Zaber Technologies Inc. X Series User manual

Simplifying Motion Control www.zaber.com
ZABER TECHNOLOGIES
X-Series Device
Getting Started Guide

www.zaber.com
PRECAUTIONS 1
MAINTENANCE 2
RETURNS, WARRANTY, AND REPAIRS 2
COMMON TERMINOLOGY 3
QUICK SET-UP CHECKLIST 4
CONNECT 5
Peripherals 5
Daisy-chaining 5
Computer Connection: USB 6
Power Connection 6
Vacuum Devices 4
CONFIGURE 7
Zaber Console 7
COM Ports 7
Renumber 8
Peripheral IDs 8
Protocol 9
Contents
VERSION 2.0 PDF download: www.zaber.com/XSeriesGettingStarted.pdf
CONTROL 9
Software 9
Zaber Console 9
Programming Libraries 10
Resolution - Stepper & Servo Motors 10
I/Os & Triggers 12
Servo Device Tuning 12
Manual Knobs 18
Joystick 19
TROUBLESHOOTING 21
Firmware Update 21
Slipping and Stalling 21
Resetting to Factory Default 21
Indicators 22

1 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Precautions
1. Zaber’s devices may produce enough force to cause personal
injury. Be careful to keep hair, body parts, jewelry, and clothing
from being caught in moving components. Pinch labels are
used on our devices to indicate areas of particular concern.
2. During continuous operation, a device’s motor may get hot.
Some models may reach 90°C or more (this is noted in the
manual and heat warning stickers are included on affected
surfaces). This is generally expected behaviour; take caution
when handling the motors of devices during or after operation.
Burnt smells or smoke are not expected during normal
operation; if encountered, discontinue operation and contact
Customer Support.
3. To reduce the risk of electrostatic damage, avoid touching the
electrical contacts of the data cables included with your device(s).
4. Before storing your device(s), retract any extended components
in order to keep them clean and to protect them from damage.
5. Do not expose device(s) to vibration or shock.
6. Do not expose device(s) to extreme conditions, such as
temperatures exceeding device ratings, radiation, and dusty or
humid environments.
7. Do not submerse device(s) in liquid.
8. Do not disassemble. Zaber devices do not contain
user-serviceable parts. Please contact Customer Support for
service and/or repairs.
9. Check the manual online for any additional precautions and
warnings related to your devices.

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Maintenance
Most of our positioners do not require regular maintenance. Lead
screws and rails do not need to be greased (unless otherwise
specied in the user manual). If a component is exposed to dust
or dirt, it should be gently wiped with isopropyl alcohol. We do
not recommend using stronger solvents, as they can damage
non-metal components. Please refer to our online manuals at
www.zaber.com/support for maintenance information on your
specic positioner.
Returns, Warranty, and Repairs
All of Zaber’s standard products (those that appear on our website)
are backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you are not
satised with your purchase for any reason, you may return the
item(s) in saleable and unmarked condition within 30 days of the
purchase date for a refund, less applicable shipping costs.
High vacuum (10-6 Torr) devices cannot be returned for refund
once they have been removed from their sealed packaging.
All standard products are warrantied against defects in
manufacture and design for one full year from the purchase date.
This warranty excludes products that have been misused,
modied, or disassembled by the customer. Misuse includes
operating the devices in abnormal conditions, such as in extreme
temperatures, in proximity of radiation or strong magnets, or in wet
environments. If you are not sure whether your conditions are
acceptable under our warranty, please contact Customer Support.
Aside from issues covered under warranty, we are also happy to
inspect any other problems that may arise, and we offer reasonably
priced repairs. Simply email [e-mail] for assistance.
Please refer to www.zaber.com/policies for more information
about our policies.

