Etn017656 D03

KBD101
K-Cube Brushless DC Servo

Driver
User Guide
Original Instructions
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 Using the Baseplate ......................................................................................... 12
3.3 Electrical Installation ............................................................................. 13
3.3.1 Rear Panel ....................................................................................................... 12
3.3.2 Front Panel ....................................................................................................... 13
3.4 Connect The Hardware ........................................................................ 14
3.5 Stage Selection ..................................................................................... 16
Chapter 4 Standalone Operation ................................................................ 17
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 17
4.2 Control Panel Buttons and Indicators .................................................. 17
4.2.1 Digital Display - Operating Mode ...................................................................... 18
4.3 Velocity Wheel Operation ..................................................................... 19
4.3.1 Homing ............................................................................................................. 19
4.3.2 Go to Position ................................................................................................... 19
4.3.3 Jogging ............................................................................................................. 19
4.3.4 Velocity Moves ................................................................................................. 20
4.4 Settings Menu ...................................................................................... 20
4.4.1 Overview .......................................................................................................... 20
4.4.2 Menu Option - Enable/Disable ......................................................................... 21
4.4.3 Menu Option - Go to position ........................................................................... 22
4.4.4 Menu Option - Start homing ............................................................................. 23
4.4.5 Menu Option - Velocity ..................................................................................... 23
4.4.6 Menu Option - Joystick Mode ........................................................................... 24
4.4.7 Menu Option - Jog Step Size ........................................................................... 25
4.4.8 Menu Option - Teach Position .......................................................................... 26
4.4.9 Menu Option - Brightness ................................................................................. 27
4.5 External Triggering ............................................................................... 28
4.5.1 Trigger In .......................................................................................................... 28
4.5.2 Trigger In Latency ............................................................................................ 28
4.5.3 Trigger Out ....................................................................................................... 29
4.5.4 Trigger Out Latency .......................................................................................... 29
2 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

Brushless DC Servo Driver K-Cube
Chapter 5 Tutorial ........................................................................................ 30

5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 30
5.2 Using the Kinesis Software ................................................................... 31
5.3 Verifying Software Operation ................................................................ 31
5.3.1 Initial Setup ...................................................................................................... 31
5.4 Homing Motors ..................................................................................... 32
5.5 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position ....... 33
5.6 Jogging ................................................................................................. 34
5.7 Setting Move Sequences ...................................................................... 35
5.8 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings ........................................... 35
Chapter 6 Software Reference .................................................................... 36
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 36
6.2 GUI Panel ............................................................................................. 36
6.2.1 Keyboard Shortcuts ......................................................................................... 38
6.3 Settings Panel ...................................................................................... 39
6.3.1 Persisting Settings to Hardware ....................................................................... 39
6.3.2 Moves/Jogs tab ................................................................................................ 40
6.3.3 Stage/Axis Tab ................................................................................................. 43
6.3.4 Advanced SettingsTab ..................................................................................... 45
6.3.5 Advanced - Misc. Tab ...................................................................................... 51
6.3.6 Triggering ......................................................................................................... 55
6.3.7 Triggering Latency ........................................................................................... 58
6.3.8 Rotation StagesTab ......................................................................................... 59
Appendices
Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details .................................... 60
Appendix B Preventive Maintenance ......................................................... 61
Appendix C Specifications .......................................................................... 62
Appendix D Regulatory ............................................................................... 63
Appendix E Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts ................................................ 66
3
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.
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.
1.2 General Warnings

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.
4
Chapter 2 Overview and Setup
2.1 Introduction
The KBD101 Brushless DC Motor K-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 K-Cube Brushless DC Servo Motor driver (KBD101)
5
Chapter 2
Operation of the KBD101 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.
2.2 Power Options

For power, a single way wall plug supply (KPS101) is also available for powering a
single K-Cube Driver.
As a further level of convenience when using the new K-Cube Controllers Thorlabs
also offers the 3-channel and 6-channel K-Cube Controller Hubs (KCH301 and
KCH601). These products have been designed specifically with multiple K-Cube
operation in mind in order to simplify issues such as cable management, power
supply routing, multiple USB device communications and different optical table
mounting scenarios.
The K-Cube Controller Hub comprises a slim base-plate type carrier with electrical
connections located on the upper surface to accept the K-Cubes.
Internally the Controller Hub contains a fully compliant USB 2.0 hub circuit to provide
communications for all K-Cubes – a single USB connection to the Controller Hub is
all that is required for PC control. The Controller Hub also provides power distribution
for the K-Cubes, requiring only a single power connection.

2.3 PC Software Overview

2.3.1 Introduction
The K-Cube range of controllers share many benefits. These include USB
connectivity (allowing multiple units to be used together on a single PC), fully featured
Graphical User Interface (GUI) panels, and extensive software function libraries for
custom application development.
The Kinesis software suite provides a flexible and powerful PC based control system
both for users of the equipment, and software programmers aiming to automate its
operation.
The User Interface allows full control of all settings and operating modes enabling
complete ‘out-of-box’ operation without the need to develop any further custom
software. It provides all of the necessary system software services such as generation
of GUI panels, communications handling for multiple USB units, and logging of all
system activity to assist in hardware trouble shooting. 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 2.3.2.
Caution
On start up, wait until the initialization sequence is completed before running
the Kinesis software - see Section 3.4.
2.3.2 Kinesis Server

Kinesis controls are re-usable compiled software components that supply both a
graphical user interface and a programmable interface. Many such Controls are
available for Windows applications development, providing a large range of re-usable
functionality. For example, there are Controls available that can be used to
manipulate image files, connect to the internet or simply provide user interface
components such as buttons and list boxes.
With the Kinesis system, .Net Controls are deployed to allow direct control over (and
also reflect the status of) the range of electronic controller units, including the
Brushless Motor Driver K-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.
7
Chapter 2
Consider the control supplied for the KBD101 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.

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.
2.3.3 Software Upgrades

Thorlabs often releases updated firmware for bug fixes and support for new features.
We recommend all users to download the latest version of software and use the
included firmware update utility. Failure to do this could result in stages not being
recognized by the latest controllers.
9
Chapter 3 Getting Started
3.1 Installing the Software

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.
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.
10
3.2 Mechanical Installation

3.2.1 Environmental Conditions
Warning
Operation outside the following environmental limits may adversely affect
operator safety.
Location Indoor use only

Maximum altitude 2000 m
Temperature range 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 K-Cube Brushless DC Driver is shipped with a baseplate, for use when fitting the
unit to a breadboard, optical table or similar surface.
For multiple cube systems, a 3-channel and 6-channel K-Cube Controller Hub
(KCH301 and KCH601). ) are also available - see Section 2.2. for further details. Full
instructions on the fitting and use of the controller hub are contained in the handbook
available at www.thorlabs.com
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.
11
Chapter 3
3.2.3 Using the Baseplate

The baseplate must be bolted to the worksurface before the K-Cube is fitted, as
shown below. The K-cube is then located on two dowels in the baseplate and secured
by two clips.
Fig. 3.1 Using The Baseplate
3.3 Electrical Installation

3.3.1 Rear Panel
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 Front Panel
KBD101
ON
TRIG 1 TRIG 2
+5V TTL +5V TTL

POWER _
DC 15V 2A
+
USB
Fig. 3.3 Front Panel Connections
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.
POWER - A Standard 3.5 mm front panel jack connector for connecting 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
KBD101 K-Cubes to be powered from a single mains outlet. A single way wall plug
supply (KPS101) for powering a single Driver K-Cube is also available.
USB - USB port for system communications.
Note
The USB cable length should be no more than 3 metres unless a powered
USB hub is being used.
ON - Power ON/Standby switch. When in the ON position, the unit is fully powered
up. When the switch is turned to the Standby position, the unit initiates a controlled
power down sequence, saving all user-adjustable parameters to non-volatile memory
before turning off the power. For the first few seconds, the shutdown can be cancelled
by turning the switch on again, in which case the unit will save the parameters but will
remain powered up. In a powered down (Standby) state, the logic circuits are
powered off and the unit will draw only a small quiescent current. The switch should
always be used to power down the unit.
TRIG 1 and TRIG 2 - SMA connectors for use with external trigger input and output
signals (5V TTL levels). The function is set to trigger IN or OUT via the settings panel
- see Section 4.5. and Section 6.3.6.
13
Chapter 3
3.4 Connect The Hardware

1) Perform the mechanical installation as detailed in Section 3.2.
2) Install the Kinesis Software.
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.
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.
Caution
During item (5) ensure the power switch on the front panel of the unit is
switched off before connecting power to the K-Cube. Always power up
the K-Cube unit by its ON switch. DO NOT connect the K-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,
turn the power switch off before disconnecting the power supply.
5) Connect the driver unit to the power supply - see Section 3.3.2.
6) Connect the PSU to the main supply.
7) Switch ‘ON’ the unit using the switch on the front panel.

