THORLABS BSC201 User manual

BSC201
Benchtop Stepper Motor Controller
User Guide
Original Instructions

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Contents
Chapter 1 Safety ............................................................................................. 3
1.1 Safety Information .................................................................................. 3
1.2 General Warnings .................................................................................. 3
Chapter 2 Overview ........................................................................................ 4
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 4
2.2 APT PC Software Overview ................................................................... 6
Chapter 3 Getting Started .............................................................................. 9
3.1 Installing The Software ........................................................................... 9
3.2 Mechanical Installation ......................................................................... 10
3.3 Electrical Installation ............................................................................. 11
3.4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators .................................................... 13
3.5 Connecting The Hardware ................................................................... 13
3.6 Selecting the Stage Type ..................................................................... 14
3.7 Verifying Software Operation ............................................................... 15
Chapter 4 Operation - Tutorial ................................................................... 16
4.1 Using the Kinesis Software .................................................................. 16
4.2 Homing Motors ..................................................................................... 17
4.3 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position ....... 18
4.4 Stopping the Stage ............................................................................... 18
4.5 Jogging ................................................................................................. 19
4.6 Setting Move Sequences ..................................................................... 20
4.7 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings ........................................... 20
4.8 Using A Joystick Console ..................................................................... 21
4.9 External Triggering ............................................................................... 22
Chapter 5 Software Reference .................................................................... 23
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 23
5.2 GUI Panel ............................................................................................. 23
5.3 Settings Panel ...................................................................................... 26
Appendices
Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details .................................... 39
Appendix B Using A Virtual Comm Port ..................................................... 45
Appendix C Preventive Maintenance ........................................................ 48
Appendix D Specifications and Associated Products .............................. 49
Appendix E Stepper Motor Operation - Background ................................ 51
Appendix F Regulatory ................................................................................ 57
Appendix G Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts ............................................... 61

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Chapter 1 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 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 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 Introduction
The BSC201 is an enhanced single-channel Stepper Motor Controller using the
Kinesis software. Many features are provided, including a choice betweentrapezoidal
and S-shaped velocity profiles, a higher theoretical microstep resolution (409600 for
a 200 full step motor) and speeds more than twice that achieved by their
predecessors.
It is designed to drive larger framed 2-phase bipolar stepper motors, with and without
encoder feedback, and can be used in a wide variety of applications. These high
power units deliver up to 48V/50W peak (25W average) drive power per channel and
are compatible with most stepper driven nano-positioning actuators & stages in the
Thorlabs range.
The unit combines the latest high speed digital signal processors (DSP) with low-
noise analog electronics and the latest software technology for effortless high
resolution microstepping of up to three axes. Additional axes can be driven by
connecting one or more benchtop units via a standard USB hub.The stepper motor
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
stepper controllers, and any other controllers that are installed in the system. See
Chapter 5 for a full description of the software.
Fig. 2.1 Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller (BSC201)

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
Stepper motors give excellent low speed performance and positioning stability
compared with DC servo motors. A wide range of 2-phase bipolar stepper motors and
associated actuators are commercially available, each with its own characteristics,
such as step resolution, peak phase current or voltage, and lead screw pitch. For this
reason the stepper unit operation is fully configurable (parameterized) with key
settings exposed through the associated graphical interface panels.
Motor step resolution, and lead screw pitch can be set for a particular motor/actuator
combination, phase currents can be limited to suitable peak powers as required, and
limit switch configuration is accommodated through a flexible set of limit switch logic
settings. Moreover, relative and absolute moves can be initiated with move profiles
set using velocity profile parameters. Similarly, home sequences have a full set of
associated parameters that can be adjusted for a particular stage or actuator. For
simplicity of operation, the software incorporates pre-configured settings for each of
the Thorlabs stages and actuators, while still exposing all parameters individually for
use with other stepper motor driven systems.
For convenience and ease of use, adjustment of many key parameters is possible
through direct interaction with the graphical panel. For example a move to the next
position can be initiated by clicking directly on the position display and entering a new
value (see the tutorial in Chapter 4 for further details). Furthermore, all such settings
and parameters are also accessible through the programmable interfaces for
automated alignment sequences.
The stepper unit also supports encoder feedback through dedicated quadrature
encoded pulse (QEP) inputs, one for each channel of operation. Through conversion
routines, the software is able to use this feedback signal to generate encoder position
for access either through the GUI or via programmable interfaces for custom closed
loop algorithms. A “built in” algorithm can be enabled to allow the stepper system to
reach and maintain an encoded position through an iterative move sequence. Please
see the Kinesis software API online helpfile or the handbook supplied with your linear
encoded stage for further details.

