Stepper Motor Cables
Thorlabs offers a variety of cables to support several stepper motor actuator and controller combinations. Supported stepper motors include our ZST, ZFS, and DRV actuators; supported controllers include our BSC benchtop controllers, our KST101 K-Cube™ Controller, and our MST602 Rack Control Module. In order to see which cable is compatible with a given combination of stepper motor and controller, please see the table below. The pin assignment for each cable is given in the Pin Diagrams tab. Please note that these cables cannot be used with motors and controllers that do not match their pin assignment, even if the connectors are the same.
DC Motor Cables
The PAA632 is a 2.5 m cable for our Z8 series of DC motor actuators. This cable is intended to be used with the KDC101 K-Cube DC Servo Motor Controller. The pin assignment for this cable is given in the Pin Diagrams tab. Although it uses a 15-pin connector, this cable is not compatible with any of our stepper motors.
PAA612 and PAA613 Stepper Motor Cables
DA15-Pin Male D-type to DE15-Pin Female D-Type
DA15 Male Pin |
DE15 Female Pin |
Description |
11 and 12 |
1 |
Limit Switch Ground |
10 |
2 |
Reverse Limit Switch |
9 |
3 |
Forward Limit Switch |
7 |
4 |
Motor Phase B- |
14 |
5 |
Motor Phase B+ |
8 |
6 |
Motor Phase A- |
15 |
7 |
Motor Phase A+ |
6 |
9 |
Reserved for Future Use |
5 |
13 |
5 V |
PAA632 DC Servo Motor Cable
DE15-Pin Male D-Type to DE15-Pin Female D-Type

DE15 Male Pin |
DE15 Female Pin |
Description |
1 |
1 |
Ground |
2 |
2 |
Forward Limit Switch |
3 |
3 |
Reverse Limit Switch |
5 |
5 |
Motor - |
7 |
7 |
Motor + |
10 |
10 |
5 V Encoder Supply |
11 |
11 |
Encoder Channel A |
13 |
13 |
Encoder Channel B |
PAA614 Stepper Motor Cable
DE15-Pin Male D-Type to DE15-Pin Female D-Type

DE15 Male Pin |
DE15 Female Pin |
Description |
1 |
1 |
Ground |
2 |
2 |
CCW Limit Switch |
3 |
3 |
CW Limit Switch |
4 |
4 |
Motor Phase B - |
5 |
5 |
Motor Phase B + |
6 |
6 |
Motor Phase A- |
7 |
7 |
Motor Phase A+ |
10 |
10 |
+5 V DC |
15 |
15 |
Ground |