THORLABS ELL17 User manual

ELL17(K)
Linear Translation Stage
Operating Manual
Original Instructions

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................1
Chapter 2 Safety ..................................................................................................................................2
2.1. General Warnings and Cautions ..........................................................................2
Chapter 3 Description.........................................................................................................................3
3.1. Environmental Conditions ...................................................................................3
3.2. Mounting ..............................................................................................................4
Chapter 4 Operation............................................................................................................................6
4.1. Getting Started .....................................................................................................6
4.1.1. Position Error Compensation ......................................................................................6
4.2. Controlling the Stage ...........................................................................................6
4.2.1. Hand-held Controller...................................................................................................7
4.2.2. Software Control.........................................................................................................8
4.2.3. Communications Protocol ...........................................................................................9
4.2.4. Connecting Multiple Devices.......................................................................................9
4.2.5. Controlling the Stage without the Handset...................................................................9
4.3. Frequency Search .............................................................................................. 11
4.4. Periodic Cycling of Devices Over Full Range of Travel .....................................11
4.5. Restoring Factory Settings ................................................................................11
4.6. Simultaneous Movement of Devices..................................................................11
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting and FAQ.............................................................................................12
5.1. Frequently Asked Questions..............................................................................12
5.2. Notes on Making a Picoflex Cable for Use when Daisy Chaining Devices ........14
Chapter 6 Specifications..................................................................................................................16
Chapter 7 Regulatory........................................................................................................................16
7.1. Declarations of Conformity ................................................................................18
7.1.1. For Customers in Europe..........................................................................................18
7.1.2. For Customers In The USA.......................................................................................18
Chapter 8 Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts......................................................................................19

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 1: Introduction
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Chapter 1 Introduction
The ELL17 Linear Translation Stage is part of the Thorlabs series of resonant piezo motor circuits and bare
modules for OEM applications. The resonant piezo design of these motors offers fast response times and
precise positioning, and therefore they are particularly useful in scanning applications.
The high-speed digital signal processing (DSP) architecture supports a multi-drop serial communication
protocol, and a set of digital IO lines allows the user to control the movement and state manually by switching
the lines high (5 V) or low (0 V).
The stage is designed for closed loop applications requiring linear positioning over a 28 mm (1.1") travel range,
with a theoretical resolution of 0.98 µm.
Note
The module must be powered via an external 5V power supply unit (PSU). A suitable PSU is supplied in the kit.
For customers wanting to use a third party PSU, the Connector on the interface board is a DC Jack connector,
6.3mm OD (GND), 2.1mm ID (+5V).
A hand-held controller is supplied with the ELL17K evaluation kit to allow homing and manual jogging and/or
positioning. The unit can also be driven remotely via PC-based software, downloaded from www.thorlabs.com.
A compatible USB driver and source code are included in the software download package.

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 2: Safety
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Chapter 2 Safety
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.
Warning: Risk of Electrical Shock
Given when there is a risk of electrical shock.
Warning
Given when there is a risk of injury to the user.
Caution
Given when there is a possibility of damage to the product.
Note
Clarification of an instruction or additional information.
2.1. General Warnings and Cautions
Warning
When connecting the stage to a PC, ensure that the PC is switched ON before connecting the stage to the USB
port. Failure to do this could damage the PC.
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.
The equipment is susceptible to damage from electrostatic discharge. When handling the device, anti-static
precautions must be taken and suitable discharge appliances must be worn.
Spillage of fluid, such as sample solutions, should be avoided. If spillage does occur, clean up immediately
using absorbent tissue. Do not allow spilled fluid to enter the internal mechanism.
If the device is operated over a prolonged time period, the motor housing may become hot. This does not affect
motor operation but may cause discomfort if contacted by exposed skin.
Do not bend the PCB. A bending load in excess of 500 g applied to the board may cause the PCB to deform,
which will degrade the performance of the controller.
Do not expose the stage to magnetic fields as this could affect the positioning and homing sensor operation. An
external magnetic field close to the sensor should be below +/- 5mT.
Do not expose the stage to a strong infrared light (e.g. direct sunlight) as it could interfere with the operation of
the position sensor.
During use do not place the PCB directly onto electro-conductive material e.g. an optical table top or breadboard.
Caution
The home sensor of the device relies on a 950nm led which can leak from the device. This should be taken into
consideration for environments that are especially sensitive to foreign light sources.

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 3: Description
Rev C January 2021 Page 3
Chapter 3 Description
3.1. Environmental Conditions
Warning
Operation outside the following environmental limits may adversely affect operator safety.
Location Indoor use only
Maximum altitude 2000 m
Temperature range 15 °C to 40 °C
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.
Do not expose the stage to magnetic fields as this could affect the positioning and homing sensor operation.
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 is not designed to be used in explosive environments.
The unit is not designed for continuous operation. Lifetime will depend on several factors, e.g. load, number of
homing operations, number of frequency searches etc. The minimum lifetime is 100 km. See Chapter 4 for more
details.

