THORLABS ODC001 User manual

a
dvanced
p
ositioning
t
echnology
OPTODC SERVO MOTOR DRIVER
Model Number ODC001

THORLABS
About the Company
Thorlabs is a broad based optical technologies company with expertise in the design and
manufacture of an extensive array of innovative photonics products. The product range
covers optical and opto-mechanical components, tables and vibration control,
nanopositioning solutions, test and measurement systems, and laser sources.
Founded in 1989 Thorlabs has become a well known supplier for quality photonics
products for manufacturing and research with an annually published catalog present in
almost every optics laboratory worldwide. Thorlabs has set standards for fastest possible
delivery of its products combined with an excellent customer service. Overnight delivery
of most products, and quick and competent technical support, are widely acknowledged
by its customers.
Besides this main mission Thorlabs is eager to enhance its product spectrum
continuously. Together with specialized strategic partners, like Nova Phase and Menlo
Systems GmbH, Thorlabs investigates the newest optical technologies to provide new
and innovative solutions to its customers.
Thorlabs Inc. has its headquarters in Newton, New Jersey. Subsidiaries are located in
Tokyo (Japan), Karlsfeld (Germany), Ely (UK) und Gothenburg (Sweden).
Trademarks
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
ActiveX is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
Visual Basic is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
LabVIEW is a trademark of National
Instruments Corporation.
THORLABS is a registered trademark of
Thorlabs Inc.
Revision History
Issue No. Date Summary
1 100106 Initial Issue

Contents
1 For Your Safety ......................................................................................... 3
Safety Information ..........................................................................................................3
Warnings ........................................................................................................................4
Declarations Of Conformity ............................................................................................4
For Customers in Europe .......................................................................................4
For Customers In The USA ....................................................................................4
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive .......................................5
Compliance ............................................................................................................5
Waste treatment on your own responsibility ..........................................................6
Ecological background ...........................................................................................6
2 Overview and Setup .................................................................................. 7
Introduction .....................................................................................................................7
Mechanical Installation ...................................................................................................8
Siting ......................................................................................................................8
Environmental Conditions ......................................................................................9
Electrical Installation .....................................................................................................10
Connecting To The Supply .................................................................................10
Connecting a motor ..............................................................................................10
Installing APT Software for PC Operation ....................................................................11
Introduction ..........................................................................................................11
Software Installation .............................................................................................11
Software Upgrades ..............................................................................................11
APT PC Software Overview .........................................................................................12
Introduction ..........................................................................................................12
APTUser Utility .....................................................................................................13
APT Config Utility .................................................................................................14
APT Server (ActiveX Controls) ............................................................................15
Verifying Software Operation .......................................................................................17
Initial Setup ..........................................................................................................17
3 Standalone Operation ............................................................................. 18
Introduction ...................................................................................................................18
Front Panel Controls and Indicators ............................................................................18
Potentiometer Operation ..............................................................................................18
Button Operation ..........................................................................................................19
Homing .................................................................................................................19
Go to Position ......................................................................................................19
Teaching Go To Position Values ..........................................................................20
Jogging ................................................................................................................20
Switching Between Button Modes ........................................................................20
Continued...

4 PC Operation - Tutorial ...........................................................................20
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 21
Select the Stage Type (using APTConfig) ................................................................... 21
Using the APT User Utility ............................................................................................ 23
Homing Motors ............................................................................................................. 25
Moving to an Absolute Position .................................................................................... 26
Changing Motor Parameters ........................................................................................ 27
Jogging ......................................................................................................................... 28
Graphical Control Of Motor Positions (Point and Move) .............................................. 29
Setting Move Sequences ............................................................................................. 31
Creating a Simulated Configuration .............................................................................34
Stage/Axis Tab ............................................................................................................. 37
5 Software Reference .................................................................................38
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 38
GUI Panel ..................................................................................................................... 38
Settings Panel .............................................................................................................. 40
Moves/Jogs Tab .................................................................................................. 40
Stage/Axis Tab .................................................................................................... 43
Advanced Tab ..................................................................................................... 46
Appendices
A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details ...................................................49
Rear Panel Motor Control Connector ........................................................................... 49
B Preventive Maintenance .........................................................................50
Safety Testing .............................................................................................................. 50
Cleaning .......................................................................................................................50
C Specifications and Associated Products .............................................51
Specifications ............................................................................................................... 51
Associated Products .................................................................................................... 52
D DC Motor Operation - Background .......................................................53
How A DC Motor Works ............................................................................................... 53
Positive and Negative Moves .............................................................................. 53
Velocity Profiles ................................................................................................... 53
Positioning a Stage ...................................................................................................... 54
General ................................................................................................................ 54
Home position ...................................................................................................... 54
Limit Switches ...................................................................................................... 54
Minimum and Maximum Positions ....................................................................... 55
Error Correction ............................................................................................................ 56
Backlash correction ............................................................................................. 56

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.
The following safety symbols may be used throughout the handbook:
Warning. An instruction which draws attention to the risk of injury or death.
Caution. An instruction which draws attention to the risks of damage to the product,
process or surroundings.
Note. Clarification of an instruction or additional information.

