THORLABS MNA601/IR User manual

MNA601/IR
NanoTrak Control Module
User Guide
Original Instructions

2
Contents
Chapter 1 For Your Safety ..............................................................................4
1.1 Safety Information ...................................................................................4
1.2 General Warnings ...................................................................................4
Chapter 2 Overview ........................................................................................5
2.1 APT Rack System Description ................................................................5
2.1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5
2.1.2 Building Larger Scale Systems .......................................................................... 5
2.1.3 Ease of Use ........................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Software ..................................................................................................6
2.2.1 Background ........................................................................................................ 6
2.2.2 APT Server (ActiveX Controls) ........................................................................... 7
2.2.3 APT User.exe ..................................................................................................... 9
2.2.4 APT Config Utility ............................................................................................. 10
2.3 NanoTrak Autoalignment Description ...................................................10
2.3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 10
2.3.2 NanoTrak System Architecture ........................................................................ 11
2.3.3 Highly Adaptable Settings ................................................................................ 11
2.3.4 Ease of Use ...................................................................................................... 11
2.3.5 Rear Panel Connections .................................................................................. 12
2.3.6 Detector Heads and Cables ............................................................................. 13
Chapter 3 Set Up and Operation ..................................................................14
3.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................14
3.2 Software Installation and Upgrade ........................................................15
3.2.1 Software Installation ......................................................................................... 15
3.3 System Setup ........................................................................................15
3.4 Assigning a Serial Number ...................................................................16
3.5 Manual Operation - NanoTrak ..............................................................17
3.5.1 Description of GUI Panel Controls ................................................................... 17
3.5.2 NanoTrak Settings Window .............................................................................. 21
3.6 Programmed NanoTrak Operation ........................................................30
3.6.1 A Typical Alignment using the NanoTrak ......................................................... 30
3.6.2 Using an External Power Meter ....................................................................... 31
3.6.3 Using Two NanoTraks in the Same System .................................................... 32
continued...

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Chapter 4 Installation and Maintenance .....................................................34
4.1 Mechanical Installation ..........................................................................34
4.1.1 Siting ................................................................................................................ 34
4.1.2 Environmental Conditions ................................................................................ 34
4.1.3 Identifying Unsafe Equipment ........................................................................... 34
4.2 Electrical Installation .............................................................................35
4.2.1 Electrical Connections ...................................................................................... 35
4.2.2 Rear Panel User I/O Connector ....................................................................... 36
4.2.3 Rear Panel Piezo In Connector ........................................................................ 37
4.3 Preventive Maintenance .......................................................................38
4.3.1 Safety Testing .................................................................................................. 38
4.3.2 Cleaning ........................................................................................................... 38
Appendices
Appendix A Troubleshooting .......................................................................39
Appendix B Specifications and Associated Parts .....................................40
Appendix C Associated Products ...............................................................40
Appendix D NanoTrak Control Method Summary .....................................41
Appendix E Using the Piezo Controller .......................................................45
Appendix F Principles of Operation ............................................................50
Appendix G Regulatory ................................................................................58
Appendix H Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts ................................................63

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Chapter 1 For Your Safety
1.1 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.
The following safety symbols may be used throughout the handbook and on the
equipment itself.
1.2 General Warnings
Shock Warning
Given when there is a risk of injury from electrical shock.
Warning
Given when there is a risk of injury to users.
Caution
Given when there is a risk of damage to the product.
Note
Clarification of an instruction or additional information.
Warnings
If this equipment is used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer, the
protection provided by the equipment may be impaired. In particular,
excessive moisture may impair operation.
Spillage of fluid, such as sample solutions, should be avoided. If spillage does
occur, clean up immediately using absorbant tissue. Do not allow spilled fluid
to enter the internal mechanism.
Caution
If your PC becomes unresponsive (e.g due to an operating system problem,
entering a sleep state condition, or screen saver operation) for a prolonged
period, this will interrupt communication between the APT Software and the
hardware, and a communications error may be generated. To minimize the
possibility of this happening it is strongly recommended that any such modes
that result in prolonged unresponsiveness be disabled before the APT
software is run. Please consult your system administrator or contact Thorlabs
technical support for more details.