The unit takes about 5 seconds from power application until warm up is finished, and
phase initialization is complete. During this time the following screens are displayed.
Thorlabs KBD101
SwRev 10002
Stage connected:
DDSM100
Phase init
Please wait...
Phase init
completed
At 0.0000 mm
Disabled V
Note
If any problems are encountered during the connection and power up
process, power cycle the unit, which should clear the error.
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.
8) WindowsTM should detect the new hardware. Wait while WindowsTM installs the
drivers for the new hardware.
Note
After initial start up, the drive channel must be enabled before the stage
can be driven - see Section 4.4.2.
15
Chapter 3
3.5 Stage Selection

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, a specific stage type and axis must be
associated 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.
For Thorlabs stages, the association is performed automatically when the stage is
connected and suitable default parameter values are loaded when the controller is
first powered up.
Note
After initial start up, the drive channel must be enabled before the stage
can be driven - see Section 4.4.2.

Chapter 4 Standalone Operation
4.1 Introduction
The Brushless DC Driver K-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 Server software - see Chapter 5. Furthermore,
many of these parameters are automatically set to allow “out of the box” operation
with no further “tuning” required.
The following brief overview explains how the front panel controls can be used to
perform a typical series of motor moves.
4.2 Control Panel Buttons and Indicators

Brushless Motor Controller
MENU
Fig. 4.1 Panel Controls and Indicators
MOVE Controls - These controls allow all motor moves to be initiated.

Velocity Wheel - 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.
Digital Display - The display shows the menu options and settings, accessed via
the menu button - see Section 4.4. When the Ident button on the associated GUI
panel is clicked, the display will flash for a short period.
MENU - used to access the settings menu - see Section 4.4. Also used to stop a
move when the stage is in motion.
17
Chapter 4
4.2.1 Digital Display - Operating Mode

During normal operation, the digital display shows the current position (in millimeters
or degrees) and the current state of the motor (Stopped or Moving). If the stage being
driven has been homed, the display will also show ‘Homed’.
Brushless Motor Controller
At 0.0000 mm
Stopped V
Fig. 4.2 Digital Display - Normal Operation
For rotation stages, the position display will be restricted to the "Equivalent Angle"
display mode (see Section 6.3.8. for more details), so the position displayed will
always be a positive number between 0 and 360 degrees. If set to Total Angle in the
settings panel, the LED display will still show the equivalent 0 to 360° value but the
GUI screen will show the total rotation.
4.3 Velocity Wheel Operation

The velocity wheel is a sprung potentiometer, such that when released it returns to its
central position. In this central position the motor is stationary. Different types of move
can be initiated by the wheel, depending on its mode setting. The mode can be set
either via the GUI Settings panel, see Section 6.3.4. or via the top panel display menu,
see Section 4.4. The various operating modes are described in Section 4.3.1. to
Section 4.3.3.
4.3.1 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 on the
home position).
To initiate a ‘Home’ see Section 4.4.4.
4.3.2 Go to Position
In ‘Go To Position’ mode, two preset position values can be specified, such that the
motor moves to position 1 when the wheel is moved down, and to position 2 when it
is moved up. These ‘taught’ positions can be set through the software GUI - see
Section 6.3.4. or via the display menu, see Section 4.4.8.

This mode of operation is enabled by setting the ‘Wheel Mode’ to ‘Go To Position’
through the software GUI - see Section 6.3.4. or via the display menu, see Section
4.4.6.
Note for Rotation Stage Users

If the current absolute position is outside the 0 to 360 degree range, then "go
to position" will result in a move to the correct angular position within the
same 0..360 degree full turn "segment". This means that the move will always
stay in the current full turn segment, and from this point of view it is not always
the quickest position move. For example, if you are at 350 degrees and you
enter a "go to" position of 10 degrees, the stage will rotate anticlockwise 340
degrees and not clockwise 20 degrees.
4.3.3 Jogging
The top panel wheel can also be configured to ‘jog’ the motor. This mode of operation
is enabled by setting the ‘Wheel Mode’ parameter to ‘Jogging’ through the software
GUI - see Section 6.3.4. or via the display menu, see Section 4.4.6.
Once set to this mode, the jogging parameters for the wheels are taken from the ‘Jog’
parameters on the ‘Move/Jogs’ settings tab - see Section 6.3.2. or via the display
menu, see Section 4.4.7.
4.3.4 Velocity Moves

The wheel can also be used to initiate a move at a specified velocity. As the wheel is
moved away from the centre, the motor begins to move. Bidirectional control of the
motor is possible by moving the wheel in both directions. The speed of the motor
increases by discrete amounts as a function of wheel deflection, up to a maximum as
set in through the software GUI - see Section 6.3.4. or via the display menu, see
Section 4.4.5. The move stops when the wheel is returned to its centre position.
19
Chapter 4
4.4 Settings Menu

4.4.1 Overview
At 0.0000 mm
Stopped V
Press the MENU button
MENU
Menu options Use the wheel to scroll through the menu options
Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter a particular option
Menu options
1 Disable
Disable the stage - see Section 4.4.2.
Menu options
2 Go to position Move the stage to an absolute position - see Section 4.4.3.
Menu options Move the stage to the Home position - see Section 4.4.4.
3 Start homing
Menu options Set the Max Velocity - see Section 4.4.5.

4 Velocity
Set the joystick wheel mode - see Section 4.4.6.

Menu options
5Joystick mode
Set the Jog Step Size - see Section 4.4.7.

Menu options
6 Jog step size
Set the teach positions - see Section 4.4.8.

Menu options
7 Teach position
Menu options Set the display brightness - see Section 4.4.9.

8 Brightness
Menu options Set the display time out period - see Section 4.4.10.
9 Disp.Timeout

4.4.2 Menu Option - Enable/Disable
At 0.0000 mm After initial start up the drive channel is disabled, and
Disabled V must be enabled before the stage can be driven.
MENU
Menu options Press the MENU button, then use the wheel to scroll
Use wheel through the menu options.
Menu options Press the MENU button to enter the Enable option.
1 Enable
At 0.0000 mm Press the MENU button to store the selection and return to
Stopped V the main display.
21
Chapter 4
4.4.3 Menu Option - Go to position

At 0.0000 mm
This mode is used to move to an absolute position.
Stopped V
MENU
Press the MENU button, then use the wheel to scroll
Menu options through the menu options.
Use wheel
Menu options Press the MENU button to enter the Go to position option.
2 Go to position
P = 0.00 mm Use the wheel to adjust the position value, (within the
adjust Pos travel range for linear stages, or 0 to 360 ° for rotation
stages) then press the MENU button to store the
selection.
Note for rotation stages. If the current absolute position
is outside the 0 to 360 degree range, then "go to position"
will result in a move to the correct angular position within
the same 0..360 degree full turn "segment". This means
that the move will always stay in the current full turn
segment, and from this point of view it is not always the
quickest position move. For example, if the stage is at
350 degrees and you enter a "go to" position of 10
degrees, the stage will rotate anticlockwise 340 degrees
and not clockwise 20 degrees.
At 2.0000 mm The stage moves to the position entered, and the display
Stopped V shows the change in position.
To stop the move, press the MENU button.

4.4.4 Menu Option - Start homing

This mode is used to home the stage. At 2.0000 mm
Stopped V
MENU
through the menu options. Menu options
Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter the Start Homing option. Menu options
3 Start homing
The display shows a decreasing position count while the

stage is homing. At 2.0000 mm
Homing V
Once homing is complete, the display shows the position

at 0.0000 mm and ‘Homed’ is displayed. At 0.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V
To stop the move, press the MENU button.
4.4.5 Menu Option - Velocity

At 0.0000 mm
This mode is used to move to set the max velocity.
Homed Stopped V
MENU
Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter the Velocity option. Menu options
4 Velocity
1.680 mm/s
Use the wheel to adjust the max velocity, e.g. 1.68 mm/s, adjust MaxVel
then press the MENU button to store the setting.
At 0.0000 mm
Subsequent moves will be performed at the velocity Homed Stopped V
entered.
23
Chapter 4
4.4.6 Menu Option - Joystick Mode