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Chapter 2
2.2 Kinesis Software Overview
2.2.1 Introduction
The BSC201 controllers share many of the benefits of the Thorlabs range of motor
controllers. These include USB connectivity (allowing multiple units to be used
together on a single PC), fully featured Graphical User Interface (GUI) panels, and
extensive software function libraries for custom application development.
The Kinesis software suite provides a flexible and powerful PC based control system
both for users of the equipment, and software programmers aiming to automate its
operation.
The User Interface allows full control of all settings and operating modes enabling
complete ‘out-of-box’ operation without the need to develop any further custom
software. It provides all of the necessary system software services such as generation
of GUI panels, communications handling for multiple USB units, and logging of all
system activity to assist in hardware trouble shooting. The Kinesis server is also used
by software developers to allow the creation of advanced automated positioning
applications very rapidly and with great ease.
2.2.2 Kinesis Server
Kinesis 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 Kinesis system, .Net Controls are deployed to allow direct control over (and
also reflect the status of) the range of electronic controller units, including the BSC201
series controllers. Software applications that use .Net Controls are often referred to
as 'client applications'. A .Net Control is a language independent software
component. Consequently the 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.

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
Consider the control supplied for the BSC201 controller.
This Control provides a complete user graphical instrument panel to allow the stage
to be manually operated, as well as a complete set of software functions (often called
methods) to allow all parameters to be set and motor operations to be automated by
a client application. The instrument panel reflects the current operating state of the
controller unit to which it is associated (e.g. such as motor position). 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 stage to move, the progress of that move is reflected automatically by
changing position readouts on the graphical interface, without the need for further
programming intervention.

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Chapter 2
The Kinesis Controls collection provides a rich set of graphical user panels and
programmable interfaces allowing users and client application developers to interact
seamlessly with the Kinesis hardware. Each of the Kinesis controllers has an
associated .Net Control and these are described fully in the handbooks associated
with the controllers.
Fig. 2.2 System Architecture Diagram
Refer to the main Kinesis Software online help file, for a complete programmers guide
and reference material on using the Kinesis Controls collection. This is available
either by pressing the F1 key when running the Kinesis server, or via the Start menu,
Start\Programs\Thorlabs\Kinesis\Kinesis Help.
2.2.3 Software Upgrades
Thorlabs operate a policy of continuous product development and may issue software
upgrades as necessary.

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Chapter 3 Getting Started
3.1 Installing The Software
DO NOT CONNECT THE CONTROLLER TO YOUR PC YET
1) Download the software from www.thorlabs.com.
2) Locate the downloaded setup.exe file and move to a suitable file location.
3) Double-click the setup.exe file and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note
When operating via a PC, direct user interaction with the unit is
accomplished through intuitive graphical user interface panels (GUIs),
which expose all key operating parameters and modes. The user can
select multiple panel views displaying different information about a
particular hardware unit. The multitasking architecture ensures that the
graphical control panels always remain live, showing all current
hardware activity.
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.
If you experience any problems when installing software, contact Thorlabs on
[phone] and ask for Technical Support.

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Chapter 3
3.2 Mechanical Installation
3.2.1 Siting
The BSC201 is designed to be mounted free standing on a shelf, benchtop or similar
surface.
3.2.2 Environmental Conditions
Location Indoor use only
Maximum altitude 2000 m
Temperature range 5oC to 40oC
Maximum Humidity Less than 80% RH (non-condensing) at 31°C
To ensure reliable operation the unit should not be exposed to corrosive agents or
excessive moisture, heat or dust.
If the unit has been stored at a low temperature or in an environment of high humidity,
it must be allowed to reach ambient conditions before being powered up.
The unit must not be used in an explosive environment.
Caution
When siting the unit, it should be positioned so as not to impede the
operation of the rear panel power supply switch or the control panel
buttons.
Ensure that proper airflow is maintained to the rear of the unit.
Warning
Operation outside the following environmental limits may adversely affect
operator safety.

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
3.3 Electrical Installation
3.3.1 Connecting To The Supply
3.3.2 Fuses
Two T 3A/250V a.c. antisurge ceramic fuses are located on the back panel, one for
the live feed and one for the neutral as follows:
When replacing fuses:
1) Switch off the power and disconnect the power cord before removing the fuse
cover.
2) Always replace broken fuses with a fuse of the same rating and type.
3.3.3 Current Leakage.
Warning
The safety of any system incorporating this equipment is the
responsibility of the person performing the installation.
Shock Warning
The unit must be connected only to an earthed fused supply of 110 to 230V.
Use only power supply cables supplied by Thorlabs, other cables may not be
rated to the same current.
The unit is shipped to the UK, Europe and the USA, with the appropriate
power plug already fitted. When shipped to other territories the appropriate
power plug must be fitted by the user. Cable identification is as follows:
Brown-Live
Blue-Neutral
Green/Yellow-Earth/Ground
Fuse Rating Type Fused Line
F1 T 3.15A ceramic; antisurge Live feed
F2 T 3.15A ceramic; antisurge Neutral feed
Caution
The power supply filters may exhibit some ground loop current leakage
and could trip very sensitive detection circuits.