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Chapter 2 Overview
2.1 APT Rack System Description
2.1.1 Introduction
Thorlabs has an extensive range of one-, two- and three-axis controllers for stepper
motor and piezo actuator control. Increasingly, production of optoelectronic
components requires fully automated or semiautomated control of a large number of
mechanical stages. In such applications, it is often more convenient to use a modular
system of controllers to drive a modular system.
The Thorlabs Modular Motion Control System has been developed to meet the
challenges of the modern optoelectronic production environment and provides
unsurpassed ease of installation, reconfiguration, flexibility and upgradability.
The MMR601 modular rack provides a highly functional 12 channel platform within the
‘footprint’ of a 4U high, 19” wide enclosure. With a unified power supply and a USB
communications interface, the APT rack system is easily incorporated into larger
custom applications.
2.1.2 Building Larger Scale Systems
The unrestricted configuration flexibility offered by the APT rack allows any
combination of the 2-channel APT stepper motor controller, piezoelectric driver and
NanoTrak control modules to be fitted for specific nanopositioning and alignment
applications. For example, a system configured to operate our APT606 6-axis
nanopositioning stage, which has six stepper motors and six piezoelectric actuators
with displacement sensors, would require 12 channels of motion control. Using three
stepper motor modules, each with two channels, provides the motor control; using two
piezoelectric controller modules and one NanoTrak controller module would power all
6 of the piezoelectric actuators while also taking advantage of the position sensors.
Additionally, the NanoTrak module provides the full range of features offered by a fully
operational auto-alignment system. All this functionality fits into the single MMR601
chassis that measures just 4U in height.
Please see the documentation supplied with the various module products for further
details.
2.1.3 Ease of Use
The rack system architecture, hardware and software has been skilfully engineered
to provide an efficient and effective solution to complex high channel count
applications.
The APT rack presents a clean, uncluttered front panel, with six rear mounting bays
for the plug-in modules. The backplane of the rack connects all modules and the
control PC via a standard USB bus. This arrangement greatly simplifies the cable
management issues that arise as the number of channels expands.

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A flexible and energy efficient integral power supply powers all of the modules
allowing for an adaptable, “mix-and-match” choice of module type, location and
combination. These features greatly enhance ease-of-use, and provide an
unparalleled flexibility for future system upgrades or reconfigurations. Each module is
equipped with an on-board DSP embedded processor; as modules (channels of
operation) are added, processing power is also added, hence the system is able to
maintain maximum operating efficiency even when fully loaded.
Due to the inherent architecture of the system, additional racks can be added to the
USB bus as required, thus allowing multiple, fully automated 6-axis positioning
stages to be combined into a single unified motion control system.
The PC based software that is used to drive the MMR601 system operates from the
same kernel of ActiveX multithreaded server code and associated suite of high level
user applications used to drive our range of APT stand-alone bench top controllers.
This makes it possible to offer effortless code-porting and concurrent control of bench
top and rack controllers.
The APT software is rigorously engineered using modern object oriented techniques,
ensuring programming environment independence and compatibility with a large
number of third party development tools.
All key high level commands, settings and
system parameters are exposed through a set of ActiveX Drivers. These exposed
objects allow the modular electronics system to be 'driven' from applications written by
the user without the need to understand or alter the core system software.
In addition, ActiveX technology is language independent, allowing custom application
development to be undertaken using any language or development system that
supports ActiveX.
2.2 Software
2.2.1 Background
A common requirement in many optoelectronic alignment and characterization
applications concerns the implementation of automated positioning sequences.
Typically, such positioning sequences require a series of descrete movements and
measurements to implement an overall solution
The mechanical stage options and drive electronics offered by Thorlabs are ideally
suited to performing all of these individual steps in a variety of different ways.
The key to the APT range of controllers (and associated mechanical products)
concerns the ease and speed with which complete automated alignment systems can
be engineered at the software level. All controllers in the APT range are equipped with
USB connectivity. The 'multi-drop' USB bus allows multiple APT units to be connected
to a single controller PC using simple USB hubs and cables.
The USB connection flexibility offered by the APT controllers is matched by the
associated product software. All APT controllers are shipped with a sophisticated
multithreaded ActiveX based software control suite. This suite comprises the main
ActiveX based APT Server with a number of utilities including APTUser and