3 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Common Terminology
Positioner
A motorized product with moving mechanics, such as a linear
stage, a rotational stage, or a stepper motor.
Peripheral
A positioner that includes a motor and mechanics but does not
include an integrated controller. Peripherals are designed for use
with Zaber’s motor controllers, but they can also be used with
compatible third-party motor drivers and controllers.
Device
A stand-alone controller or a positioner with an integrated
controller. Stand-alone controllers are designed for use with
Zaber’s peripherals, but they can also be used with compatible
third-party motors.
Joystick
A product that allows multi-axis manual input and push-button
input for positioners. Joysticks do not function as controllers;
instead, they are designed to communicate with Zaber’s motor
controllers when connected in series.
X-Series, A-Series, and T-Series
Devices that share common features, such as connectors,
protocols, and power. The series is indicated by the rst letter of the
device’s name. For example, the X-LSM025A model belongs to the
X-Series family. This guide specically relates to X-Series devices.
See an older version of the manual for setup instructions for
T-Series or A-Series devices at www.zaber.com/GettingStarted.pdf.
Closed-Loop and Servo Devices
For Zaber devices, closed-loop refers to any device where encoder
feedback is used to inform the trajectory of the controller. Servo
devices refer to a sub-set of these where encoder feedback is also
required for the driver. Servo devices include linear motor and
direct-drive stages.
Stepper motor devices with encoders use closed-loop control
but are not servo devices, as the driver controls stepping directly
without encoder feedback. Encoder feedback is still used to inform
the trajectory of the controller on these.
Servo devices require tuning of their control loop to get the best
performance (more on page 12). They also use encoder counts as
their unit of resolution, as opposed to stepper motors, which use
microsteps (more on page 10).

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Quick Set-up Checklist
Checklist Item Page
qCheck for and remove shipping guards or fasteners
(select devices) 4
qConnect to peripheral (if using a peripheral) 5
qConnect daisy-chain (if using multiple devices) 5
qConnect to computer 6
qConnect power 6
qInstall USB drivers (if using USB) 7
qInstall Zaber Console 7
qCongure communication (optional) 7
qMove device to home position with knob
to conrm set-up 18
qFine tune the servo control loop after mounting a load
(servo devices only) 12
Shipping Guards
Some devices include guards, such as plates, inserts,
covers, or fasteners, which prevent movement of devices
during shipping and limit potential damage from shock
loads. If they are present for a device, they will either be
clearly visible and intuitive to remove or clearly marked with
labels and instructions. Following those instructions, remove
any such components before powering the device. Read the
manual online for more details on shipping security features.
Vacuum Devices
While some of the information covered in this guide
applies to our vacuum compatible devices, please refer
to the online product manuals for detailed connection
recommendations or read our technical article on
“Considerations for Vacuum Applications”:
www.zaber.com/VacuumTechnicalArticle

5 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Connect
Most systems will be quick and easy to connect with four steps. Our Quick Set-Up Tool also provides specic connection recommendations,
which you can nd here: www.zaber.com/QuickSetupTool
Connect Daisy-chain (if applicable)
Connect multiple devices in series to create
a chain. They will share power and a single
computer connection.
X-Series devices can be daisy-chained using an
M8 cable, such as the X-DC02.
*Drivers may be required if COM port does not appear. Download and installation instructions here: www.zaber.com/software
†Drivers are required. Download link and installation instructions can be found here: www.zaber.com/USB
Connect Peripherals (if applicable)
If using a stand-alone controller, plug it into the
motorized axis.
Depending on the controller and peripheral, the motor cable
may be an MC03 (DB-15 M-F), MC10T3 (DB15 to DB26), or
MC10 (DB26 M-F) cable. Cables are high-ex with specic
wire bundling; using cables from Zaber is recommended.

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Connect Power
Connect a power supply to a device in the chain
to power the whole chain.
Devices connect to a 24-48VDC power supply. The number
of devices you can power will depend on the combined draw
of the devices and the current capacity of the power supply.
Connect USB
Connect the rst controller (built into the device or stand-alone) to
your computer via USB using the cables included (if you ordered an
accessory kit).
X-Series devices can connect to a computer’s
USB port with an X-USBDC* cable.
Stand-alone controllers also have the option to
connect directly to a computer’s USB port with
a U-DC06†cable.

7 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Select COM port from Serial
Port dropdown menu
Configure
Zaber Console
Zaber Console is our free, open-source software. For initial
conguration of your device(s), we strongly suggest using Zaber
Console for its ease of use.
A download link and installation instructions are available online:
www.zaber.com/software/ZaberConsole
The following conguration sections are based on Zaber Console.
Please contact Customer Support if you would like to use any other
software. More information about Zaber Console and other software
options is included in the Control section (page 9) of this guide.
COM Ports
A COM port is a specic serial connection on a computer, such as
COM1 or COM3. When connected via USB, your computer should
create a virtual COM port that will be available only when the
device is connected. To start communication between computer
and device, select the appropriate COM port. If you are not sure
which to choose, please contact Customer Support.