At 0.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V This mode is used to set the operating mode of the
joystick wheel.
MENU
Menu options Press the MENU button, then use the wheel to scroll
Use wheel through the menu options
Menu options Press the MENU button to enter the Joystick mode
5 Joystick Mode option. Use the wheel to scroll through the options, then
press MENU when the required option is displayed.
Velocity control In Velocity control mode, deflecting the wheel starts a

to select
move with the velocity proportional to the deflection. The
maximum velocity (i.e. velocity corresponding to the full
deflection of the joystick wheel) is set in the preceding
3 Velocity option. The move will stop when the wheel is
released.
Jog to positions In Jog to positions mode, deflecting the wheel starts a

to select
move from the current position to one of the two
predefined “teach” positions. The teach positions are
specified in option 6 Teach Position.
Jogging in steps In Jog in steps mode, deflecting the wheel initiates a jog
to select
move, using the parameters specified by the 3 Velocity
MENU and 5 Jog step size options. Keeping the wheel deflected
repeats the move automatically after the current move
has completed.
At 0.0000 mm Use the wheel to display the required option, then press
Homed Stopped V
MENU to store the selection and return to the main
display.
The selected mode is indicated at the right hand side of

the bottom line:
At 0.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V V = Velocity mode
Homed Stopped P P = Jog to position mode
Homed Stopped J J = Jog in steps mode

4.4.7 Menu Option - Jog Step Size

At 0.0000 mm
This mode is used to set the jog step size. Homed Stopped V
MENU
Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter the Jog step size option.
Menu options
6 Jog step size
Use the wheel to adjust the step size, e.g. 0.10 mm, then
S = 0.10 mm
press the MENU button to store the selection.
adjust JogStep
When Jog in steps mode is selected in the Joystick mode

At 0.0000 mm
option (see Section 4.4.6.), subsequent moves will be
Homed Stopped V
performed at the step size entered.
25
Chapter 4
4.4.8 Menu Option - Teach Position

This mode is used to set the teach positions, used when the Joystick mode option is
set to Jog to positions mode - see Section 4.4.6.
To set Teach Position 1...

At 10.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V Move the stage to the position to use as teach position 1.
MENU
Menu options
through the menu options.
Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter the Teach position

Menu options option.
7 Teach position
Use the wheel to select P1, then press the MENU button
P1 = 10.0000 mm to store the current position as teach position 1 and return
num store
to the main display.
At 10.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V
To set Teach Position 2...

At 5.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V Move the stage to the position to use as teach position 2.
MENU
Menu options
through the menu options.
Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter the Teach position

Menu options option.
7 Teach position
Use the wheel to select P2, then press the MENU button
P2 = 5.0000 mm to store the current position as teach position 2 and return
num store
to the main display.
At 5.0000 mm When Jog to position mode is selected in the Joystick

Homed Stopped V
mode option (see Section 4.4.6.), a downwards
deflection of the wheel moves the stage to position 1, and
an upwards deflection moves to position 2.

4.4.9 Menu Option - Brightness
At 0.0000 mm
In certain applications, it may be necessary to adjust the Homed Stopped V
brightness of the LED display. The brightness is set as a MENU
value from 0 (Off) to 100 (brightest). The display can be
turned off completely by entering a setting of zero,
however, pressing the MENU button on the top panel will
temporarily illuminate the display at its lowest brightness
setting to allow adjustments. When the display returns to Menu options
its default position display mode, it will turn off again. Use wheel
Press the MENU button, then use the wheel to scroll Menu options
through the menu options. 8 Brightness
Press the MENU button to enter the Brightness option. Brightness = 67

to adjust
Use the wheel to adjust the brightness, then press the

MENU button to store the selection and return to the main At 0.0000 mm
display. Homed Stopped V
4.4.10 Menu Option - Disp.Timeout

'Burn In' of the display can occur if it remains static for a At 0.0000 mm
Homed Stopped V
long time. To prevent this, the display is automatically
dimmed after a specified time interval. MENU
Press the MENU button, then use the wheel to scroll Menu options
through the menu options. Use wheel
Press the MENU button to enter the Disp.Timeout option. Menu options
9 Disp.Timeout
The time out interval is specified in minutes in the range
1 to 480. The adjustment is done in steps of 1 minute if the After 2 min
timeout is between 1 to 10 minutes, 10 minute steps to adjust
between 10 minutes and 1 hour, and 30 minute steps
above, up to a maximum of 480 minutes. After 480
minutes there is an option for Never.
The dim level can only be adjusted via the Settings panel
- see Section 6.3.5.
Press the MENU button to store the selection and return to

At 0.0000 mm
the main display. Homed Stopped V
27
Chapter 4
4.5 External Triggering

External triggering is facilitated by the ‘TRIG 1’ and ‘TRIG 2 connectors on the front
panel of the unit - see Section 3.3.2.. 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.
4.5.1 Trigger In
5V
10K
TTL Buffer
10K
SMA
Connector
Protection
0V
Fig. 4.3 TRIG IN Connection Detail
The TRIG 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 In Latency

The trigger input will not accept another trigger request until the current move has
completed, which imposes a restriction on how frequently moves can be triggered. In
addition, there is a communications latency between the microcontroller and the
motion processor of up to 100 msec. This means that the maximum frequency at
which triggered moves can be commanded is approximately 100 msec plus the
duration of the move itself.

4.5.3 Trigger Out
CMOS Logic Gate

470R
SMA
Connector
Protection
0V
Fig. 4.4 TRIG OUT Connection Detail
The TRIG output is the output of a standard 5V CMOS logic gate in series with a 470
resistor. 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 k).
4.5.4 Trigger Out 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:
Trigger condition occurs
time
Trigger condition sampled at 102 μs intervals
time
Trigger output updated
time
Fig. 4.5 Triggering Latency
29
Chapter 5 PC Operation - Tutorial
5.1 Introduction
The following brief tutorial guides the user through a typical series of moves and
parameter adjustments performed using the PC based Kinesis software. It assumes
that the unit is electrically connected as shown in Section 3.3.1., that the Software is
already installed - see Section 3.1. and that the stage being driven is the Thorlabs
DDSM100 Direct Drive Translation stage.
Warning
The software includes built in safety features which prevent the user from
performing a move before the actuators being driven have been ‘homed’. If a
custom software application, which operates outside of the Kinesis Server, is
being used to position the actuator, then these safety features will not be
implemented. In this case, it is the responsibility of the user to home the
motors before performing any further moves. Failure to home the motors will
cause an error in positional information which could result in damage to the
unit and possible injury to personnel operating the equipment.
Caution
The maximum velocity at which the encoder can operate is approximately
600 mm/sec. Above this speed, encoder pulses may be lost and, as a
result, the position readout becomes incorrect. This renders normal
operation impossible because phase commutation of the motor is also
based on the encoder reading.
When the stage is controlled by the KBD101 driver, the maximum velocity
is limited to safe values. However, if the output is disabled (with the driver
connected and monitoring the position) and the stage is moved manually
at high speeds, it is possible to exceed this limit. If the KBD101 driver is
subsequently used again to move the stage, the incorrect encoder
reading will cause incorrect operation, often resulting in sudden
uncontrolled moves. It is therefore important not to move the stage
excessively quickly when it is moved manually.
The TBD driver has fault monitoring to detect the loss of encoder pulses.
If this fault occurs, an error message will be generated and the driver
must be powered down and re-started so that correct phasing and
commutation can be established.
30
5.2 Using the Kinesis Software

The Kinesis software application allows the user to interact with any number of
hardware control units connected to the PC USB Bus. This program allows multiple
graphical instrument panels to be displayed so that multiple units can be controlled.
All basic operating parameters can be set through this program, and all basic
operations (such as motor moves) can be initiated. A set of default parameter settings
is loaded on start up, which should be satisfactory for most applications. However
parameter values can be changed and saved to file if required. Move sequences can
also be created and saved for later use.
5.3 Verifying Software Operation

5.3.1 Initial Setup
The Software should be installed (Section 3.1.) and the power up procedure
performed (Section 3.3.) before software operation can be verified.
1) Run the Kinesis software - Start/All Programs/Thorlabs/Kinesis/Kinesis.
1) Notice how the DDSM100 stage type, selected at start up, is displayed in the
window. See Section 5.8. and Section 6.3. for further details on the parameter
values shown in the ‘Settings’ display
Fig. 5.1 GUI panel showing jog and ident buttons
2) Click the Enable button.