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
APTConfig. APT Server is the main software 'engine' that runs on the host PC to
provide all necessary APT services such as generation of sophisticated graphical
instrument panels, multiple unit USB communications and multithreaded execution to
enhance system operation and prevent GUI deadlock. Rather than a single monolithic
entity, the APT Server is actually an interoperating collection of ActiveX Controls (or
simply Controls) together with associated support files and libraries. These ActiveX
Controls, developed using leading edge object oriented coding techniques, are the
key to the powerful, flexible and yet extremely easy to use APT control software.
2.2.2 APT Server (ActiveX Controls)
ActiveX Controls are re-usable compiled software components that supply both a
graphical user interface and a programmable interface. Many such Controls are
available for Windows applications development, providing a large range of re-usable
functionality. For example, there are Controls available that can be used to
manipulate image files, connect to the internet or simply provide user interface
components such as buttons and list boxes.
With the APT system, ActiveX Controls are deployed to allow direct control over (and
also reflect the status of ) the range of electronic controller units. Software
applications that use ActiveX Controls are often referred to as 'client applications'.
Based on ActiveX interfacing technology, an ActiveX Control is a language
independent software component. Consequently ActiveX Controls can be
incorporated into a wide range of software development environments for use by
client application developers. Development environments supported include Visual
Basic, Labview, Visual C++, C++ Builder, HPVEE, Matlab, VB.NET, C#.NET
and, via
VBA, Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Word.
Consider the ActiveX Control supplied for the APT NanoTrak control module.
This Control provides a complete user graphical instrument panel to allow the
NanoTrak unit to be manually operated, as well as a complete set of software
functions (often called methods) to allow all parameters to be set and NanoTrak

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operations to be automated by a client application. The instrument panel reflects the
current operating state of the controller unit to which it is associated (e.g. such as
relative power). Updates to the panel take place automatically when a user (client)
application is making software calls into the same Control. For example, if a client
application instructs the associated NanoTrak Control to track the position of optimum
power, progress is monitored automatically by changing position of the circle on the
graphical interface, without the need for further programming intervention.
The APT ActiveX Controls collection provides a rich set of graphical user panels and
programmable interfaces allowing users and client application developers to interact
seamlessly with the APT hardware. Each of the APT controller modules has an
associated ActiveX Control and these are described fully in system online help or the
handbooks associated with the controllers. In addition to the main ActiveX Server, a
number of other utilities are supplied with the APT system, most notably APTUser and
APTConfig. Note that these utilities themselves take advantage of and are built on top
of the powerful functionality provided by the APT ActiveX Server (as illustrated in the
system architecture diagram below).

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
2.2.3 APT User.exe
The APTUser application allows the user to interact with a number of APT hardware
control units connected to the host PC. This program displays multiple graphical
instrument panels to allow multiple APT units to be controlled simultaneously.
All basic operating parameters can be altered and, similarly, all operations (such as
motor moves) can be initiated. For many users, the APTUser application provides all
of the functionality necessary to operate the APT hardware without the need to
develop any further custom software. For those who do need to further customise and
automate usage of the APT modules (e.g. to implement an alignment algorithm), this
application illustrates clearly how the rich functionality provided by the APT ActiveX
Controls are used by a client application. The complete Visual Basic source project is
provided as a useful aid to software developers.

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2.2.4 APT Config Utility
There are many system parameters and configuration settings associated with the
operation of the APT Server (ActiveX Controls). Most can be directly accessed using
the various graphical panels and their associated programmable interfaces. However
there are several system wide settings that can be made 'off-line' before running the
APT software. These settings have global effect; such as switching between simulator
and real operating mode, associating mechanical stages to specific motor actuators
and incorporation of calibration data.
The APTConfig utility is provided as a convenient means for making these system
wide settings and adjustments. Full details on using APTConfig are provided in the
online help supplied with the utility.
2.3 NanoTrak Autoalignment Description
2.3.1 Introduction
The APT Modular NanoTrak Controller is available for use with the Thorlabs APT
Modular Motion Control System and represents the latest development in automated
optical alignment technology. It combines an intelligent active-feedback alignment
control system and a two channel piezoelectric controller into a single plug-in unit. As
part of the APT series, this autoalignment system represents the latest developments
in automated optical alignment technologies. This system is a basic building block
from which advanced alignment systems can be quickly configured. It can be fully
integrated into a system that is comprised of a selection of our modules; piezoelectric
controllers, stepper motor controllers, and this NanoTrak autoalignment module.
Although used primarily for aligning optical fibers and integrated optical devices, the
NanoTrak is ideal for automating just about any labor intensive alignment task at the
nanomter regime.