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Protocol (ASCII) and baud rate (115200) shown in the Serial Port dropdown menu
Zaber Console will detect which devices are connected to that
port, and those devices will be displayed in the Device List if they
all share the same communication protocol and baud rate. The
protocol and baud rate of the found devices are shown in the Serial
Port menu.
Renumber
If multiple devices are connected in a daisy-chain, Zaber Console
will likely ask you if it can renumber the devices. This will set the
device numbers such that the one connected to the computer is
device 1, the next in the chain is device 2, and so on.
ZABER.COM
VSR20A-T3
SN: 12333 PID: 44456
Product name
Scannable QR code (directs
to Quick Set-up page):
www.zaber.com/QuickSetup
Peripheral or
device IDSerial number
Peripheral IDs
Stand alone Zaber controllers are designed to work easily with
Zaber peripherals. Peripherals with the Auto Detect feature,
identied by an “A” at the end of the model name, will be
automatically recodnized and congured by the controller.
If either your Zaber peripheral was purchased before June 2020, or
if the peripheral is a vacuum compatible one, enter the peripheral
ID (found on the label) in Zaber Console to congure initial
settings.

9 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Control
Protocol
Communication protocols dictate the way in which commands are
formatted to send to a device. Zaber’s devices use two protocol
options: Zaber ASCII and Zaber Binary. Zaber ASCII is the
recommended and default protocol for the X-Series.
ASCII Manual www.zaber.com/manuals/ASCIIProtocol
Binary Manual www.zaber.com/manuals/BinaryProtocol
Software
Once your Zaber device is powered and connected to a computer,
you are ready to start controlling it. To begin communicating with
your device, you will need to select a software interface. The
following sections outline some of the software options available to
you.
Zaber Console
Zaber Console is free, open-source software that is designed for
ease of use. Zaber Console allows you to manage port
communication, identify devices, send commands to devices, and
set the units of measure. We strongly recommend using Zaber
Console for the initial set-up and troubleshooting of your device.
Source code for Zaber Console and a user manual is available
online at: www.zaber.com/software/ZaberConsole

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Programming Libraries
In order to make working with Zaber devices as easy as possible,
Zaber offers fully-featured programming libraries with comprehensive
APIs and examples in a number of programming languages.
LabVIEW www.zaber.com/software/LabVIEWASCII
ASCII
www.zaber.com/software/ZML
C#
C++
JavaScript
Java
MATLAB
Our customer service team is also available for further
advice,troubleshooting, and support.
Resolution - Stepper & Servo Motors
The resolution of a device is the smallest increment you can
command it to move. For example, sending the ASCII protocol
command /move rel 1instructs a device to move forward by
1 increment. The physical distance corresponding to this increment
depends on the type of motor that drives the device. For devices
driven by stepper motors, an increment is a microstep of the
motor, and the size of an increment is the device’s Microstep Size
specication. For servo devices, an increment is an encoder count,
and the size of an increment is the device’s Encoder Resolution
specication.
Microstepping
Stepper motors are designed for position control. In a motor
revolution, they have a number of equally-spaced full-step
positions. Most stepper motors in Zaber devices have 200 steps
per revolution.
Zaber’s drivers sub-divide each motor step into a number of
smaller increments called microsteps. By default, most devices use
a resolution of 64 microsteps per step (although this is adjustable),
so by default they can move to 12800 microstep positions for every
motor revolution.

