THORLABS TBD001 User manual

TBD001
T-Cube Brushless DC Servo
Driver
User Guide
Original Instructions

2 HA0265T Rev DK Sept 2015
Contents
Chapter 1 Safety ............................................................................................. 4
1.1 Safety Information .................................................................................. 4
1.2 General Warnings .................................................................................. 4
Chapter 2 Overview and Setup ..................................................................... 5
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 5
2.2 PC Software Overview ........................................................................... 7
2.2.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................7
2.2.2 Kinesis Server ....................................................................................................7
2.2.3 Software Upgrades .............................................................................................9
Chapter 3 Getting Started ............................................................................ 10
3.1 Installing the Software .......................................................................... 10
3.2 Mechanical Installation ......................................................................... 11
3.2.1 Environmental Conditions ................................................................................11
3.2.2 Mounting Options .............................................................................................11
3.2.3 Removing the Baseplate ..................................................................................12
3.3 Electrical Installation ............................................................................. 13
3.3.1 Connecting a Motor ..........................................................................................13
3.3.2 Using The TCH002 Controller Hub ..................................................................13
3.3.3 Connecting To A Standalone Power Supply ...................................................13
3.4 Connect The Hardware ........................................................................ 14
3.5 Select the Stage Type .......................................................................... 16
Chapter 4 Standalone Operation ................................................................ 17
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 17
4.2 Control Panel Buttons and Indicators .................................................. 17
4.3 Joystick Operation ................................................................................ 18
4.4 Homing ................................................................................................. 18
4.5 External Triggering ............................................................................... 18
4.5.1 Trigger In ..........................................................................................................19
4.5.2 Trigger Out .......................................................................................................19
4.5.3 Triggering Latency ............................................................................................20
Continued...

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
Chapter 5 Tutorial ........................................................................................ 21
5.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................21
5.2 Using the Kinesis Software ...................................................................22
5.3 Verifying Software Operation ................................................................22
5.3.1 Initial Setup ...................................................................................................... 22
5.4 Homing Motors .....................................................................................23
5.5 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position .......24
5.6 Jogging 2.................................................................................................5
5.7 Setting Move Sequences ......................................................................26
5.8 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings ...........................................26
Chapter 6 Software Reference .................................................................... 27
6.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................27
6.2 GUI Panel .............................................................................................27
6.2.1 Keyboard Shortcuts ......................................................................................... 29
6.3 Settings Panel ......................................................................................30
6.3.1 Persisting Settings to Hardware ....................................................................... 30
6.3.2 Moves/Jogs tab ................................................................................................ 31
6.3.3 Stage/Axis Tab ................................................................................................. 34
6.3.4 Advanced SettingsTab ..................................................................................... 36
6.3.5 Advanced - Misc. Tab ...................................................................................... 42
6.3.6 Triggering Latency 4 ........................................................................................... 7
6.4 Troubleshooting and Restoring Default Parameters ............................48
Appendices
Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details .................................... 49
Appendix B Preventive Maintenance ......................................................... 50
Appendix C Specifications .......................................................................... 51
Appendix D Regulatory ............................................................................... 52
Appendix E 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 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 software is
run. Please consult your system administrator or contact Thorlabs technical
support for more details.

5
Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
2.1 Introduction
The TBD001 Brushless DC Motor T-Cubes are ideal for motion control applications
demanding high speed (100s of mm/s) and high encoder resolution (<100 nm)
operation. These single channel drivers offer high-precision motion control in a wide
range of applications, and in particular when used along with our DDSM100 fast
translation stage where speeds of up to 500 mm/sec can be achieved. Designed
using latest digital and analog techniques and with high-bandwidth high-power servo
control circuitry, these new drivers are capable of driving a range of rotary and linear
brushless 3-phase DC motors of up to 2 Amp peak coil current.
Integrated into the Kinesis family of products, it offers Thorlabs standard control and
programming interface, allowing easy integration into the customer’s own automated
motion control applications. These units are cable of being reprogrammed in-field,
allowing the option of upgrading the units with future firmware releases as soon as
new programming interfaces (such as microscopy standard command sets) are
added.
Fig. 2.1 T-Cube Brushless DC Servo Motor driver (TBD001)