3) Click the ‘Ident’ button. The ENABLE LED on the front panel of the associated
driver flashes. This is useful in multi-channel systems for identifying which driver
unit is associated with which GUI.
4) Click the ‘Home/Zero button on the GUI panel and check that the motor or axis
connected to the driver moves. See Section 5.4. for further details on homing.
31
Chapter 5
5.4 Homing Motors

The need for homing comes from the fact that on power up the motor (stage) is at a
random position, so the value of the position counter is meaningless. Homing involves
moving the motor to a known reference marker and resetting the position counter to
the associated absolute value. This reference marker can be one of the limit switches
or can be provided by some other signal. The DDSM series stages use an electronic
reference marker and therefore the limit switches are not used for reference.
Fig. 5.2 Motor Controller Software GUI
1) Click the ‘Home’ button. Notice that the ‘Not Homed’ LED changes to ‘Homed’,
and that the LED flashes to indicate that homing is in progress. The displayed
position counts down to 0, i.e the home position.
2) When homing is complete, the ‘Homed’ LED is lit.
Note
If a move is demanded on a particular axis, before the axis has been
‘Homed’ then a Windows ‘Event Information’ panel is displayed, telling
the user that the axis must be homed before operation.

5.5 Changing Motor Parameters and Moving to an Absolute Position

Absolute moves are measured in real world units (e.g. millimetres), relative to the
Home position.
Moves are performed using a trapezoidal velocity profile (see Section 6.3.5.). The
velocity settings relate to the maximum velocities at which a move is performed, and
the acceleration at which the motor speeds up from zero to maximum velocity.
1) On the GUI panel, click the Move arrow to show the Settings panel.
Fig. 5.3 Move Settings Panel
2) Enter the required absolute position and/or parameter values.

3) To move to the position entered click the arrow
4) Click ‘Apply’ to save the parameter settings and close the window, click Reset to
return to the previously saved values.
33
Chapter 5
5.6 Jogging
During PC operation, the motor actuators are jogged using the GUI panel arrow keys.
There are two jogging modes available, ‘Single Step’ and ‘Continuous’. In ‘Single
Step’ mode, the motor moves by the step size specified in the Step Distance
parameter. If the jog key is held down, single step jogging is repeated until the button
is released - see Fig. 6.3. In ‘Continuous’ mode, the motor actuator will accelerate and
move at the jog velocity while the button is held down.
1) On the GUI panel, click the word ‘Jog’ to display the Settings panel.
Fig. 5.4 Jog Settings Panel
2) Make parameter changes as required.
Note
In current versions of software, the ‘Min Vel’ parameter is locked at zero
and cannot be adjusted.
3) Click ‘Apply’ to save the settings and close the window, click Reset to return to the
previously saved values.

5.7 Setting Move Sequences

The Kinesis software allows move sequences to be programmed, allowing several
positions to be visited without user intervention. For more details and instructions on
setting move sequences, please see the Kinesis Helpfile.
5.8 Changing and Saving Parameter Settings

During operation, certain settings (e.g. move velocity, jog step size etc) can be
changed as required. Other settings (e.g. PID parameter values) cannot be changed
so easily. When the Kinesis Server is run up and the stage/acuator association made,
suitable default settings are loaded and these values have been chosen to proved
safe performance in the majority of applications. However, for applications where
these settings need to be changed, a new set of Device Start Up settings', must be
created which can then be applied and/or uploaded on subsequent start up. See the
Kinesis Helpfile for more details.
35
Chapter 6 Software Reference
6.1 Introduction
This chapter gives an explanation of the parameters and settings accessed from the
Kinesis software running on a PC.
6.2 GUI Panel

The following screen shot shows the graphical user interface (GUI) displayed when
accessing the Brushless DC driver using the Kinesis software.
Fig. 6.1 Brushless DC Motor Driver Software GUI
Note
The serial number of the driver unit associated with the GUI panel is
displayed in the top right hand corner. This information should always be
provided when requesting customer support.
Position window - shows the position (in

millimetres or degrees) of the motor. The motor
must be 'Homed' before the display will show a
meaningful value, (i.e. the displayed position is
relative to a physical datum, the limit switch).
Move - Opens the settings window, so that position data and velocity
parameters can be entered - see Section 5.5. Moves are performed using the current
velocity parameters which can be changed in the same panel. The present settings
are displayed below the window.
Velocity Parameters - the present setting for the move velocity
parameters and the jog step size. The travel range of the
associated stage/actuator is also displayed.
36
These settings can be adjusted as described previously, or by clicking the Settings

button to display the settings window, see Section 6.3.2.
Jog Controls - used to increment or decrement the motor
position. The controls comprise a bar graph and a set of jog
arrows.
Each division of the bar graph represents a different
velocity. The velocities are entered in the settings panel
which is displayed by clicking ‘Drive’ or the small down
arrow.
When the arrows are clicked, the motor is driven in the
selected direction at the jog velocity, one step per click. The step size and jog velocity
parameters can be changed by clicking ‘Jog’ or the small down arrow to display the
settings panel.
Homed/Not Homed - lit when the motor has not been 'Homed'
since power up. When the home button is clicked, the caption
changes to ‘Homed’ and the LED flashes while the home move is
being performed. The LED is lit green once the move is complete.
End Stop - lit when a limit switch is activated, i.e. the motor is at
its end stop.
Error - lit when a fault condition occurs.
Enable/Disable - applies and removes power to the motor. With

the motor enabled, only the Disable button is visible, and with
the motor disabled only the Enable button is visible.
Identify - when this button is pressed, the front panel of the associated
hardware unit will flash for a short period.
Settings - Displays the 'Settings' panel, which allows the operating

parameters to be entered for the motor drive - see Section 6.3.
Home - sends the motor to its 'Home' position.
37
Chapter 6
Stop - halts the movement of the motor.
Lower Display - Shows the present

state of the motor, e.g. Idle, Moving,
Moving EXT or Homing.
Also shows the part number of the associated actuator or stage.
6.2.1 Keyboard Shortcuts

Certain functionality can also be accessed via PC keyboard shortcuts as follows:
Jog Forwards ‘Ctrl’ + ’F’, ‘Ctrl’ + ’+’

Jog Backwards ‘Ctrl’ + ‘B’, ‘Ctrl’ + ‘-’
Home ‘Ctrl’ + ‘H’, ‘Ctrl’ + ‘Home’
Stop ‘Ctrl’ + ‘0’
Jog Forward1 ‘LeftCtrl’ + ‘1’ (Hold to move)
Forward2 ‘LeftCtrl’ + ‘2’ (Hold to move)
Backward1 ‘RightCtrl’ + ‘1’ (Hold to move)
GoTo ‘Enter’ (On target position box)

6.3 Settings Panel

When the 'Settings' button on the GUI panel is clicked, the 'Settings' window is
displayed. This panel allows motor operation parameters such as move/jog velocities,
and stage/axis information to be modified.
There are two settings tabs, ‘Current Device Setting’ and Device Startup Settings’.
The Current Device settings option shows the settings currently active in the device.
If the settings are modified by using the GUI panel controls, then the changes will be
reflected on this tab. Current Device Settings are never stored, instead they are
created from existing Device Startup Settings either when the device loads or the
Device Startup Settings for the device are changed in the Settings editor.
Device Startup Settings option shows the settings which are used to initialize the
device on start up and are stored in a file on the PC. There may be one or more sets
of Device Startup Settings available for any device and these fall into two catagories:
Default Device Startup Settings. These settings are supplied with the software and
cannot be modified. There may be multiple sets of these settings, for example for
different Actuator types.
Custom Device Startup Settings. These settings can be copied from existing Default
Device Startup Settings and can be fully edited.
See the Kinesis Helpfile for more information
6.3.1 Persisting Settings to Hardware

Many of the parameters that can be set for the Brushless Driver K-Cube can be stored
(persisted) within the unit itself, such that when the unit is next powered up these
settings are applied automatically. This is particularly important when the driver is
being used manually in the absence of a PC and USB link. The Velocity Profile and
Jogging parameters described previously are good examples of settings that can be
altered and then persisted in the driver for use in absence of a PC. To save the
settings to hardware, check the ‘Persist Settings to the Device’ checkbox before
clicking the ‘OK button.
Caution
The ‘Persist Settings’ functionality is provided to simplify use of the unit
in the absence of a PC. When the unit is connected to a PC and is
operated via the Kinesis software, the default Server settings will be
loaded at boot up, even if the ‘Persist Settings’ option has been checked.
39
Chapter 6
6.3.2 Moves/Jogs tab
Fig. 6.2 Move/Jog Settings
Display Units
By default, the unit will display position in real world units (mm or degrees). If required,
the units can be changed to so that the display shows other positional units (cm, µm,
µrad etc).
Units - the positioning units used on the GUI display.
Factor - the scaling factor associated with the selected units.