11 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Many devices use lead screws or gearing to move the actuators
or stages, so a motor revolution will move the device a certain
distance. That distance can be divided by the number of
microsteps per revolution to get the distance moved per microstep.
This is the Microstep Size. The Microstep Size will vary from device
to device; the value for your device is available on our website
under the ‘Series Specs’ tab for each product.
Encoder Counts
Unlike stepper motors, servo motors are designed with force
control in mind; they can be driven using position control, but the
resolution is very coarse. To achieve ne-resolution positioning,
Zaber’s servo devices feature a variety of digital and analog
position encoders for feedback. An encoder count is the smallest
movement of the encoder that will be registered by the controller.
Speed and Acceleration
While microsteps (for stepper motor devices) or encoder counts
(for direct drive devices) are the increments of position on Zaber
devices, there are conversion factors required to calculate the
increments of speed and acceleration.
A spreadsheet is available for easy conversion:
www.zaber.com/ZaberSpeedSettings.xls.
Make sure you are using the FW 6.xxx/7.xx tab. Enter the microstep
size or encoder resolution of your device into the spreadsheet to
easily convert from data to speed or acceleration, and vice versa,
in mm/s or mm/s².
speed (in microsteps or encoder counts/second) = Data / 1.6384
acceleration (in microsteps or encoder counts/second²) = Data / 1638.4

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Servo Device Tuning
Servo devices use a control loop in order to drive their motors
and use encoder feedback to inform the control loop. The default
parameters used in the control loop (which the device uses
when it’s powered on for the rst time) are optimized for good
performance with no load added to the stage. These parameters
should also work with some load mounted to the stage. You can
tune the parameters of the control loop to adjust the smoothness,
accuracy, and responsiveness of the performance.
In order to make tuning as simple as possible, Zaber provides a
servo tuning tool within Zaber Console. Complete documentation
on the tool is available at www.zaber.com/ServoTuning.
To use the tool, rst make sure Zaber Console is installed and the
device is powered and connected. If a servo device is detected when
you open the port in Zaber Console, you will be asked if you want to
add the Servo Tuning tool to the Tab Dock (if it’s not already present).
Use caution when adjusting parameters; it’s possible to enter
values that will cause the device to become unstable and move
erratically. If this occurs, press the ‘Disable Driver’ button to stop
current to the motor and stop driven motion. The parameters can
then be adjusted to be more stable or returned to default values.
Press ‘Enable Driver’ to resume driven motion.
I/Os & Triggers
Some Zaber controllers have congurable digital and analog inputs
and digital outputs. While these controllers can be used to interact
with a variety of devices, care should be taken when setting up the
circuit to which they are connected. The product manuals for these
controllers on our Support page will include usage instructions and
sample circuit diagrams:
www.zaber.com/support
The inputs and outputs can be congured to either trigger actions
on the controller or to be triggered by certain conditions. These
triggers can also be congured on devices without I/O’s available.
More information on how to set up these triggers is available in our
ASCII protocol manual: www.zaber.com/manuals/ASCIITriggers
Please contact Customer Support if you have any questions about
setting up your circuit.

13 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
As the mass is changed, the largest reasonable acceleration of
the axis also changes. While this is not one of the servo tuning
parameters, setting the acceleration too high can also create
overshoot or instability in the system. The Simple tuning control also
indicates the maximum recommended acceleration you should set
based on the load and allows you to adjust it within the tool.
PID
If you have experience tuning a proportional-integral-derivative
(PID) controller, this tuning method will allow you to adjust the
parameters using familiar gain and lter cutoff frequency values.
Import/Export
Use Import/Export to save sets of parameters to a le on your
computer. These parameter sets can be named and will be
displayed as long as that le is selected. Use this tool to move
parameter sets from computer to computer, or to easily apply
parameter sets to multiple devices.
Tuning Methods
The servo tuning tool includes 4 modes for tuning:
Simple
The inertia of the moving load is the minimum information about
an application required to choose reasonable tuning parameters.
For linear motion this is the moving mass; for rotary motion it is
the mass moment of inertia. The simple mode allows you to set
parameters using only this information.
The inertia has two components: the inertia of the carriage of the
device and the inertia of the load added to the stage. Using the
Simple tuning method in Zaber Console, the carriage inertia is
automatically set, and the user can enter the contribution from
their load.
A slider allows optional adjustment between smoother (less
position overshoot) and stiffer (faster and more forceful response
to position errors) motion.

