THORLABS TDC001 User manual

TDC001
DC Servo Motor Driver
User Guide
Original Instructions

2 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Contents
Chapter 1 Safety .............................................................................................4
1.1 Safety Information .................................................................................. 4
1.2 General Warnings .................................................................................. 4
Chapter 2 Introduction and Overview .......................................................... 5
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 5
2.2 T-Cube Controller Hub ........................................................................... 6
2.3 Kinesis PC Software Overview ............................................................... 7
Chapter 3 Getting Started ............................................................................10
3.1 Install The Software .............................................................................. 10
3.2 Mechanical Installation ......................................................................... 11
3.3 Electrical Installation ............................................................................. 13
3.4 Connect The Hardware ........................................................................ 14
3.5 Select the Stage Type .......................................................................... 15
3.6 Verifying Software Operation ............................................................... 17
Chapter 4 Standalone Operation ................................................................ 18
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 18
4.2 Control Panel Buttons and Indicators .................................................. 19
4.3 Potentiometer Operation ...................................................................... 19
4.4 Button Operation .................................................................................. 20
Chapter 5 PC Operation - Tutorial ............................................................. 21
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 21
5.2 Using the Kinesis Software .................................................................. 21
5.3 Homing Motors ..................................................................................... 23
5.4 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position ....... 24
5.5 Jogging ................................................................................................. 25
5.6 Setting Move Sequences ..................................................................... 26
5.7 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings ........................................... 26
5.8 IStage/Axis Tab .................................................................................... 27
Chapter 6 Software Reference ....................................................................28
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 28
6.2 GUI Panel ............................................................................................. 28
6.3 Settings Panel ...................................................................................... 31
Continued...

3
DC Servo Motor Driver
Appendices
Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Detail ...................................... 41
Appendix B Preventive Maintenance ......................................................... 42
Appendix C Specifications and Associated Products .............................. 43
Appendix D DC Motor Operation - Background ........................................ 45
Appendix E Regulatory ................................................................................ 50
Appendix F Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts ................................................ 55

4
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.

5
Chapter 2 Introduction and Overview
2.1 Introduction
The T-Cube DC Servo Controller (TDC001) is a new very compact single channel
controller/driver for easy manual and automatic control of DC Servo motors. This
driver has been designed to operate with a variety of lower powered DC brushed
motors (up to 15V/2.5W operation) equipped with encoder feedback. The TDC001
has been optimised for 'out of the box' operation with the Thorlabs range of Z8 DC
motor equipped opto-mechanical products, however highly flexible software settings
and closed loop tuning also supports operation with a wide range of third party DC
Servo motors and associated stages/actuators.
Although compact in footprint, this unit offers a fully featured motion control capability
including velocity profile settings, limit switch handling, “on the fly” changes in motor
speed and direction, control over the closed loop PID parameters and, for more
advanced operation, adjustment of settings such as lead screw pitch and gearbox
ratio, allowing support for many different actuator configurations.
For convenience the footprint of this unit has been kept to a minimum, measuring only
60mm x 60mm x 47mm (2.4” x 2.4” x 1.8”) and with the facility to directly mount to the
optical table close to the motorised device - convenient when manually adjusting
motor positions using the top panel controls (jog buttons and velocity control slider).
Table top operation also allows minimal drive cable lengths for easier cable
management..
Fig. 2.1 T-Cube DC Servo Motor Driver