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
2.3.2 NanoTrak System Architecture
The modular NanoTrak unit comprises a PIN photodiode and transimpedance
amplifier, an adjustable (proportional and integral) servo control loop, and a dual
channel HV amplifier output circuit for driving two piezo actuators connected to a
positioning stage. The NanoTrak control loop is tasked with maximizing the feedback
signal by adjusting the HV amplifier outputs in order to physically move a portion of
the optical assembly that is being optimized. It does this by superimposing a small
user adjustable sinusoidal voltage on the HV amplifier outputs. The sinusoidal
modulation is phase shifted by 90° between the two channels. If the two piezo
actuators are orthogonal to each other, the resulting motion will be circular.
By sampling the feedback signal (typically the optical power level) around the circular
trajectory it is possible for the algorithms on the NanoTrak module to determine a
signal gradient. The output HV amplifier offset voltages - DC signal levels - are then
adjusted to move the circle, and hence the device under alignment, in the direction of
increasing signal. When the device is centered on the signal peak, the signal gradient
around the circle of motion is zero and the NanoTrak has achieved optimal coupling
of the device under its control. At this point the NanoTrak dithering can be suspended
(outputs latched) for static alignment requirements or dithering continued at smaller
amplitudes for active continuous alignment in applications that suffer from drift - see
Chapter E for further information of the NanoTrak principle of operation.
2.3.3 Highly Adaptable Settings
There is an infinite variety of optical device alignment scenarios, each with potentially
different optical and physical characteristics; half widths, coupled peak powers,
misalignment power response, and mechanical phase lags. Given the range of
applications, it is important that NanoTrak be easily ‘tuned’ for a specific alignment
task. In order to achieve this adaptability, the NanoTrak controllers’ operation is fully
configurable with many of the operational parameters of the system accessible
through a series of easy to use software panels. This "parameterization" of the key
settings with predetermined defaults and accessibility from the associated graphical
interface panels makes the system highly adaptable.
2.3.4 Ease of Use
For convenience and to further enhance the ease of use, adjustment of many key
parameters is possible through direct interaction with a software generated graphical
panel that has a mixture of analog and digital controls. For example, the Circle
Diameter previously defined can be adjusted by using the mouse to rotate a simple
computer generated knob. Note that all such settings and parameters are also
accessible through the ActiveX programmable interfaces for automated alignment
sequences. See Section 2.2. for a description of the APT system software.

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Chapter 2
2.3.5 Rear Panel Connections
Fig. 2.1 Rear panel connections
OPTICAL/PIN I/P - SMB connector – used to receive a signal from a PIN diode, as
incorporated in external detector heads.
FC/PC connector – for use with detectors NTA007 and
NTA009. Incorporates an internal detector and accepts a
connectorized fiber.
SIG IN (BNC connector) – 0 to 10V, 100kΩload. Used to receive a signal of optical
power from an external power meter. Can be set to ±1V, ±2V, ±5V or ±10V full scale
in the Settings panel (see Section 3.5.2.) or by calling the NanoTrak SetInputSrc
method (see the helpfile supplied with teh APT Server).
DRIVE CHANNEL 1
HV OUT (SMC connector) – 0 to 75V, 0 to 500mA. Provides the drive signal to the
piezo actuator.
LV OUT (BNC connector) – 0 to +10V. This output is mirrors HV OUT, 10V being
equivalent to 75V on the HV outputs, and can be connected to an oscilloscope to
enable the drive signal of the piezo actuator to be monitored.
PIEZO IN (9-pin D type connector) – For use with piezo actuators with feedback
capability. Two types of feedback signal are supported, AC Strain Gauge and DC
0-10V. The pin function is dependent on the feedback option, set in the Settings
panel, see Section D.1.2. and Section 4.2.3.
DRIVE CHANNEL 2 – as DRIVE CHANNEL 1.
L1 (Green) - Lit when power is applied to the unit.
L2 (Red) - Indicates a fault condition exists.
USER I/O (26-pin D type connector) - The User I/O connector exposes a number of
internal electrical signals. For convenience, a number of logic inputs and outputs are
included, thereby negating the need for extra PC based IO hardware. Using the APT
Server software, these user programmable logic lines can be deployed in applications
requiring control of external devices such a relays, light sources and other auxilliary
equipment, or when operating a dual NanoTrak application - see Section 4.2.2. for
pin-out details.
HV OUT LV OUTSIG IN
PIEZO IN
OPTICAL/PIN
IN
USER I/O
DRIVE CHANNEL 1 DRIVE CHANNEL 2
PIEZO IN
HV OUT LV OUT
L1
L2
Model No.
MNA601

