes:
4. Use the keypad to enter one of the numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. The meaning of these numbers is
discussed next.
NOTE: The LED colors shown on this screen refer to the input channels of the controller. Each of
these channels is hard wired to a motion control on the input device: i.e. knob on the rotary optical
encoder or handle movement on the joystick. Please refer to Error! Reference source not found. at
the beginning of this manual for the detailed correspondence.
Any motor can be assigned to any of the input channels and hence to any input device motion
control. The following diagram uses a rotary optical encoder to illustrate the relationship between
the three input device motion controls, the three controller input channels, and the three
manipulator motors:
MP-285 MICROMANIPULATOR REFERENCE MANUAL – REV. 3.10B (20070405)