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Chapter 2
Operation of the TBD001 brushless DC motor unit is fully configurable
(parameterized) with key settings (e.g. PID settings, min and max position values, and
joystick response) exposed through the associated graphical interface panels.
PID control loop values can be adjusted for a particular application, minimum and
maximum position values can be entered to suit different stages as required, and the
response of the key pad joystick can be adjusted for speed or precision. 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 Kinesis software incorporates pre-configured settings for each of the
Thorlabs stages and actuators, while still exposing all parameters individually for use
with other DC 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 5 for further details). Furthermore, all such settings
and parameters are also accessible through the ActiveX® programmable interfaces
for automated alignment sequences.
In the remainder of this handbook, the Tutorial section (Chapter 5) provides a good
initial understanding on using the unit, and the reference sections (Chapter 6) covers
all operating modes and parameters in detail.

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
2.2 PC Software Overview
2.2.1 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 necessarysystem 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. The Kinesis server is described in more
detail in Section 2.2.2.
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
Brushless Motor 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.
Caution
On start up, wait until the top panel POWER led is lit bright green and the
ENABLE led stops flashing, before running the software.

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Chapter 2
Consider the control supplied for the TBD001 Brushless DC 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 driver 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 DC 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.

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
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.

10
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.
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.
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.

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
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 Brushless DC Servo 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
3.3.2. for further details. Full instructions on the fitting and use of the controller hub
are contained in the associated handbook, available at www.thorlabs.com.
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.

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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.
1) Invert the unit.
2) Remove the backing paper from the rubber feet (supplied) taking care not to touch
the exposed adhesive surface.
3) Position the feet as desired, then press and hold for a few seconds until the
adhesive has bonded.
4) The unit may now be used freestanding, sitting on its rubber feet.
Detail A Detail B
Baseplate removed and rubber feet fittedBaseplate attachment screws

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
3.3 Electrical Installation
3.3.1 Connecting a Motor
Fig. 3.2 Rear Panel Connections
The unit is supplied with a female 15 pin D-type connector as shown above, which is
compatible with the DDSM100 brushless DC driven translation stage (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. Further details are contained in the
associated handbook available from www.thorlabs.com.
3.3.3 Connecting To A Standalone Power Supply
Fig. 3.3 Front Panel Power Supply Connector
Warning
DO NOT PLUG A POWERED UP T-CUBE INTO THE TCH002 USB
CONTROLLER HUB. Always ensure that all power is disconnected from
the Brushless DC 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
12345678
9101112131415
TRIG IN
USB
TRIG OUT
DC 15V 2A
_
+
Standard 3.5 mm Jack
Pin Length 9.5 mm

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Chapter 3
1) Perform the mechanical installation as detailed in Section 3.2.
2) Using the front panel connector as shown above, connect the unit to a regulated
DC power supply of 15 V, 2A.
Thorlabs offers a compact, multi-way power supply unit (TPS008), allowing up to four
Brushless Driver T-Cubes to be powered from a single mains outlet. A single way wall
plug supply (TPS003) 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 - see Section 3.1..
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 driver unit - see Section 3.3.1.
5) Connect the driver unit to the power supply - see Section 3.3.3.
6) Connect the PSU to the main supply and switch ‘ON’.
WindowsTM should detect the new hardware. Wait while WindowsTM installs the
drivers for the new hardware
Shock Warning
The unit must be connected only to a DC supply of 15V, 2A 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.
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 supply from the mains before disconnecting
the T-Cube unit.

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
7) Wait until the Enable LED stop flashing (~3s). This indicates that phase
initialisation is complete.
Press and hold the ENABLE button for 3 secs to home the stage.
The ‘Active LED flashes while the motor is homing. The homing move is complete,
when the LED stops flashing and is extinguished...
Note
3-phase brushless DC motors are commutated electronically, i.e. the
controller drives the coils with a precisely controlled waveform, that
depends on the position of the rotor (or, with linear motors, the position
of the coil housing). On power up, the position of the rotor is not known.
The controller establishes this by energising the coils and measuring the
resulting movement. This is why on power up, the stage (motor) makes a
slight buzzing noise and moves about slightly for a few seconds. Phase
initialisation can only take place if the motor can move unobstructed
during this time.
Note
If any problems are encountered during the connection and power up
process, power cycle the unit, which should clear the error.