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Chapter 3
3.3.4 Rear Panel Connections
Fig. 3.1 Rear panel connections
USB - USB port for system communications.
HANDSET IN - Provides connection for the MJC001 Joystick - see Section 4.8. and
Section A.2.
INTERCONNECT - (9-Pin D-Type, Male) For Future Use.
CH ID - For channel selection when using the MJC001 joystick - see Section 4.8.
MOTOR DRIVE - (15-Pin D-Type, Female) Provides connection to the actuator.
This connector provides all phase current drive and encoder feedback connections to
drive a range of encoded and non-encoded stepper motors - see Section A.3.
CONTROL I/O -
(15-Pin D-Type, Female) The ‘CONTROL I/O’ connector exposes a
number of electrical signals useful for external control. It is possible to configure a
particular controller to respond to trigger inputs (see Section A.1.4.), generate trigger
outputs (see Section A.1.3.) or both respond to and generate a trigger output - see
Section 5.3.5. Motor jogging lines can be used to jog the motor in both forward and
reverse directions from a remote handset (Jogging parameters (e.g. jog distance) are
set via the GUI panel - see Section 5.3.2.)
Note
The USB cable length should be no more than 3 metres unless a powered
USB hub is being used.
!

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
3.4 Front Panel Controls and Indicators
Fig. 3.2 Front panel controls and indicators
Power LED – Indicates that power is applied to the unit.
Enable button – Used to enable/disable channel functionality. The associated LED
is lit when the channel is enabled. Disabling the channel allows the motor actuator to
be operated manually.
3.5 Connecting The Hardware
1) Perform the mechanical installation as detailed in Section 3.2.
2) Install the Software - see Section 3.1.
3) Connect the stepper motor actuator to the Controller unit - see Section 3.3.4.
4) Connect the Controller unit to the power supply - see Section 3.3.1.
5) Connect the PSU to the main supply and switch ‘ON’.
6) Connect the Controller unit to your PC.
7) WindowsTM should detect the new hardware. Wait while WindowsTM installs the
drivers for the new hardware - see the Getting Started guide for more information.
Note
The USB cable should be no more than 3 metres in length.
Communication lengths in excess of 3 metres can be achieved by using
a powered USB hub).
Power
ENABLE
1
apt Precision Motion Controller

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Chapter 3
3.6 Selecting the Stage Type
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, a stage association can be made
which enables the Kinesis server to apply automatically, suitable default parameter
values on boot up of the software. With some Thorlabs stages, the controller will
recognise the stage at switch on, and no further action is required; for others, it is
necessary to tell the controller which stage is connected as follows.
1) Ensure that the device is connected to the PC and powered up.
2) Run the Kinesis software - Start/All Programs/Thorlabs/Kinesis/Kinesis.
3) The 'Actuator/Startup Settings ' window is displayed.
Fig. 3.3 Stage Configuration Window
Note
Even if a stage type and axis has been associated with the controller, it is
still possible to alter these parameters if required, (e.g. for a custom stage
type not selectable using the Kinesis software) - see Section 5.3.4.
Note
To use the increased resolution and velocity funcitionality offered by
these controllers, the stage types prefixed by ‘HS’ (e.g. HS NanoMax 300
X Axis) must be selected. Failure to select the correct stage type will
result in reduced velocity and resolution.

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
4) Select your actuator type (e.g. HS NanoMax 300 X-Axis) from the list displayed.
5) Click OK.
6) The server reads in the stage and controller information automatically.
Proceed to Section 3.7. to verify the software operation.
3.7 Verifying Software Operation
3.7.1 Initial Setup
The Software should be installed (Section 3.1.) and the stage association performed
(Section 3.6.) before software operation can be verified.
1) Run the Kinesis software and check that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) panel
appears and is active.
Fig. 3.4 Gui panel showing jog and ident buttons
2) Click the ‘Identify’ button. The associated channel LED on the front panel of the
controller flashes. This is useful in multi-channel systems for identifying which
channel is associated with which GUI.
3) Click the jog buttons on the GUI panel and check that the motor or axis connected
to the controller moves. The position display for the associated GUI should
increment and decrement accordingly.
Follow the tutorial steps described in Chapter 4 for further verification of operation.
Note
To use the increased resolution and velocity funcitionality offered by
these controllers, the stage types prefixed by ‘HS’ (e.g. HS NanoMax 300)
must be selected. Selecting a stage/actuator type without the ‘HS’ prefix
will result in reduced velocity and resolution.