Jog Parameters
Note
Under certain velocity parameter and move distance conditions, the
maximum velocity may never be reached (i.e. the move comprises an
acceleration and deceleration phase only).
The limits for the max velocity or acceleration parameters are dependent
on the stage being driven. They can be obtained by calling the
GetVelParamLimits method.
The move is also affected by the ‘Profile’ and ‘Jerk’ settings in the
Advanced - Misc. tab.
Jogs are initiated by using the ‘Jog’ keys on the GUI panel (see Section 5.6.), or the
Jog Buttons on the front panel of the unit.
Step Size - The distance to move when a jog command is initiated. The step size is
specified in real world units (mm or degrees dependent upon the stage).
Mode - The way in which the motor moves when a jog command is received (i.e. front
panel button pressed or GUI panel button clicked).
There are two jogging modes available, ‘Jog’ and ‘Continuous’. In ‘Jog’ mode, the
motor moves by the distance specified in the Step Size parameter. If the jog key is
held down, single step jogging is repeated until the button is released - see Fig. 6.3.
In ‘Continuous’ mode, the motor actuator will accelerate and move at the jog velocity
while the button is held down..
Fig. 6.3 Jog Modes
Jog - the motor moves by the distance specified in the Step Size parameter.
Continuous - the motor continues to move until the jog signal is removed (i.e.
jog button is released).
Stop - the way in which the jog motion stops when the demand is removed.
41
Chapter 6
Immediate - the motor stops quickly, in a non-profiled manner

Profiled - the motor stops in a profiled manner using the jog Velocity Profile
parameters set above.
Maximum Velocity - the maximum velocity at which to perform a move.
Note
The move is also affected by the ‘Profile’ and ‘Jerk’ settings in the
Advanced - Misc. tab.
Acceleration - the rate at which the velocity climbs from zero to maximum, and slows
from maximum to zero.
Note
Velocity Parameters
Moves can be initiated via the GUI panel by entering a position value after clicking on
the position display box (see Section 5.5.), or by calling a software function (see the
Kinesis API helpfile). The following settings determine the velocity profile of such
moves, and are specified in real world units, millimetres or degrees.
Maximum Velocity - the maximum velocity at which to perform a move.
Acceleration - the rate at which the velocity climbs from zero to maximum, and slows
from maximum to zero.
Note
Backlash
Backlash is a term used to describe the errors inherent in motors which use a
leadscrew. Brushless linear DC motors have no leadscrew and therefore this
parameter is normally set to 0.

For motors which do incorporate a leadscrew, when this parameter is set the system
will overshoot the demanded set point by the specified amount, and then reverse.
This ensures that during absolute or relative moves, the target position is always
approached in a forward direction. The Backlash Correction Distance is specified in
real world units (millimeters).
To remove backlash correction, this value should be set to zero.
Note. Setting a negative value for backlash correction also results in zero correction.
6.3.3 Stage/Axis Tab
Fig. 6.4 Stage/Axis Settings
Note
This tab contains a number of parameters which are related to the physical
characteristics of the particular stage being driven. They need to be set
accordingly such that a particular stage is driven properly by the system.
For Thorlabs stages, the Kinesis server will automatically apply suitable
defaults for the parameters on this tab during boot up of the software.
Most of these parameters cannot subsequently be altered as it may
adversely affect the performance of the stage and they are greyed out.
Description of these parameters is included for information only.
In the event that these settings need to be changed, the user can create a
custom settings group - see the Kinesis Helpfile for more information.
43
Chapter 6
Stage Axis Settings

These parameters are read automatically when the actuator/stage was associated at
start up - see Section 3.5. These settings are provided for information only and cannot
be adjusted. They should always be quoted when requesting technical support.
Actuator Name - The name (part number) of the stage or actuator connected.
Serial Number - The serial number of the stage or actuator connected.
Stage ID - The ID number of the stage or actuator connected. This nuber is used by
the server to assign stage specific parameter values at start up.
Counts per mm - The number of encoder counts per millimeter of travel of the DC
servo motor (minimum '1', maximum '10,000').
Homing Settings
Note
For DDSM100 users. The Homing, Limit Switch and Motor parameters
described on the next two pages are not applicable for the DDSM100
stages because the stage does not use a limit switch as a reference point
for homing. Instead, it uses a special reference marker pulse from the
encoder. Homing on these stages involves a search for this reference
marker. Initially, the stage moves in the forward direction and if the
reference marker is found before the stage hits the forward limit switch,
then homing is completed. If not, the stage reverses direction and
continues to search for the reference marker. Due to the different method
used, only the Homing Velocity parameter can be adjusted, although
normally the default value is suitable for nearly all applications. All other
parameters are greyed out.
When homing, a stage typically moves in the reverse direction, (i.e. towards the
reverse limit switch). The following settings allow support for stages with both Forward
and Reverse limits.
Note
Typically, the following two parameters are set the same, i.e. both
Forward or both Reverse.
Direction - the direction sense that the motor moves when homing, either Clockwise
or Counter Clockwise.
Limit Switch - The hardware limit switch associated with the home position, either
Ignore, Clockwise or Counter Clockwise.
Zero Offset - the distance offset (in mm or degrees) from the limit switch to the Home
position.
Velocity - the maximum velocity at which the motors move when Homing.

Hardware Limit Switches

Note
The minimum velocity and acceleration/deceleration parameters for a
home move are taken from the existing move velocity profile parameters.
The operation of the limit switches is inherent in the design of the associated stage or
actuator. The following parameters notify the system to the action of the switches
when contact is made. Select Reverse or Forward as required, then select the
relevant operation.
Switch Makes - The switch closes on contact

Switch Breaks - The switch opens on contact
Ignore/Absent - The switch is missing, or should be ignored.
6.3.4 Advanced SettingsTab
Fig. 6.5 Advanced Settings
45
Chapter 6
Position Loop Settings

The motion processors within the KBD101 driver uses a position control loop to
determine the motor command output. The purpose of the position loop is to match
the actual motor position and the demanded position. This is achieved by comparing
the demanded position with the actual encoder position to create a position error,
which is then passed through a digital PID-type filter. The filtered value is the motor
command output.
Caution
The PID and other closed loop parameters must be set according to the stage
or actuator type associated with the driver, the load being positioned and the
speed/duty cycle of operation. Default values have already been optimized and
stored within the stage, and these are loaded into the controller on power up.
If problems are encountered (e.g. stability of the closed loop position control,
lost motion or incomplete moves) the position PID parameters should be
adjusted to tune the stage for the given application. Normally, only minor
adjustment of the Proportional, Integral and Derivative parameters should be
necessary, and some trial and error will be required before the ideal settings
for a specific application are achieved. In cases where further adjustment of
the control loop parameters is required, the following guidelines are provided
in order to assist in the tuning process.
Proportional Gain - Increasing the proportional (Prop) term will increase the amount
of effective torque used to correct a given position error. Typically this is used to
minimise the amount of position error when an impulse event affects current target
position during motion. i.e. sticksion, vibration…etc .If the proportional term is too high
this can lead to overshoot and general instability. If this is too low it can result in a
sloppy response. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767.
Integral Gain - Increasing the integral (Int) term minimises following error and final
position error. If Integral is too high this will typically lead to motion overshoot during
and at end of move. If the integral term is too low final position may take a long time
to reach, if at all. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767.
Derivative Gain - Increasing the derivative (Deriv) term decreases the rate of change
of driver output. Typically this is used to reduce the overshoot from a given motion. If
derivative is too high it can become sensitive to noise from the measured position
error. If derivative is too low, velocity fluctuations may arise during motion. It accepts
values in the range 0 to 32767.
Integral limit - Limits the wind up limit for the integral term such that excessive
overshoots are prevented. Typically used to prevent runaway integral calculations
due to stiction and other such physical forms of random forces. Normally set as low
as possible, but high enough that with the given integral term final position can be
reached. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767. If set to 0 then the integration term
in the PID loop is ignored.