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
2.3.6 Detector Heads and Cables
The OPTICAL/PIN I/P connector on the rear panel of the NanoTrak controller has
been designed to increase the interchangability of the optical input source. A range of
connectors are available which simply plug into the connector on the rear panel.
The MNA601/IR NanoTrak is supplied with an Infra Red InGaAs photodiode, and a
standard SMB connector for use with external detector heads which incorporate a PIN
(p-type/intrinsic/n-type) diode.
A visible spectrum Si photodiode (NTA009) is available separately.

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Chapter 3 Set Up and Operation
3.1 Introduction
The functionality required for a client application to control a number of NanoTrak
units is provided by the NanoTrak Control Object within the APT server, with manual
operation being facilitated via a GUI panel (see Section 3.5.1.). Instances of this
ActiveX control can be dragged from the toolbox in the development software.
Alternatively, the APT User utility allows multiple graphical instrument panels to be
displayed so that multiple APT units can be controlled. All basic operating parameters
can be set through this program, and all basic operations (such as setting circle
diameter) can be initiated.
The APT Software Server System has been designed to allow custom
nanopositioning applications to be developed in a Microsoft Windows environment.
The use of ActiveX interfacing technology means that programming of the unit can be
achieved in any compatible language (LabVIEW, Visual Basic etc.) without the need
for an extensive library of language-specific functions.
Using the methods and properties described in the APTServer helpfile, the APT
NanoTrak controller can be programmed as part of an automated alignment
application.
Notes
Before using the NanoTrak, ensure that the fibers can be aligned
manually using the actuators on the positioning stage, and that the
expected level of power can be transmitted between them. Set the
NanoTrak to Latch and the range control to Auto, and observe the bar
graphs on the front panel for an indication of power.
If the positioning stage incorporates stepper motor actuators, ensure that
the motors are disabled via the stepper motor controller GUI panel before
performing any manual adjustment.

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
3.2 Software Installation and Upgrade
3.2.1 Software Installation
DO NOT CONNECT THE CONTROLLER TO YOUR PC YET
1) Go to Services/Downloads at www.thorlabs.com and download the APT software.
2) Run the .exe file and follow the on-screen instructions.
3.3 System Setup
1) Install the APT software as detailed in Section 3.2.
2) Install the electronic hardware and connect the controller to the relevent axes of
the associated stages (see Chapter 4).
3) Run the APTUser utility and check that the unit powers up.
4) Note. To ensure that a particular stage is driven properly by the system, a number
of parameters must first be set. These parameters relate to the physical
characteristics of the stage being driven (e.g. min and max positions, leadscrew
pitch, homing direction etc.).
To assist in setting these parameters correctly, it ispossible, using the APT Config
utility, to associate a specific stage type and axis with the motor controller channel.
Once this association has been made, the APT server applies automatically,
suitable default parameter values on boot up of the software.
Run the APTConfig utility and associate each motor channel with its stage and
axis - see the APTConfig helpfile for detailed instructions.
Caution
Some PCs may have been configured to restrict the users ability to load
software, and on these systems the software may not install/run. If you are
in any doubt about your rights to install/run software, please consult your
system administrator before attempting to install.
Ifyouexperienceanyproblemswheninstallingsoftware,contactThorlabson
[phone] and ask for Technical Support.
Note
The 'APT Config' utility can be used to set up simulated hardware
configurations and place the APT Server into simulator mode. In this way
it is possible to create any number and type of simulated (virtual)
hardware units in order to emulate a set of real hardware. This is a
particularly useful feature, designed as an aid to application program
development and testing. Any number of 'virtual' control units are
combined to build a model of the real system, which can then be used to
test the application software offline.