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 3: Description
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3.2. Mounting
Warning
The safety of any system incorporating this equipment is the responsibility of the person performing the installation .
Caution
Although the module can tolerate up to 8 kV of air discharge, it must be treated as ESD sensitive device. When
handling the device, anti-static precautions must be taken and suitable discharge appliances must be worn.
Do not expose the stage to magnetic fields as this could affect the positioning and homing sensor operation. An
external magnetic field close to the sensor should be below +/- 5 mT.
The ribbon cable connector is made of plastic and is not particularly robust. Do not use force when making
connections. Unnecessary or repeated plugging in and unplugging should be avoided or the connector may fail.
When handling the stage, take care not to touch the wires to the motors.
Do not bend the wires over the motor spring as this affects the performance of the unit.
Do not allow the wires to contact other moving parts.
The recommended mounting orientation is horizontal. A base plate is shipped fitted to the stage to allow
mounting to a standard 1" or 25 mm pitch optical table or breadboard. If required, a grooved top plate
(MMP1(/M)) or tapped top plate (RB13P1(/M)) can be purchased separately to allow components and devices
to be mounted to the moving world – see Figure 2.
The stage can be mounted vertically, as long as the resulting motion is in the horizontal plane. The stage
should not be mounted such that motion is vertical.
Figure 1 ELL17(/M) Linear Stage

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 3: Description
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Figure 2 ELL17 with MMP1 Top Plate Fitted, Showing Stage in Backwards/Home Position
Figure 3 Fixing the ELL17 to the Work Surface
1. Carefully slide the moving world to one end of travel to gain access to the mounting holes as shown
above.
2. Attach the stage to the work surface by passing appropriate standard fixings (not supplied) through
the exposed hole in the PCB and base plate.
3. Slide the moving world to the other end of travel, and repeat item (2).

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 4: Operation
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Chapter 4 Operation
4.1. Getting Started
Caution
Although the module can tolerate up to 8 kV of air discharge, it must be treated as an ESD sensitive device. When
handling the device, anti-static precautions must be taken and suitable anti-discharge appliances must be worn.
Do not expose the rotator to magnetic fields as this could affect the positioning and homing sensor operation.
When power is applied, do not connect or disconnect the ribbon cable connecting the USB/PSU adapter to the rotator
PCB. Always remove power before making connections .
The home sensor of the device relies on a 950nm led which can leak from the device. This should be taken into
consideration for environments that are especially sensitive to foreign light sources.
Warning
If the device is operated over a prolonged time period, the motor housing may become hot. This does not affect
motor operation but may cause discomfort if contacted by exposed skin.
1. Perform the mechanical installation as detailed in Section 3.2
2. Turn on and boot up the host PC.
3. Connect the handset to the stage if required.
Caution
The unit is easily damaged by connections with incorrect polarity. Pin 1 of the connector on the PCB is marked
with an arrow (see Figure 4 and Figure 5.) which should be adjacent to the red wire in the connecting cable.
4. Connect the stage to a 5V supply and switch ‘ON’. (A 5 V PSU is supplied with the ELL17K).
Caution
Boot up the PC BEFORE connecting the USB cable. DO NOT connect a powered ELL kit to a PC that is not
powered up and running.
5. Using the USB cable supplied, connect the handset to the PC.
6. If required, and wait for the drivers to be installed.
7. Home the stage. Homing is necessary to align the sensor and establish a datum from which all future
moves are measured.
4.1.1. Position Error Compensation
The stage has a positioning error compensation algorithm. When moving from one position to another, the stage
detects the error between the requested and actual positions and will calculate an error compensation value,
which is then applied to the next movement. A default compensation value is loaded on boot up, then the
optimum value is calculated within the next 2 to 6 motions. Subsequently, the calculation is continually updated
and is applied automatically.
4.2. Controlling the Stage
The stage can be controlled in three ways; via the handset, by the Elliptec software running on a PC, or by
writing a custom application using the messages described in the communications protocol document. Homing
and Jogging functionality can also be accessed by applying voltages to the digital lines on Connector J1. The
modes of control are described in the following sections.
In all modes, when the unit is mounted in the recommended orientation as shown in Figure 1, forward moves
the stage to the right and backward moves to the left as shown in Figure 2.

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 4: Operation
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4.2.1. Hand-held Controller
Caution
On power up the stage will move while the unit checks the sensors and then searches for the home position.
The ELL17K Evaluation Kit also contains a hand-held controller, which features two buttons (marked FW and
BW) that allow control of the stage position. The handset also provides for connection to the host PC and to
the external 5 V power supply. The external PSU connector allows the stage to be used in the absence of a
PC, with control being achieved via the handset buttons.
LED1 (green) is lit when power is applied to the unit. LED2 (red) is lit when the device being driven is in
motion.
Figure 4Handset Details
Caution
The stage must be homed before performing any Jog moves.
1. Home the stage by pressing the BW button.
2. To jog forward, press and hold JOG and then press FW. The default jog step value is 2mm.
The jog step size can be changed in the software GUI, see the help file for details.
3. To jog backward, press and hold JOG and then press BW.

ELL17(K) Linear Translation Stage Chapter 4: Operation
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4.2.2. Software Control
When connected to the host PC, the stage can be controlled remotely, via the Elliptec software.
1. Download the Elliptec software from the downloads section at www.thorlabs.com. Double click the
saved .exe file and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Connect the hand-held controller to the stage unit.
3. Connect the hand-held controller to the 5V Power Supply and switch on.
4. Connect the hand-held controller to the PC USB port and wait for the drivers to be installed.
5. Run the Elliptec software.
6. In the top left of the GUI panel displayed, select the COM port to which the device is connected, and
click ‘Connect’. The software will search the comms bus and enumerate the device.
7. Click the Home Offset ‘Get’ button, then click ‘Home’ to home the stage.
8. The GUI and device are now ready for use. See the help file supplied with the software for more
information.