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Chapter 4 Operation - Tutorial
The following brief tutorial guides the user through a typical series of moves and
parameter adjustments performed using the Kinesis software. It assumes that the unit
is electrically connected as described in Section 3.3. and that the software is already
installed - see Section 3.1.
4.1 Using the Kinesis Software
The Kinesis software application allows the user to interact with any number of
hardware control units connected to the PC USB Bus. This program allows multiple
graphical instrument panels to be displayed so that multiple units can be controlled.
All basic operating parameters can be set through this program, and all basic
operations (such as motor moves) can be initiated. Parameter settings can be saved,
which simplifies system set up whenever the software is run up.
Fig. 4.1 Typical User Screen
1) Run the Kinesis software - Start/All Programs/Thorlabs/Kinesis/Kinesis.
Notice how the HS NanoMax 300 X Axis actuator type, selected in Section 3.6. is
displayed in the ‘Settings’ window. See Section 5.3. for further details on the
parameter values shown in the ‘Settings’ display.

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
4.2 Homing Motors
Homing the motor moves the actuator to the home limit switch and resets the internal
position counter to zero. The limit switch provides a fixed datum that can be found
after the system has been powered up.
Fig. 4.2 Motor Controller Software GUI
1) Click the ‘Home’ button. Notice that the ‘Not Homed’ LED changes to ‘Homed’,
and that the LED flashes to indicate that homing is in progress. The displayed
position counts down to 0, i.e the home position.
2) When homing is complete, the ‘Homed’ LED is lit as shown above.
See Appendix E , Section E.2.2. for background information on the home position.
Note
Homing can also be performed at the unit, by holding down both front
panel buttons for around 2 seconds.

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Chapter 4
4.3 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position
Absolute moves are measured in real world units (e.g. millimetres), relative to the
Home position.
Moves are performed using a trapezoidal or S-Curve velocity profile (see Appendix E
, Section E.1.3.). The velocity settings relate to the maximum velocities at which a
move is performed, and the acceleration at which the motor speeds up from zero to
maximum velocity.
1) On the GUI panel, click the Move arrow to show the Settings panel.
Fig. 4.3 Move Settings Panel
2) Enter the required absolute position and/or parameter values.
3) To move to the position entered click the arrow
4) Click ‘Apply’ to save the parameter settings and close the window, click Reset to
return to the previously saved values.
4.4 Stopping the Stage
The drive channel is enabled and disabled by clicking the ‘Enable’ button on the GUI
panel or the top panel of the unit. The green indicator is lit when the drive channel is
enabled. Disabling the channel removes the drive power and allows the stage/
actuator to be positioned manually.
During operation, the stage can be stopped at any time by clicking the ‘Stop’ button
on the GUI panel. Using this button does not remove power to the drive channel.

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Single Channel Stepper Motor Controller
4.5 Jogging
During PC operation, the motor actuators are jogged using the GUI panel arrow keys.
There are two jogging modes available, ‘Single Step’ and ‘Continuous’. In ‘Single
Step’ mode, the motor moves by the step size specified in the Step Distance
parameter. If the jog key is held down, single step jogging is repeated until the button
is released - see Fig. 5.3. In ‘Continuous’ mode, the motor actuator will accelerate and
move at the jog velocity while the button is held down.
1) On the GUI panel, click the word ‘Jog’ to display the Settings panel.
Fig. 4.4 Jog Settings Panel
2) Make parameter changes as required.
3) Click ‘Apply’ to save the settings and close the window, click Reset to return to the
previously saved values.
Note
In current versions of software, the ‘Min Vel’ parameter is locked at zero
and cannot be adjusted.

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Chapter 4
4.6 Setting Move Sequences
The Kinesis software allows move sequences to be programmed, allowing several
positions to be visited without user intervention. For more details and instructions on
setting move sequences, please see the Kinesis Helpfile.
4.7 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings
During operation, certain settings (e.g. max velocity, jog step size etc) can be
changed as required. Other settings (e.g. PID parameter values) cannot be changed
so easily. When the Kinesis Server is run up and the stage/acuator association made,
suitable default settings are loaded and these values have been chosen to provide
safe performance in the majority of applications. However, for applications where
these settings need to be changed, a new set of Device Start Up settings', must be
created which can then be applied and/or uploaded on subsequent start up. See the
Kinesis Helpfile for more details.