Derivative Recalculation Time – Time over which derivative is calculated. Under

normal circumstances, the derivative term of the PID loop is recalculated at every
servo cycle. However, it may be desirable to increase the sampling rate to a higher
value, in order to increase stability. The Derivative Time parameter is used to set the
sampling rate. For example if set to 10, the derivative term is calculated every 10
servo cycles. The value is set in cycles, in the range 1 to 32767 (1 cycle = 102.4 µs).
Typically increasing the derivative time increases sensitivity to noise.
Output Gain – This parameter is a scaling factor applied to the output of the PID loop.
It accepts values in the range 0 to 65535, where 0 is 0% and 65535 is 100%. Typically
used to tighten a control loop for increased positional performance at the expense of
stability.
Vel. Feed Forward and Acc. Feed Forward – These parameters are velocity and
acceleration feed-forward terms that are added to the output of the PID filter to assist
in tuning the motor drive signal. They accept values in the range 0 to 32767.
Position Error Limit – Under certain circumstances, the actual encoder position may
differ from the demanded position by an excessive amount. Such a large position
error is often indicative of a potentially dangerous condition such as motor failure,
encoder failure or excessive mechanical friction. To warn of, and guard against this
condition, a maximum position error can be set in the Position Error Limit parameter,
in the range 0 to 65535. The actual position error is continuously compared against
the limit entered, and if exceeded, the Motion Error bit (bit 15) of the Status Register
is set, the associated axis is stopped and the GUI panel Position Error LED is lit.
Note
The position error limit is monitored only when the motor is enabled (i.e.
the feedback loop is active).
Position PID Settings Summary

Stage overshoots the intended position - reduce Int and increase Deriv and Prop terms.
Stage doesn't attain final position - increase the Int and Prop terms.
Motion is unstable - reduce Prop and Int, increase Deriv.
Stage sounds noisy - reduce Deriv.
47
Chapter 6
Current Loop Settings

The motion processor within the TBD driver uses digital current control as a technique to
control the current through each phase winding of the motors. In this way, response times
are improved and motor efficiency is increased. This is achieved by comparing the
required current with the actual current to create a current error, which is then passed
through a digital PI-type filter. The filtered current value is used to develop an output
voltage for each motor coil. The following parameters allow this signal to be tuned for a
fast response and low error when moving to the demanded position.
Note
These parameters are specific to the motor within the stage. Default
values are set at the factory and under normal circumstances do not need
to be changed.
Note
The following two parameters assist in fine tuning the motor drive current
and help reduce audible noise and/or oscillation when the stage is in
motion. A certain amount of trial and error may be experienced in order
to obtain the optimum settings.
Dead Error Band – This parameter allows an integral dead band to be set, such that
when the error is within this dead band, the integral action stops, and the move is
completed using the proportional term only. It accept values in the range 0 to 32767.
Feed Forward – This parameter is a feed-forward term that is added to the output of
the PI filter. It accept values in the range 0 to 32767.
Integral Gain – This term provides the ‘restoring force’ that grows with time, ensuring
that the current error is zero under a constant torque loading. It accepts values in the
range 0 to 32767.
Integral Limit – This term is used to cap the value of the lntegrator to prevent an
excessive build up over time of the ‘restoring force’, thereby causing runaway of the
integral sum at the output. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767. If set to 0 then
the integration term in the PI loop is ignored.
Proportional Gain – This term drives the motor current to the demand value, reducing
the current error. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767.

Current Loop Settings (Settled)

The following parameters are designed to assist in maintaining stable operation and
redusing noise at the demanded position. They allow the system to be tuned such that
errors caused by external vibration and manual handling (e.g. loading of samples) are
minimized, and are applicable only when the stage is settled, i.e. the Axis Settled
status bit (bit 14) is set - see Section 6.3.5.
Note
The following two parameters assist in fine tuning the motor drive current
and help reduce audible noise and/or oscillation when the stage is near
the target position. A certain amount of trial and error may be
experienced in order to obtain the optimum settings.
Dead Error Band – This parameter allows an integral dead band to be set, such that
when the error is within this dead band, the integral action stops, and the move is
completed using the proportional term only. It accept values in the range 0 to 32767.
Feed Forward – This parameter is a feed-forward term that is added to the output of
the PI filter. It accept values in the range 0 to 32767.
Integral Gain – This term provides the ‘restoring force’ that grows with time, ensuring
that the current error is zero under a constant torque loading. It accepts values in the
range 0 to 32767.
Integral Limit – This term is used to cap the value of the lntegrator to prevent an
excessive build up over time of the ‘restoring force’, thereby causing runaway of the
integral sum at the output. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767. If set to 0 then
the integration term in the PI loop is ignored.
Proportional Gain – This term drives the motor current to the demand value, reducing
the current error. It accepts values in the range 0 to 32767.
Digital Output Settings
Caution
The default values programmed into the Kinesis software will give
acceptable performance in most cases. The following parameters are set
according to the stage or actuator type associated with the driver and have
already been optimized. Changing these parameters can result in control
instability and possible damage. Use extreme caution if adjusting these
parameters.
Continuous Current Limit – The system incorporates a current 'foldback' facility, whereby
the continuous current level can be capped. The Current Limit parameter, accepts values
as a percentage of maximum peak current, in the range 0% to 100%, which is the default
maximum level set at the factory (this maximum value cannot be altered).
Excess Energy Limit – When the current output of the drive exceeds the limit set in the
Current Limit parameter, accumulation of the excess current energy begins. The Energy
Limit parameter specifies a limit for this accumulated energy, as a percentage of the factory
49
Chapter 6
set default maximum, in the range 0% to 100%. When the accumulated energy exceeds
the value specified in the Energy Limit parameter, a 'current foldback' condition is said to
exist, and the commanded current is limited to the value specified in the Current Limit
parameter. When this occurs, the Current Foldback status bit (bit 25) is set in the Status
Register and the ‘Current Limit’ LED on the GUI panel is lit. When the accumulated energy
above the Current Limit value falls to 0, the limit is removed and the status bit is cleared.
Motor Signal Bias – When an axis is subject to a constant external force in one
direction (such as a vertical axis pulled downwards by gravity) the servo filter can
compensate by adding a constant DC bias to the output. This bias is set in the Motor
Bias parameter, which accepts values in the range -32768 to 32767. The default
value is 0. Once set, the motor bias is applied while the position loop is enabled.
Motor Signal Limit – This parameter sets a limit for the motor drive signal and accepts
values in the range 0 to 100% (32767). If the system produces a value greater than the
limit set, the motor command takes the limiting value. For example, if the Motor Limit is
set to 30000 (91.6%), then signals greater than 30000 will be output as 30000 and values
less than -30000 will be output as -30000.
Track Settle Settings

Moves are generated by an internal profile generator, and are based on either a
trapezoidal or s-curve trajectory (see Section 6.3.5.). A move is considered complete
when the profile generator has completed the calculated move and the axis has
'settled' at the demanded position.
The system incorporates a monitoring function, which continuously indicates whether
or not the axis has 'settled'. The 'Settled' indicator is bit 14 in the Status Register and
is set when the associated axis is settled. Note that the status bit is controlled by the
processor, and cannot be set or cleared manually.
The axis is considered to be 'settled' when the following conditions are met:
• the axis is at rest (i.e. not performing a move),
• the error between the demanded position and the actual motor position is less than or
equal to the specified number of encoder counts (0 to 65535) set in the Settle Window
field,
• the above two conditions have been met for a specified number of cycles
(1 cycle = 102.4 µs), set in the Settle Time field (range 0 to 32767).
The above settings are particularly important when performing a sequence of moves.
If the PID parameters (see Section 6.3.4.) are set such that the settle window cannot
be reached, the first move in the sequence will never complete, and the sequence will
stall. The Settle Window and Time parameter values should be specified carefully,
based on the required positional accuracy of the application. If positional accuracy is
not a major concern, the settle time should be set to '0'. In this case, a move will
complete when the motion calculated by the profile generator is completed,
irrespective of the actual position attained, and the settle parameters described above
will be ignored.
The processor also provides a 'tracking window' which is used to monitor servo
performance outside the context of motion error. The tracking window is a

programmable position error limit within which the axis must remain, but unlike the
Position Error Limit parameter set in the Position Loop Settings group, the axis is not
stopped if it moves outside the specified tracking window.
This function is useful for processes that rely on the motor's correct tracking of a set
trajectory within a specific range. The tracking window may also be used as an early
warning for performance problems that do not yet qualify as motion error.
The size of the tracking window (i.e. the maximum allowable position error while
remaining within the tracking window) is specified in the Tracking Window field, in the
range 0 to 65535. If the position error of the axis exceeds this value, the Tracking
Indicator status bit (bit 13) is set to 0 in the Status Register. When the position error
returns to within the window boundary, the status bit is set to 1.
6.3.5 Advanced - Misc. Tab
Fig. 6.6 Advanced Miscellaneous Settings
MMI Controls
The velocity wheel is sprung such that when released it returns to it’s central position.
In this central position the motor is stationary. As the wheel is moved away from the
center, the motor begins to move; the speed of this movement increases as the wheel
51
Chapter 6
deflection is increased. Bidirectional control of motor moves is possible by moving the