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Chapter 3
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, 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,
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. DDSM100) from the list displayed.
5) Click OK.
6) The server reads in the stage and controller information automatically.
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 6.3.3.

17
Chapter 4 Standalone Operation
4.1 Introduction
The Brushless DC Driver T-Cube has been designed specifically to operate with the
range of Thorlabs Brushless 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 PID
settings, allowing support for many different actuator configurations. These
parameters can be set via the Kinesis 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.
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.
VELOCITY Joystick - 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.
HIGH/LOW - Used to control the gain (responsivness) of the VELOCITY joystick.
When set to HIGH, the HIGH LED is lit - see Section 4.3. for more details.
ENABLE - Used to connect and disconnect the drive power to the motor. The LED is
lit when the drive power is enabled. When the motor is disabled (ENABLE led not lit),
it is possible to move the motor manually. In this mode the feedback mechanism is
inactive and will not attempt to maintain motor position.
POWER
ENABLE
ACTIVE
HIGH
HIGH/LOW
apt - brushless servo controller
VELOCITY

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Chapter 4
Active LED - The Active LED flashes when the Ident button is pressed in the GUI
panel. It can also 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.
4.3 Joystick Operation
The VELOCITY joystick is a sprung potentiometer, such that when released it returns
to its 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.
The gain of the velocity control can be switched between HIGH and LOW by pressing
the associated button. When HIGH is selected, the LED is lit.
These speed settings are entered in real world units (mm or degrees) in the ‘Joystick’
parameter in the ‘Advanced’ settings tab - see Section 6.3.4.
4.4 Homing
A ‘Home’ move is performed to establish a datum from which subsequent absolute
position moves can be measured (see Section 5.4. for further information).
To initiate a ‘Home’ move, press and hold the ENABLE button for 3 seconds.
The ‘Active LED flashes while the motor is homing. The homing move is complete,
when the LED stops flashing and is extinguished.
4.5 External Triggering
Fig. 4.2 Front Panel Power Supply Connector
External triggering is facilitated by the ‘TRIG IN’ and ‘TRIG OUT’ connectors on the
front panel of the unit as shown above. These connectors are controlled via the
Kinesis software (see Section 6.3.5.) and provide a 5V logic level input/output that can
be configured to support triggering from and to external devices.
TRIG IN
USB
TRIG OUT
DC 15V 2A
_
+
Standard 3.5 mm Jack
Pin Length 9.5 mm

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Brushless DC Servo Driver T-Cube
4.5.1 Trigger In
Fig. 4.3 TRIG IN Connection Detail
The TRIG IN input contains a pull up resistor to an internal +5V supply, allowing it to
be operated by passive devices (e.g. a switch or relay contact) as well as standard
logic outputs. The protection circuit also allows the external signal to be in the ±10 V
voltage range.
The input logic threshold levels are compatible with most TTL and CMOS logic circuits
(input <0.8V is low and >2.4 V is high). Do not exceed the maximum voltage range of
-10V to 10V.
4.5.2 Trigger Out
Fig. 4.4 TRIG OUT Connection Detail
The TRIG OUT output is the output of a standard 5V CMOS logic gate in series with
a 470 Ωresistor. The resistor provides protection against accidentally short circuiting
to ground by limiting the current to approx 10 mA maximum.
Do not connect the output to any voltage level outside the 0 to 5V range. It is
recommended that the output is only used to drive external devices or equipment that
has a high input resistance (>10 kΩ).
10K
10K
0V
5V
SMA
Connector
Protection
TTL Buffer
470R
0V
SMA
Connector
Protection
CMOS Logic Gate

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Chapter 4
4.5.3 Triggering Latency
The detection of whether a trigger condition has occurred is carried out periodically at
102 µs intervals. As a result, there is a maximum 102 µs delay between the condition
occurring and the trigger output being updated. The following timing diagram
illustrates this latency:
Fig. 4.5 Triggering Latency
Trigger condition occurs
Trigger condition sampled at 102 μs intervals
Trigger output updated
time
time
time