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Save and Apply Tuning
The parameters that govern the control loop on a servo device
are known as the ‘live’ parameter set. Devices also store multiple
sets of saved parameters that are not active, called ‘presets’.
These presets could represent sets of optimal tuning under
different conditions (for example different loads). Use the Servo
Tuning tool to quickly and easily save tuning sets to presets,
apply tuning as the live set, or set one of the presets as the live
set. Additionally, live or stored presets can be read in PID, Import/
Export, or Advanced modes (the inertia input when using Simple
tuning cannot be re-calculated based on low-level parameters).
In addition to the writable presets, there is also a ‘default’ preset,
which contains the factory tuning values. The default preset can be
read or applied, but cannot be overwritten. Restore the defaults at
any time to apply safe (but not necessarily optimized) parameters.
Advanced
Servo devices may have different control loops and parameters.
Zaber Console’s servo tuning tool translates these control loops to
the easier Simple and PID tuning methods, and Zaber recommends
using these to adjust the performance. The low-level control loop
parameters can be adjusted directly using the Advanced tuning
method though. Contact Customer Support for assistance with
using the low level parameters if needed.

15 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
Step 1: Choose a tuning method. Step 2: Enter values. Step 3: Select a Preset to save
the values to, and press Write.
Step 4: Select the Preset to
make Live, and press Activate.

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Initial Parameter Set on Power-On
When a servo device is powered on, one of the presets is loaded
as the active parameters. This preset is shown as the Power-on
Preset. To change which preset is used as the initial parameter set,
select from the dropdown, and press Change.
Oscilloscope Tool
The Oscilloscope tool in Zaber Console is used for reading
and displaying information from devices over time. A variety of
information can be read, such as the expected position based
on the trajectory planner, the actual position based on encoder
feedback, and the temperature of the motor or driver. Plotting
the rst two (the expected and measured positions) during a
movement can be useful in assessing the effectiveness of different
servo tuning parameters; it can show performance such as rise
time, overshoot, settling time, and steady-state error.
You can access the Oscilloscope tool by selecting it from Zaber
Console’s Tab Dock or by pressing the Open Oscilloscope button
in the Servo Tuning tool.

17 ZABER TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Getting Started Guide
While complete information on general usage of the Oscilloscope
tool can be found at www.zaber.com/Oscilloscope, here are some
recommended settings to use for plotting the step response of a
servo device:
Trigger – Select Manual mode to capture high resolution information
over a limited time period. Automatic mode will capture lower
resolution information indenitely.
Channels – Select the Trajectory Position (pos setting) and
Measured Position (encoder.pos setting) to compare the expected
and actual trajectories. Choose ‘mm’ from the Unit selector.
Sample Rate –The maximum sample rate depends on the Trigger
type. For Manual mode, selecting a higher frequency will give a
smaller sample period. Enter 1 kHz for a reasonable mix of
resolution and period for capturing a movement.
Signal Generator – Enable this to create a movement during the data
capture. We recommend a relative movement with a step of 20 mm
as a sample movement, and resetting after the capture is complete.

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Press Start Capture to begin reading the information. The device
will move, and once all of the data has been collected and
transmitted, a plot of the information will be displayed.
After generating a plot, you can evaluate whether the motion is in
line with your application requirements. If not, you can adjust the
servo tuning and generate a new plot for comparison. Repeat this
process until you’re content with the performance.
Because performance also relates to the motion trajectory, there
are some adjustable trajectory settings. In particular, you may want
to try adjusting the maximum trajectory speed (maxspeed setting),
the trajectory’s acceleration (accel setting), and how accurate and
stable the nal position must be at the end of the movement
(cloop.settle.tolerance and cloop.settle.period settings).
See the online product manual for more information on these
settings.
Manual Knobs
Most Zaber devices include a manual knob for moving the unit
without a computer connection. Devices still need to be connected
to a power source for the manual knob to work.
Indexed Knob Functionality
Turning the knob Moves the device based on the direction the
knob is turned (clockwise moves in the positive
direction).
Pressing the knob Decelerates and stops the device (identical
to a Stop command). Pressing the knob also
instantly stops the device if the device is already
decelerating.
Pressing and holding the
knob for 1 second
Toggles between Velocity Mode* and
Displacement Mode†.
*Velocity Mode: each knob turn increments the speed of the axis in a continuous
movement.
†Displacement Mode: each knob turn moves the axis a specic distance, as
indicated by the knob.distance setting.