wheel in both directions.
Joystick Mode
Velocity Control - Deflecting the wheel starts a move with the velocity proportional
to the deflection. The maximum velocity (i.e. velocity corresponding to the full
deflection of the joystick wheel) and acceleration are set in the Max Velocity and
Acceleration. parameters.
Jog - Deflecting the wheel initiates a jog move, using the parameters specified by
the Move/Jogs tab. Keeping the wheel deflected repeats the move automatically
after the current move has completed.
Move To Position - Deflecting the wheel starts a move from the current position to
one of the two predefined “teach” positions. The teach positions are specified in
the Preset Position 1 and Preset Position 2 parameters, and are measured in
number of steps from the home position.
Joystick Direction
The direction of a move initiated by the velocity wheel is specified as follows:
Forwards - Upwards rotation of the wheel results in a positive motion (i.e.
increased position count).
Note. The following option applies only when the Wheel Mode is set to Velocity
Control. If set to Position Jogging or Go to Position Mode, the following option is
ignored.
Backwards - Upwards rotation of the wheel results in a negative motion (i.e.
decreased position count).
MMI Display
In certain applications, it may be necessary to adjust the brightness of the LED display
on the top of the unit. The brightness is set in the Display Intensity parameter, as a
value from 0 (Off) to 100 (brightest). The display can be turned off completely by
entering a setting of zero, however, pressing the MENU button on the top panel will
temporarily illuminate the display at its lowest brightness setting to allow adjustments.
When the display returns to its default position display mode, it will turn off again.
Furthermore, 'Burn In' of the display can occur if it remains static for a long time. To
prevent this, the display is automatically dimmed after the time interval specified in the
Display Timeout parameter has elapsed. The time interval is specified in minutes in
the range 1 to 480. The dim level is set in the Dimmed Intensity parameter, as a
percentage of full brightness from 0 (Off) to 10 (brightest) but is also limited by the
Display Intensity parameter if this is lower. These settings are only visible and active
if the Dim device display on inactivity box is checked.

Velocity Profile Settings

To prevent the motor from stalling, it must be ramped up gradually to its maximum
velocity. Certain limits to velocity and acceleration result from the torque and speed
limits of the motor, and the inertia and friction of the parts it drives.
The system incorporates a trajectory generator, which performs calculations to
determine the instantaneous position, velocity and acceleration of each axis at any
given moment. During a motion profile, these values will change continuously. Once
the move is complete, these parameters will then remain unchanged until the next
move begins.
The specific move profile created by the system depends on several factors, such as
the profile mode and profile parameters presently selected, and other conditions such
as whether a motion stop has been requested.
Profile – This field is used to set the profile mode to either Trapezoidal or S-curve. In
either case, the velocity and acceleration of the profile are specified using the Velocity
Profile parameters on the Moves/Jogs tab.
The Trapezoidal profile is a standard, symmetrical acceleration/deceleration motion
curve, in which the start velocity is always zero.
In a typical trapezoidal velocity profile, (see Fig. 6.7.), the stage is ramped at
acceleration ‘a’ to a maximum velocity ‘v’. As the destination is approached, the stage
is decelerated at ‘a’ so that the final position is approached slowly in a controlled
manner.
velocity
maximum
velocity (v)
acceleration (slope) a
time
Fig. 6.7 Graph of a trapezoidal velocity profile
The S-curve profile is a trapezoidal curve with an additional 'Jerk' parameter, which
limits the rate of change of acceleration and smooths out the contours of the motion
profile.
Jerk – This parameter is specified in mm/s3 and accepts values in the range 0 to
46566139. It is used to specify the maximum rate of change in acceleration in a single
cycle of the basic trapezoidal curve.
53
Chapter 6
In this profile mode, the acceleration increases gradually from 0 to the specified
acceleration value, then decreases at the same rate until it reaches 0 again at the
specified velocity. The same sequence in reverse brings the axis to a stop at the
programmed destination position.
Example
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
V
Velocity
A - acceleration
-J -J D - deceleration
V - velocity
A D J - jerk
J J
Time
Fig. 6.8 Typical S-Curve Profile
The figure above shows a typical S-curve profile. In segment (1), the S-curve profile
drives the axis at the specified jerk (J) until the maximum acceleration (A) is reached.
The axis continues to accelerate linearly (jerk = 0) through segment (2) . The profile
then applies the negative value of jerk to reduce the acceleration to 0 during segment
(3). The axis is now at the maximum velocity (V), at which it continues through
segment (4). The profile then decelerates in a similar manner to the acceleration
phase, using the jerk value to reach the maximum deceleration (D) and then bring the
axis to a stop at the destination.
Drive Array Velocities

These parameters relate to the velocity for moves initiated by the DRIVE bar graph.
Each specifies a velocity to apply when the associated bar is clicked. These settings
are applicable in either direction of pot deflection, i.e. 4 possible velocity settings in
the forward or reverse motion directions.
Note
It is acceptable to set velocities equal to each other to reduce the number
of speeds.

6.3.6 Triggering
Fig. 6.9 Triggering Tab
Triggering Introduction
The K-Cube motor controllers have two bidirectional trigger ports (TRIG1 and TRIG2)
that can be used to read an external logic signal or output a logic level to control
external equipment. Either of them can be independently configured as an input or an
output and the active logic state can be selected High or Low to suit the requirements
of the application. Electrically the ports output 5 Volt logic signals and are designed
to be driven from a 5 Volt logic.
When the port is used in the input mode, the logic levels are TTL compatible, i.e. a
voltage level less than 0.8 Volt will be recognised as a logic LOW and a level greater
than 2.4 Volt as a logic HIGH. The input contains a weak pull-up, so the state of the input
with nothing connected will default to a logic HIGH. The weak pull-up feature allows a
passive device, such as a mechanical switch to be connected directly to the input.
When the port is used as an output it provides a push-pull drive of 5 Volts, with the
maximum current limited to approximately 8 mA. The current limit prevents damage
when the output is accidentally shorted to ground or driven to the opposite logic state
by external circuity.
Warning: do not drive the TRIG ports from any voltage source that can produce an
output in excess of the normal 0 to 5 Volt logic level range. In any case the voltage at
the TRIG ports must be limited to -0.25 to +5.25 Volts.
55
Chapter 6
Input Trigger Modes

When configured as an input, the TRIG ports can be used as a general purpose digital
input, or for triggering a relative, absolute or home move. When used for triggering a
move, the port is edge sensitive. In other words, it has to see a transition from the
inactive to the active logic state (Low->High or High->Low) for the trigger input to be
recognized. For the same reason a sustained logic level will not trigger repeated
moves. The trigger input has to return to its inactive state first in order to start the next
trigger. The mode is set in the Trig 1 Mode and Trig 2 Mode parameters as follows:
Disabled - The trigger IO is disabled

IN - GPI - General purpose logic input (read through status bits using the
LLGetStatusBits method).
IN - Relative Move - Input trigger for relative move.
IN - Absolute Move - Input trigger for absolute move.
IN - Homed - Input trigger for home move.
Output Trigger Modes

When the Trigger 1 Mode and Trigger 2 Mode parameters are configured as outputs,
the TRIG ports can be used as a general purpose digital output, or to indicate motion
status or to produce a trigger pulse at configurable positions as follows:
OUT GPO - General purpose logic output.
OUT - In Motion - Trigger output active (level) when motor 'in motion'. The output
trigger goes high (5V) or low (0V) (as set in the Trig 1. Polarity and Trig. 2 Polarity
parameters) when the stage is in motion.
OUT - At Max Velocity - Trigger output active (level) when motor at 'max velocity'.
OUT - At Position Steps Fwd - Trigger output active (pulsed) at pre-defined
positions moving forward. Only one Trigger port at a time can be set to this mode.
See Trigger Out Position Steps for further details.
OUT - At Position Steps Rev - Trigger output active (pulsed) at pre-defined
positions moving backwards. Only one Trigger port at a time can be set to this
mode. See Trigger Out Position Steps for further details.
OUT - At Position Steps Both - Trigger output active (pulsed) at pre-defined
positions moving forwards and backward. Only one Trigger port at a time can be
set to this mode. See Trigger Out Position Steps for further details.

Trigger Out Position Steps

Note
If the trigger mode is not set to one of the three position modes described
previously, then the following parameters are not applicable and will be
hidden.
As soon as a position triggering mode is selected on either of the TRIG ports, the port
will assert the inactive logic state, set in the Trigger Polarity parameters.
As the stage moves in its travel range and the actual position matches the position set
in the Trigger Start Position parameter, the TRIG port will output its active logic state.
The active state will be output for the length of time specified by the Trigger Pulse
Width parameter, then return to its inactive state and schedule the next position
trigger point at the Trigger Start Position value plus the value set in Trigger Interval
parameter.
Thus when this second position is reached, the TRIG output will be asserted to its
active state again. The sequence is repeated the number of times set in the Trigger
Count parameter.
When the number of pulses set in the Trigger Count parameter has been generated,
the trigger engine will schedule the next position to occur at the position specified in
the Reverse Trigger Start Position parameter. The same sequence as the forward
direction is now repeated in reverse, except that the Reverse setting parameters
apply. When the number of pulses has been output, the entire forward-reverse
sequence will repeat the number of times specified by Trigger Cycle Count
57
Chapter 6
parameter. This means that the total number of pulses output will be Trigger Cycle
Counts x (Forward Trigger Count + Reverse Trigger Count)..
PosIntervalFwd
15 mm
Pos2 Fwd
12 mm Pos1 Rev
StartPosRev
10 mm
StartPosFwd Pos1 Fwd
Time
Trig Voltage
5V
0V
Time
Fig. 6.10 Position Steps Triggering
Example for a move from 0 to 20 mm and back.