6 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Chapter 2
USB connectivity provides easy 'Plug and Play' PC controlled operation - multiple
units can be connected to a single PC via standard USB hub technology or by using
the new T-Cube Controller Hub (see over) for multi-axis motion control applications.
Coupling this with the very user friendly Kinesis software (supplied) allows the user to
very quickly get up and running with complex move sequences in a short space of
time – for example all relevant operating parameters are set automatically by the
software for Thorlabs stage/actuator products. Advanced custom motion control
applications and sequences are also possible using the extensive ActiveX®
programming environment also supplied. This programming library is compatible with
many development tools such as LabView, Visual Basic, Visual C++, C++ Builder,
LabWindows/CVI, Matlab and Delphi.
For power, a compact multi-way power supply unit (TPS008) is available from
Thorlabs allowing up to 8 T-Cube Drivers to be powered from a single mains outlet.
This power supply unit is also designed to take up minimal space and can be mounted
to the optical table in close proximity to the driver units, connected via short power
leads. A single way wall plug supply (TPS001) is also available for powering a single
T-Cube Driver.
In the remainder of this handbook, operation of the unit is described for both front
panel and PC operation. Tutorial sections (Chapter 4 and Chapter 5) provide a good
initial understanding on using the unit and reference section (Chapter 6) covers all
operating modes and parameters in detail.
2.2 T-Cube Controller Hub
As a further level of convenience when using the new T-Cube Controllers Thorlabs
also offers the new T-Cube Controller Hub (TCH002). This product has been
designed specifically with multiple T-Cube operation in mind in order to simplify issues
such as cable management, power supply routing, multiple USB device
communications and different optical table mounting scenarios.
The T-Cube Controller Hub comprises a slim base-plate type carrier (375mm x 86mm
x 21.5mm, 14.75” x 3.4” x 0.85”) with electrical connections located on the upper
surface to accept up to six T-Cubes.
Internally the Controller Hub contains a fully compliant USB 2.0 hub circuit to provide
communications for all six T-Cubes – a single USB connection to the Controller Hub
is all that is required for PC control. The Controller Hub also provides power
distribution for up to six T-Cubes, requiring only a single power connection (from a
separate supply unit TPS006 supplied by Thorlabs).

7
DC Servo Motor Driver
2.3 Kinesis PC Software Overview
2.3.1 Introduction
The T-Cube range of controllers share many of the benefits. 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. It is this Kinesis server ‘engine’
that is used by software developers to allow the creation of advanced automated
positioning applications very rapidly and with great ease. The Kinesis server is
described in more detail in Section 2.3.2.
Caution
On start up, wait until the top panel POWER led is lit bright green before
running the Kinesis software.

8 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Chapter 2
2.3.2 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 Stepper
Driver T-Cube. 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.
Consider the .Net Control supplied for the T-Cube DC driver unit.
This Control provides a complete user graphical instrument panel to allow the motor
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 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 stepper motor Control to move a motor, the progress of that
move is reflected automatically by changing position readouts on the graphical
interface, without the need for further programming intervention.

9
DC Servo Motor Driver
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 system online help or 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.
2.3.3 Software Upgrades
Thorlabs operate a policy of continuous product development and may issue software
upgrades as necessary.

10
Chapter 3 Getting Started
3.1 Install The Software
DO NOT CONNECT THE STAGE 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.
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 Kinesis 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 Kinesis
software is run. Please consult your system administrator or contact Thorlabs
technical support for more details.
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 +44 (0)1353
654440 and ask for Technical Support.

11
DC Servo Motor Driver
3.2 Mechanical Installation
3.2.1 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.
3.2.2 Mounting Options
The T-Cube DC Driver is shipped with a baseplate fitted, ready to be bolted to a
breadboard, optical table or similar surface.
If desired, the baseplate can be removed and the unit can be stood on rubber feet -
see Section 3.2.3.
For multiple cube systems, a USB controller hub (TCH002) is available - see Section
2.2. for further details. Full instructions on the fitting and use of the controller hub are
contained in handbook ha0146 T-Cube Controller Hub, shipped with the product.
Warning
Operation outside the following environmental limits may adversely affect
operator safety.
Caution
When siting the unit, it should be positioned so as not to impede the
operation of the control panel buttons.
Ensure that proper airflow is maintained to the rear of the unit.

12 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Chapter 3
3.2.3 Removing the Baseplate
The baseplate must be removed before the rubber feet (supplied) can be fitted, or the
unit is connected to the USB controller hub..
Fig. 3.1 Removing The Baseplate
Using a hexagon key, remove the bolts securing the unit to the baseplate. Retain the
bolts for future use if the baseplate is refitted.
4) Invert the unit.
5) Remove the backing paper from the rubber feet (supplied) taking care not to touch
the exposed adhesive surface.
6) Position the feet as desired, then press and hold for a few seconds until the
adhesive has bonded.
7) The unit may now be used freestanding, sitting on its rubber feet.
Detail A Detail B
Baseplate removed and rubber feet fittedBaseplate attachment screws