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5) If using real hardware, ensure that Simulator Mode is disabled. If using a
simulated setup, enable Simulator Mode and set up a ‘Simulated Configuration’ -
see the APTConfig helpfile for detailed instructuions.
6) Begin using the APT hardware.
3.4 Assigning a Serial Number
Every hardware unit is factory programmed with a unique 8-digit serial number. This
serial number is key to operation of the APT Server software and is used by the
Server to enumerate and communicate independently with multiple hardware units
connected on the same USB bus.
Before an ActiveX control can communicate with the associated hardware unit, the
relevant serial number must be allocated to the control instance. This is performed
automatically when using the APT User utility. For custom application software it must
be achieved by calling the HWSerialNum property.

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
3.5 Manual Operation - NanoTrak
3.5.1 Description of GUI Panel Controls
Fig. 3.1 NanoTrak Software GUI

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The software drivers consist of several ‘Objects’, which in turn contain ‘Methods’ and
‘Properties’. The ‘NanoTrak’ object contains the methods which facilitate the
programmed operation of the unit.
The methods are used to perform such tasks as setting the circle diameter and
position, returning the value of optical power input, setting scan frequency and phase
offset, and setting Latch or Track mode.
A brief overview of the methods and properties of the NanoTrak object can be found
in Chapter C. More detailed information, can be found in the APTServer Helpfile.
Programmed operation of the NanoTrak controller allows a wider range of functions
to be used than operation from the GUI panel alone. Other units such as the APT
Stepper Motor controller can also be controlled with the NanoTrak.
Range indicator - displays the current range of the internal power meter. When
operating in 'Manual' ranging mode, the range can be changed by clicking the
required range number. Available ranges vary from 3 nanoamps (range 1) to
10milliamps (range 14) (when the display units are selected to mA - see below). Note
that in many practical arrangements the lower ranges may be unusable with typical
signal to noise ratios.
Auto and Man - push button control used to toggle between auto and manual
ranging. The LED in the button is lit when selected.
Digital Display - shows the feedback signal level being measured.
Display Units - show the measurement units associated with the display or returned
by methods that return feedback signal readings.
If a PIN (TIA) input signal is connected (input source is set to TIA mode using the
SetInputSrc method), the display can be configured to display mA, mW or dB.
If 'mA' is selected, readings are displayed or returned as the display shows the
actual PIN current being detected by the PIN current amplifier.
If 'mW' is selected, readings are displayed or returned as power, generated using
a Amp:Watt calibration factor specified either in the 'Settings; panel or by calling
the SetUnitsMode method.
Note
The serial number of the APT unit associated with the ActiveX control
instance (allocated using the HWSerialNum property), the APT server
version number, and the version number (in brackets) of the embedded
software running on the APT unit, are displayed in the top right hand
corner of the control.
Note
This is not intended to be a calibrated power reading, but rather a
convenient mechanism for converting current to power. The conversion
factor is typically wavelength specific.