In forward direction: The first trigger pulse occurs at 10 mm (StartPosFwd), the next
trigger pulse occurs after another 5 mm (PosIntervalFwd), the stage then moves to 20
mm.
In reverse direction: The next trigger occurs when the stage gets to 12 mm.
Note that position triggering can only be used on one TRIG port at a time, as there is
only one set of position trigger parameters.
Trigger Polarity
The polarity of the trigger pulse is specified in the Trigger 1 Polarity and Trigger 2
Polarity parameters as follows:
Trigger High - The active state of the trigger port is logic HIGH 5V (trigger input
and output on a rising edge).
Trigger Low - The active state of the trigger port is logic LOW 0V (trigger input and
output on a falling edge).

6.3.7 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:
Trigger condition occurs
time
Trigger condition sampled at 102 μs intervals
time
Trigger output updated
time
Fig. 6.11 Triggering Latency
59
Chapter 6
6.3.8 Rotation StagesTab
Rotation Mode
This setting relates to the way in which the angular position is displayed on the GUI
panel. There are three options:
Fixed Range - The angular rotation is limited to 360° i.e. one revolution.
Equivalent Angle – The maximum displayed position is 359.99°. If a stage is
driven past the 360° rotation point, the display reverts back to zero and counts up
to 360° again.
Total Angle – The total angular rotation is displayed, e.g. for a movement of two
full rotations plus 10°, the display will show 730°.
Note. The following parameters are applicable only if the Rotation Mode is set to
‘Equivalent Angle’.
Rotation Direction
This setting specifies the move direction. There are three options:
Rotate Forwards – The move is performed in a positive direction
Rotate Reverse - The move is performed in a negative direction
Rotate Quickest - The move is performed in the quickest direction

Appendix A Rear Panel Connector Pinout Details
A.1 Rear Panel MOTOR Connectors

The ‘MOTOR DRIVE’ connector is a female, 15-pin D-Type and provides drive
connection to the motors. The pin functions are detailed in Fig. A.1..
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
Pin Description Pin Description

1 Quadrature A- 9 GND
2 Quadrature A+ 10 Motor Phase C
3 Quadrature B+ 11 Motor Phase A
4 Quadrature B- 12 Motor Phase B
5 Encoder Index I- 13 +5 V
6 Encoder Index I+ 14 GND
7 Negative Limit 15 Stage ID
8 Positive Limit
Notes
Quadrature X+/-: Differential quadrature pulses of the encoder
Encoder Index I -/+: The differential Index pulse used for homing
Limit -/+: Positive and negative limit switch signals
Stage ID: Unique Thorlabs communication interface signal used to identify the stage
connected.
Fig. A.1 MOTOR DRIVE connector pin identification
61
Appendix B Preventive Maintenance
Shock Warning
The equipment contains no user servicable parts. There is a risk of
electrical shock if the equipment is operated with the covers removed.
Only personnel authorized by Thorlabs Ltd and trained in the
maintenance of this equipment should remove its covers or attempt any
repairs or adjustments. Maintenance is limited to safety testing and
cleaning as described in the following sections.
B.1 Safety Testing

PAT testing in accordance with local regulations, should be performed on a regular
basis, (typically annually for an instrument in daily use).
B.2 Cleaning
Warning
Disconnect the power supply before cleaning the unit.
Never allow water to get inside the case.
Do not saturate the unit.
Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder or solvent, e.g.
alcohol or benzene.
The fascia may be cleaned with a soft cloth, lightly dampened with water or a mild
detergent.
62
Appendix C Specifications
C.1 Specifications
Parameter Value
Drive Connector 15-Pin D-Type, Female
(Motor Phase Outputs, Stage ID Input)
Peak Current Output 2A
PWM Frequency 40 kHz
Operating Modes Position, Velocity
Control Algorithm 16-bit Digital PID Servo Loop with Velocity and
Acceleration Feedforward
Velocity Profile Trapezoidal/S-Curve
Position Count 32 Bit
Position Feedback Incremental Encoder
Encoder Bandwidth 2.5 MHz/ 10 M Counts/sec
Encoder Supply 5V
Input Power Requirements
Voltage 14.5 - 15.5 V Regulated DC
Current 2A Peak
General
Housing Dimensions (W x D x H) 60 x 60 x 47 mm (2.36" x 2.36" x 1.85")
(excluding buttons and baseplate)
USB Connector Type USB 3.0
USB Connection Speed USB 1.1 Full Speed (12 Mbps)
Instrument Weight 160 g (5.5 oz)
Compatible Motors
Type • 3-Phase DC Brushless Motors
Rated Phase Currents (Nominal) 100mA to 2A
63
Appendix D Regulatory
D.1 Declarations Of Conformity

D.1.1 For Customers in Europe
See Section D.2.
D.1.2 For Customers In The USA

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, persuant 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 likely to 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 the company could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
64
D.2 CE Certificate
65
Appendix D
Chapter 5 Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

For technical support or sales inquiries, please visit us at www.thorlabs.com/contact
for our most up-to-date contact information.
USA, Canada, and South America UK and Ireland

Thorlabs, Inc. Thorlabs Ltd.
sales@thorlabs.com sales@uk.thorlabs.com
techsupport@thorlabs.com techsupport.uk@thorlabs.com
Europe Scandinavia
Thorlabs GmbH Thorlabs Sweden AB
europe@thorlabs.com scandinavia@thorlabs.com
France Brazil
Thorlabs SAS Thorlabs Vendas de Fotônicos Ltda.
sales.fr@thorlabs.com brasil@thorlabs.com
Japan China
Thorlabs Japan Inc. Thorlabs China
sales@thorlabs.jp chinasales@thorlabs.com
Thorlabs verifies our compliance with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment) directive of the European Community and the
corresponding national laws. Accordingly, all end users in the EC may return
"end of life" Annex I category electrical and electronic equipment sold after
August 13, 2005 to Thorlabs, without incurring disposal charges. Eligible units
are marked with the crossed out "wheelie bin" logo (see right), were sold to
and are currently owned by a company or institute within the EC, and are not
dissembled or contaminated. Contact Thorlabs for more information. Waste
treatment is your own responsibility. "End of life" units must be returned to
Thorlabs or handed to a company specializing in waste recovery. Do not
dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site.

www.thorlabs.com
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KBD101

K-Cube Brushless DC Servo

Chapter 3 Getting Started ............................................................................ 10

2 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

Chapter 5 Tutorial ........................................................................................ 30

1.1 Safety Information

1.2 General Warnings

Fig. 2.1 K-Cube Brushless DC Servo Motor driver (KBD101)

Operation of the KBD101 brushless DC motor unit is fully configurable

2.2 Power Options

6 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

2.3 PC Software Overview

2.3.2 Kinesis Server

8 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

Fig. 2.2 System Architecture Diagram

2.3.3 Software Upgrades

3.1 Installing the Software

DO NOT CONNECT THE CONTROLLER TO YOUR PC YET

3.2 Mechanical Installation

Location Indoor use only

3.2.2 Mounting Options

3.2.3 Using the Baseplate

Fig. 3.1 Using The Baseplate

3.3 Electrical Installation

Fig. 3.2 Rear Panel Connections

12 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

3.3.2 Front Panel

+5V TTL +5V TTL

Fig. 3.3 Front Panel Connections

3.4 Connect The Hardware

3) Connect the Controller unit to your PC.

14 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

3.5 Stage Selection

16 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

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.

4.2.1 Digital Display - Operating Mode

Brushless Motor Controller

Fig. 4.2 Digital Display - Normal Operation

4.3 Velocity Wheel Operation

18 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

Note for Rotation Stage Users

4.3.4 Velocity Moves

4.4 Settings Menu

Menu options Set the Max Velocity - see Section 4.4.5.

Set the joystick wheel mode - see Section 4.4.6.

Set the Jog Step Size - see Section 4.4.7.

Set the teach positions - see Section 4.4.8.

Menu options Set the display brightness - see Section 4.4.9.

20 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

4.4.3 Menu Option - Go to position

To stop the move, press the MENU button.

22 HA0364T Rev Ck Aug 2022

4.4.4 Menu Option - Start homing

The display shows a decreasing position count while the

Once homing is complete, the display shows the position