13
DC Servo Motor Driver
3.3 Electrical Installation
3.3.1 Connecting a Motor
Fig. 3.2 Rear Panel Connections
The unit is supplied with a 15 pin D-type connector as shown above, which is
compatible with all new Thorlabs DC servo motor actuators (refer to Appendix A for
details of pin outs).
3.3.2 Using The TCH002 Controller Hub
The TCH002 USB Controller Hub provides power distribution for up to six T-Cubes,
and requires only a single power connection (from a separate supply unit TPS006
supplied by Thorlabs). Further details are contained in handbook ha0146T, T-Cube
Controller Hub, supplied with the unit.
Warning
DO NOT PLUG A POWERED UP T-CUBE INTO THE TCH002 USB
CONTROLLER HUB. Always ensure that all power is disconnected from
the DC Servo Driver T-Cube AND the hub before the T-Cube is plugged
into the hub. Failure to observe this precaution will seriously damage the
T-Cube unit and could result in personal injury.
MOTOR

14 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Chapter 3
3.3.3 Connecting To A Standalone Power Supply
Fig. 3.3 Front Panel Power Supply Connector
1) Using the front panel connector as shown above, connect the unit to a regulated
DC power supply of 15 V, 1A.
Thorlabs offers a compact, multi-way power supply unit (TPS008), allowing up to
eight Driver T-Cubes to be powered from a single mains outlet. A single way wall plug
supply (TPS001) for powering a single Driver T-Cube is also available.
3.4 Connect The Hardware
1) Perform the mechanical installation as detailed in Section 3.2.
2) Install the Kinesis Software.
Shock Warning
The unit must be connected only to a DC supply of 15V, 1A regulated.
Connection to a supply of a different rating may cause damage to the unit
and could result in injury to the operator.
Caution
During items (3) to (6) the instructions should be followed strictly in the
order stated. Problems may occur if the process is not performed in the
correct sequence.
Standard 3.5 mm Jack
Pin Length 9.5 mm
USB

15
DC Servo Motor Driver
3) Connect the Controller unit to your PC.
(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).
4) Connect the DC servo motor actuator to the Controller unit - see Section 3.3.1.
5) Connect the Controller unit to the power supply - see Section 3.3.3.
6) Connect the PSU to the main supply and switch ‘ON’.
(The unit takes 3 to 5 seconds from power application until warm up is finished. The
green LED will light fully when the unit is ready).
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.
3.5 Select 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, you must first associate a specific
stage type and axis with the motor controller. Once this association has been made,
Caution
During item (4) ensure the power supply unit is isolated from the mains
before connecting to the T-Cube unit. Always power up the T-Cube unit
by connecting its power supply to the mains. DO NOT connect the T-Cube
unit to a 'live' external power supply. Doing so (i.e. “hot plugging”) carries
the risk of PERMANENT damage to the unit. Similarly, to power down the
unit, disconnect the power suply from the mains before disconnecting
the T-Cube unit.
Note
If any problems are encountered during the connection and power up
process, power cycle the unit, which should clear the error.
Caution
Wait until the top panel POWER led is lit bright green before running the
Kinesis software.

16 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Chapter 3
the Kinesis server applies automatically, suitable default parameter values on boot up
of the software.
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. 3.4 Stage Configuration Window
4) Select your actuator type (e.g. Z825(B)) from the list displayed.
5) Click OK.
6) The server reads in the stage and controller information automatically.
Proceed to Section 3.6. to verify the software operation.
Note
If the association is not used performed, the software will associate a
Z806 type actuator by default.
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 6.3.3.

17
DC Servo Motor Driver
3.6 Verifying Software Operation
3.6.1 Initial Setup
1) Wait until the TDC001 POWER led is lit bright green, then run the Kinesis
Software and check that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) panel appears and is
active.
Fig. 3.5 Gui panel showing jog and ident buttons
2) Check that the actuator type associated at start up is displayed in the GUI panel.
3) Click the ‘Ident’ button. The Power LED and digital display on the front panel of
the associated controller flashes. This is useful in multi-channel systems for
identifying which channel is associated with which GUI.
4) Click the jog buttons on the GUI panel and check that the motor or axis connected
to the DC Driver T-Cube moves. The position display for the associated GUI
should increment and decrement accordingly.
Follow the tutorial steps described in Chapter 5 for further verification of operation.