Chapter 1 For Your Safety
1.2 Warnings
• The unit must be connected only to a DC supply of 12-15V, 1A regulated. Thorlabs offer
a compact, multi-way power supply unit (OPS008), allowing up to eight OptoDrivers to
be powered from a single mains outlet. A single way wall plug supply (OPS001) for
powering a single OptoDriver is also available.
• Only personnel trained in the servicing and maintenance of this equipment should
remove its covers or attempt any repairs or adjustments.
• If this equipment is used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer, the protection
provided by the equipment may be impaired. Do not operate the instrument outside its
rated supply voltages or environmental range. In particular, excessive moisture may
impair safety.
• This unit is intended for operation in the temperature range 5° to 40°C, 20% to 80% RH.
1.3 Declarations Of Conformity
1.3.1 For Customers in Europe
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the EC Directive
89/336/EEC ‘EMC Directive’.
Compliance was demonstrated by conformance to the following specifications which
have been listed in the Official Journal of the European Communities:
EMC EN61326: 1997
1.3.2 For Customers In The USA
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likelyto cause harmful interference
in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Thorlabs Ltd. could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.

ODC001 Servo Motor Driver
1.4
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE)
Directive
1.4.1 Compliance
As required by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive of
the European Community and the corresponding national laws, Thorlabs offers all
end users in the EC the possibility to return "end of life" units without incurring
disposal charges.
This offer is valid for Thorlabs electrical and electronic equipment
• sold after August 13th 2005
• marked correspondingly with the crossed out "wheelie bin" logo (see Fig. 1)
• sold to a company or institute within the EC
• currently owned by a company or institute within the EC
• still complete, not disassembled and not contaminated
Fig. 1.1 Crossed out "wheelie bin" symbol
As the WEEE directive applies to self contained operational electrical and electronic
products, this "end of life" take backservice does not referto other Thorlabs products,
such as
• pure OEM products, that means assemblies to be built into a unit by the user (e. g. OEM
laser driver cards)
• components
• mechanics and optics
• left over parts of units disassembled by the user (PCB's, housings etc.).
If you wish to return a Thorlabs unit for waste recovery, please contact Thorlabs or
your nearest dealer for further information.

Chapter 1 For Your Safety
1.4.2 Waste treatment on your own responsibility
If you do not return an "end of life" unit to Thorlabs, you must hand it to a company
specialized in waste recovery. Do not dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public
waste disposal site.
1.4.3 Ecological background
It is well known that WEEE pollutes the environment by releasing toxic products
during decomposition. The aim of the European RoHS directive is to reduce the
content of toxic substances in electronic products in the future.
The intent of the WEEE directive is to enforce the recycling of WEEE. A controlled
recycling of end of life products will thereby avoid negative impacts on the
environment.

Chapter 2
Overview and Setup
2.1 Introduction
The OptoDCDriver is a very compact single channel DC servo controller and driver
designed to operate with a variety of DC brushed motors up to 5V operation equipped
with encoder feedback. This driver unit (a direct replacement for the DCX-MC110B
controller modules featured in earlier editions of the Thorlabs catalogue) contains a
full embedded controller and driver circuit that can be operated with and without a PC.
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 for more advanced operation, control over the closed loop PID
parameters and adjustment of settings such as lead screw pitch and gearbox ratio
allowing support for many different actuator configurations.
When used with the extensive range of Thorlabs DC motorized opto-mechanical
products, many of these parameters are automatically set to allow “out of the box”
operation with no further tuning required.
The OptoDCDriver has been specifically designed as a member of the APT controller
family. The APT family includes a range of high specification motor and piezo
controllers (both in bench top and rack based formats) specifically aimed at high
resolution positioning applications. By inheriting much of the functionality developed
for these high end variants, the OptoDCDriver is built on a flexible and powerful
motion control capability with full and complete software support. It is perfectly
feasible to mix operation of the OptoDCDriver with any other member of the APT
controller family through the same unified software interfaces, both graphical and
programmable. For the first time, positioning and motion control applications
deploying any of the complete range of Thorlabs motorized/piezo actuated nano-
positioning and opto-mechanical hardware is easily achieved in minimum time via a
common PC software platform.
Fig. 2.1 OptoDC Servo Motor Driver

Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
Designed as a direct replacement for the earlier ThorlabsDC controller module (DCX-
MC110B) and associated PCI carrier board (DCX-PCI100), the new OptoDCDriver is
contained in a very compact (2.5" x 2" x 1.6") housing incorporating easily accessible
local motor move controls for manual motor control and positioning. We have taken
care to keep the footprint to a minimum allowing the possibility, in many opto-
mechanical applications, of locating this driver on the optical table in close proximity
to the motorised apparatus being driven. A base plate optionallows easy mounting to
optical tables in a stacked side by side configuration for control of multiple motor
channels. Use of this driver solution within the photonics R&D environment is further
considered by an overall black finish and by elimination of any stray light generation
(the LEDs found on the front panel can be disabled by using a software command).
In the remainder of this handbook, operation of the unit is described for both front
panel and PC operation. Tutorial sections (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4) provide a good
initial understanding on using the unit and reference section (Chapter 5) covers all
operating modes and parameters in detail.
2.2 Mechanical Installation
2.2.1 Siting
The OptoDCDriver is designed 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 its
rubber feet - see Section 2.2.3.
Caution.
When siting the unit, it should be positioned so as not to impede the operation of the
front panel buttons.
Ensure that proper airflow is maintained to the rear of the unit.

ODC001 Servo Motor Driver
2.2.2 Environmental Conditions
Warning. Operation outside the following environmental limits may adversely affect
operator safety.
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.
2.2.3 Removing the Baseplate
The OptoDCDriver is supplied fitted with a baseplate, for securing the unit to an
optical table or breadboard. If desired, this baseplate can be removed, and the unit
placed freestanding on the worksurface.
Fig. 2.2 Removing The Baseplate
1) Invert the unit and remove the screws securing the baseplate to the bottom face.
Retain the screws for future use if the baseplate is refitted.
2) Fit the shorter screws (supplied), to secure the internal circuitry to the outer case.
3) The unit may now be used freestanding, sitting on its rubber feet.
Detail A - showing baseplate attachment
s
crews and short screws supplied separately Detail B - showing baseplate removed
and short screws fitted

Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
2.3 Electrical Installation
2.3.1 Connecting To The Supply
Fig. 2.3 Front Panel Power Supply Connector
1) Using the front panel connector as shown above, connect the unit to a regulated
DC power supply of 12 to 15 V, 1A.
Thorlabs offers a compact, multi-way power supply unit (OPS008), allowing up to
eight OptoDrivers to be powered from a single mains outlet. A single way wall plug
supply (OPS001) for powering a single OptoDriver is also available.
Warning. The unit must be connected only to a DC supply of 12-15V, 1A regulated.
Connection to a supply of a different rating may cause damage to the unit and could
result in injury to the operator.
2.3.2 Connecting a motor
Fig. 2.4 Rear Panel Connections
The unit is supplied with a 10 pin IDC connector as shown above, which is compatible
with all Thorlabs DC servo motor actuators (refer to Appendix A for details of pin
outs).
DC 12-15V 1A
MOVE
USB
_
+
apt
DC Servo
Controller
Motor
apt

ODC001 Servo Motor Driver
2.4 Installing APT Software
2.4.1 Introduction
When operating via a PC, direct user interaction with the OptoDCDriver 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.
2.4.2 Software Installation
The installation procedure is performed automatically.
1) Insert the CD into your PC.
2) Click the ‘Install Software’ hyperlink.
Fig. 2.5 Install Software Hyperlink
3) Follow the on-screen instructions.
If your install package does not start, run the file ‘Install.exe’, found on the root
directory of the Software CD.
If you experience any problems when installing software, contact Thorlabs on
+44 (0)1353 654440 and ask for Technical Support.
Caution. Some PC’s may have been configured to restrict access to the registry. If this
is the case, the following registry keys must be set to allow write access by everyone:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\THORLABS\APT SERVER
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\THORLABS\APT USER
For further information, consult your system administrator.
2.4.3 Software Upgrades
Thorlabs operate a policy of continuous product development and may issue software
upgrades as necessary.
Detailed instructions on installing upgrades are included on the APT Software
CD ROM.

Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
2.5 APT PC Software Overview
2.5.1 Introduction
As a member of the APT range of controllers, the OptoDCDriver shares many of the
associated software benefits. This includes USB connectivity (allowing multiple units
to be used together on a single PC), fully featured Graphical User Interface (GUI)
panels,and extensivesoftware function libraries for custom application development.
The APT software suite supplied with all APT controllers, including the OptoDCDriver,
provides a flexible and powerful PC based control system both for users of the
equipment, and software programmers aiming to automate its operation.
For users, the APTUser (see Section 2.5.2.) and APTConfig (see Section 2.5.3.)
utilities allow full control of all settings and operating modes enabling complete ‘out-
of-box’ operation without the need to develop any further custom software. Both
utilities are built on top of a sophisticated, multi-threaded ActiveX ‘engine’ (called the
APT server) which provides all of the necessary APT 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 APT
server ‘engine’ that is used by software developers to allow the creation of advanced
automated positioning applications very rapidly and with great ease. The APT server
is described in more detail in Section 2.5.4.
Aside
ActiveX®, a Windows®-based, language-independent technology, allows a user
to quickly develop custom applications that automate the control of APT system
hardware units. Development environments supported by ActiveX® technology
include Visual Basic®, LabView™, Borland C++ Builder, Visual C++, Delphi™,
and many others. ActiveX® technology is also supported by .NET development
environments such as Visual Basic.NET and Visual C#.NET.
ActiveX controls are aspecific form of ActiveX technology that provideboth a user
interface and a programming interface. An ActiveX control is supplied for each
type of APT hardware unit to provide specific controller functionality to the
software developer. See Section 2.5.4. for further details.

ODC001 Servo Motor Driver
2.5.2 APTUser Utility
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. Settings and parameter changes can be saved and
loaded to allow multiple operating configurations to be created and easily applied.
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
OptoDCDriver (e.g. to implement a positioning algorithm), this application illustrates
how the rich functionality provided by the APT ActiveX server is exposed by a client
application. The complete Visual Basic source project is provided as a useful aid to
software developers.
Use of the APT User utility is covered in the PC tutorial (Chapter 4) and in the
APTUser online help file, accessed via the F1 key when using the APTUser utility.

Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
2.5.3 APT Config Utility
There are many system parameters and configuration settings associated with the
operation of the APT Server. Most can be directly accessed using the various
graphical panels, 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.
Use of the APT Config utility is covered in the PC tutorial (Chapter 4) and in the
APTConfig online help file, accessed via the F1 key when using the APTConfig utility.

ODC001 Servo Motor Driver
2.5.4 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, providinga large rangeof 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, including the
OptoDCDriver. 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 OptoDC servo 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
instructsthe associated DC servo motor Control to move a motor, the progressof that
move is reflected automatically by changing position readouts on the graphical
interface, without the need for further programming intervention.

Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
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 controllers has an associated
ActiveX Control and these are described fully in system online help or the handbooks
associated with the controllers. Note that the APTUser and APTConfig utilities take
advantage of and are built on top of the powerful functionality provided by the APT
ActiveX Server (as shown in Fig. 2.6).
Fig. 2.6 System Architecture Diagram
Refer to the main APT Software online help file, APTBase.hlp, for a complete
programmers guide and reference material on using the APT ActiveX Controls
collection. This is available either by pressing the F1 key when running the APT
server, or via the Start menu, Start\Programs\Thorlabs\APT\APT Help.
Additional software developer support is provided by the APT Support CD supplied
with every APT controller. This CD contains a complete range of tutorial samples and
coding hints and tips, together with handbooks for all the APT controllers.

ODC001 Servo Motor Driver
2.6 Verifying Software Operation
2.6.1 Initial Setup
1) Install the APT software as detailed in Section 2.4.
2) Connect the driver to the DC motor actuator or the relevent axis of the associated
stage (see Section 2.3.).
3) Run the APTUser utility and check that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) panel
appears and is active.
Fig. 2.7 Gui panel showing jog and ident buttons
4) Click the ‘Ident’ button. The LED on the front panel of the OptoDCDriver flashes.
This is useful in multi-channel systems for identifying which driver unit is
associated with which GUI.
5) Clickthe jog buttons on the GUI panel and checkthat the motor or axis connected
to the OptoDCDriver moves. The position display for the associated GUI should
increment and decrement accordingly.
Follow the tutorial steps described in Chapter 3 for further verification of operation.
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.
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 Section 4.8.
or the APTConfig helpfile for detailed instructions.

Chapter 3
Standalone Operation
3.1 Introduction
The OptoDCDriverhas 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 APT Server software - see
Chapter 4. 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.
In conjunction with this chapter, it also may be useful to read the background on DC
servo motor operation contained in Appendix D.
3.2 Front Panel Controls and Indicators
Fig. 3.1 Front Panel Controls and Indicators
MOVE Controls - These controls allow all motor moves to be initiated.
Jog Buttons - Used to jog the motors and make discrete position increments in
either direction - see Section 4.7. for more details on jogging.
Slider Potentiometer - Used to drive the motor at a varying speed in either forward
or reverse directions for full and easy motor control.
DC 12-15V 1A
MOVE
USB
_
+
apt
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