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NanoTrak Autoalignment Controller
If ‘dB’ is selected, readings are displayed or returned in dBs. The signal is first
converted to Watts according to the calibration factor, and then into dB.
Consequently, this conversion is also wavelength dependent.
If a BNC input is connected (input source is set to a BNC mode using the SetInputSrc
method), the display can be configured to display 'V', '%' or 'User'.
If 'V' is selected, readings are displayed or returned in Volts, i.e. the raw input
signal to the BNC connector.
If '%' is selected, readings are displayed or returned as a percentage of full scale
input, e.g. a 1V signal into a 2V input range BNC will display a value of 50%.
If 'User' is selected, readings are displayed or returned as a calibrated value using
a calibration factor set using the SetInputSrc method (or the Voltage calibration
parameter on the Input/Output tab of the Settings panel), e.g. if the calibration
factor has been set to '20', a 1V signal into a 2V input range BNC will display a
value of 10.
Display Averaging - displays the averaging level being applied to the power readings
(and the relative display bar) displayed on the GUI. Settings of 'low', 'medium' and
'high' resulting in averaging numbers of 5, 10 and 20 repectively. At the default display
update rate of 10Hz, this translates to 0.5, 1 and 2 second time constants
respectively. This setting is provided as a convenient way of smoothing readings
displayed on the GUI only, and does not affect in any way those same readings when
returned by ActiveX methods.
To change the setting, click the arrow buttons.
Scan Circle Diameter control - used to adjust the diameter of the scan circle, when
operating in 'Manual' adjustment mode. The current diameter is displayed in the
'Settings' window. Note. Use of this control will automatically switch the circle
diameter adjustment mode to 'Manual'.
Relative SignalPower - The max power located in the alignment. Bar display
showing a convenient visual indication of the feedback signal level. When the input
source is set to TIA (PIN), the bar display indicates the power level with respect to the
currently applied range. E.g. if the TIA range is 1micro, then a bar displaying half
length equates to a power level of 0.5micro. When the input source is set to BNC
(voltage), then bar display indicates the voltage being measured. E.g. for an input
voltage range of 2volts, a bar displaying half length equates to 1volt input signal.
Track - push button control used to set the NanoTrak to 'Track' mode, using both
horizontal and vertical axes to set a circular scan pattern. When tracking, the
NanoTrak detects any drop in signal strength resulting from misalignment of the input
and output devices, and makes positional adjustments to maintain the maximum. The
LED in the button is lit when selected.
Track Horz - push button control used to set the NanoTrak to track using a horizontal
line scan pattern. The LED in the button is lit when selected.
Track Vert - push button control used to set the NanoTrak to track using a vertical
line scan pattern. The LED in the button is lit when selected.

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Latch - push button control used to set the NanoTrak to latch mode, whereby
scanning is disabled and the piezo drives are held at their present position. The LED
in the button is lit when selected.
Tracking indicator - lit when the NanoTrak is tracking and measuring feedback
signal levels above a software threshold set using the SetTrakThreshold method or
the Settings button. This software threshold is set to reflect the signal levels at or
above which the NanoTrak unit will be tracking at the position of the peak of the
feedback signal. This threshold is typically set to lie above the 'noise floor' of the
particular physical arrangement. Note that the tracking indicator does not apply when
the input source is set to BNC (voltage) input.
CRT display - shows the position of the scan circle which in turn, corresponds to the
horizontal and vertical position of the piezo actuators. The width and height of the
display is 10 NanoTrak (NT) units, each division being 1/10th of the max piezo travel,
(e.g. for a 20µm piezo travel, 1 NT unit = 2µm).
The CRT also displays the settings currently applied for the following parameters:
Dia - the circle diameter (in NT units)
Hor/Ver Pos - the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the circle position
Gain - the gain setting of the NanoTrak control loop.
Settings display - shows user specified settings for the parameters listed below.
Note. Some parameters can also be configured for automatic adjustment. When
operating in the relevant 'Auto' mode, the user specified values displayed may be
different to the actual values applied (and in some cases, displayed on the CRT).
User Dia - displays the circle diameter (in NT units). The circle diameter can be
set either by adjusting the manual control knob or by calling the SetCircDia
method.
User Freq - displays the scanning frequency (in Hz). The scanning frequency can
be set either by entering a value in the 'Settings' panel, or by calling the
'SetCircFreq' method.
Phase Ang Hor/Ver - displays the phase compensation values (in degrees) for the
horizontal and vertical components of the circle path. Values can be entered in the
'Settings' panel or by calling the SetPhaseComp method. Note. If the phase
compensation adjustment mode is set to 'Auto', the actual phase offset may be
different to the diameter displayed. (see Section E.1.4. for further information).
Ch Ctrl Mode - indicates the open or closed loop status of the output HV amp
channels. In closed loop mode the output channels are relying on a feedback
signal (i.e. from a piezo actuator based strain guage) in order to operate to a
Note
If the circle diameter adjustment mode is set to 'Auto', the actual circle
diameter (displayed on the CRT) may be different to the diameter
displayed in the Settings window. (see Section E.1.3. for further
information).