18
Chapter 4 Standalone Operation
4.1 Introduction
The DC Driver T-Cube has been designed specifically to operate with the extensive
range of Thorlabs DC motorised opto-mechanical products. The unit offers a fully
featured motion control capability including velocity profile settings, limit switch
handling, homing sequences and, for more advanced operation, adjustment of
settings such as lead screw pitch and gearbox ratio, allowing support for many
different actuator configurations. These parameters can be set via the Kinesis Server
software - see Chapter 5. Furthermore, many of these parameters are automatically
set to allow “out of the box” operation with no further “tuning” required.
The following brief overview explains how the front panel controls can be used to
perform a typical series of motor moves. It is assumed that the unit has already been
insatlled and configured for the particular actuator or stage to hich it is associated -
see Chapter 3 for more details.
In conjunction with this chapter, it also may be useful to read the background on DC
servo motor operation contained in Appendix D .

19
DC Servo Motor Driver
4.2 Control Panel Buttons and Indicators
Fig. 4.1 Panel Controls and Indicators
MOVE Controls - These controls allow all motor moves to be initiated.
Move/Jog Buttons - Used to jog the motors and make discrete position increments
in either direction - see Section 5.5. for more details on jogging.
Velocity Potentiometer - Used to drive the motor at a varying speed in either
forward or reverse directions for full and easy motor control - see Section 4.3.
Active LED - The Active LED can be configured to flash when the motor reaches a
forward or reverse limit switch, or when the Ident button is pressed in the GUI panel.
It can also be configured to be lit when the motor is moving. - see Section 6.3.4. for
further details.
POWER LED - Lit when power is applied to the unit. This LED can be configured to
flash when the ‘Ident’ button is clicked on the Kinesis Software GUI panel - see
Section 6.3.4. for further details.
4.3 Potentiometer Operation
The potentiometer slider is sprung such that when released it returns to it’s central
position. In this central position the motor is stationary. As the slider is moved away
from the centre, the motor begins to move. Bidirectional control of the motor is
possible by moving the slider in both directions. The speed of the motor increases by
discrete amounts as a function of slider deflection. These speed settings are entered
in real world units (mm or degrees) in the ‘Potentiometer Control Settings’ parameter
in the ‘Advanced’ settings tab - see Section 6.3.
POWER
ACTIVE
MOVE/JOG
apt - dc servo controller
VELOCITY

20 HA0142T Rev 17K Sept 2015
Chapter 4
4.4 Button Operation
The buttons on the front of the unit can be used to control the motor in a number of
ways, as described below.
4.4.1 Homing
A ‘Home’ move is performed to establish a datum from which subsequent absolute
position moves can be measured (see Section 5.3. and Section D.2.2. for further
information on the home position).
To initiate a ‘Home’ move, press and hold both buttons for 2 seconds.
The move can be stopped at any time by pressing either of the move buttons.
4.4.2 Go to Position
In ‘Go To Position’ mode, each front panel button can be programmed with a different
position value, such that the controller will move the motor to that position when the
specific button is pressed. These ‘taught’ positions can be set through the software
GUI - see Section 4.4.2.
In addition to entering values in the Advanced Tab as described in Section 4.4.2.,
when operating in ‘Go To Position’ mode it is possible from the front panel, to save
the current position as the ‘Go To Position’ value.
To save the current position as the ‘Go To Position’ value, press and hold the
required button for 2 seconds.
When the button has been programmed the ‘Active’ LED on the unit will flash five
times. Typically you would use the pot to move the motor to the required position and
then ‘teach’ the button by pressing and holding it.
The move can be stopped at any time by pressing either of the move buttons.
This mode of operation is enabled by setting the ‘Button Mode’ parameter to ‘Go To
Position’ on the Advanced settings tab - see Section 6.3. for further information.
4.4.3 Jogging
The front panel buttons can also be configured to ‘jog’ the motor. This mode of
operation is enabled by setting the ‘Button Mode’ parameter to ‘Jogging’ on the
‘Advanced’ settings tab - see Section 6.3. Once set to this mode, the jogging
parameters for the buttons are taken from the ‘Jog’ parameters on the ‘Move/Jogs’
settings tab - see Section 6.3.
4.4.4 Switching between Button Modes
The two panel buttons on the unit can be set to ‘Jogging’ or ‘Go To Position’ modes
via the front panel.
Press and hold one of the buttons and simultaneouslydeflectthepotupwardstoplace
the unit into ‘Go To Position’ mode. Similarly press and hold one of the buttons and
deflect the pot downwards to place the unit into ‘Jogging’ mode. After each mode
change the ‘Active’ LED on the unit will flash five times.