Click to Enlarge
Figure 1.1  The Fully Extended MLJ250(/M) Mounted onto a Nexus Optical Table by 1/4"-20 (M6 x 1.0)
Cap Screws (Not Included)

Features

• Motorized High-Load Vertical Translation Stage with Local or Remote Control
• USB and RS232 Computer Connections
• Smooth, Stepper Motor Driven Linear Motion
• Full Kinesis^® Software Control Suite (See Kinesis Software Tab for Details)
• Large Mounting Platform with 1/4"-20 (M6 x 1.0) Taps
• Location-Specific Power Supply Included

The MLJ250(/M) Motorized Vertical Translation Stage offers up to 50 mm of smooth, stepper motor driven linear height adjustment. Its integrated electronic controller allows for local control or CPU control via our software. This stage provides a rugged, height-adjustable platform ideal for mounting optomechanical sub-assemblies that need vertical positioning. It incorporates a large 5.16" x 5.83" (131.0 mm x 148.0 mm) mounting platform that is capable of moving loads up to 44 lbs (20 kg) at up to 3 mm/s. Guards are fitted to completely eliminate finger traps and other obstructions. These features make it ideal to use as a heavy-duty lab jack.

The integrated electronic contoller facilitates local control via the keypad buttons and velocity potentiometer, as seen in Figure 1.1. Alternatively, the MLJ250(/M) stage can be controlled remotely via USB or RS232 connections (see the Pin Diagram tab for connector information) by utilizing our Kinesis^® software suite. Parameter settings can be adjusted on the PC and stored in non-volatile memory within the unit itself. When the unit is next powered up, these settings are applied automatically. This feature is particularly useful when operating the unit manually in the absence of a PC link. Furthermore, the magnetic limit switches can be configured using flexible logic settings.

The stage offers excellent rigidity and platform parallelism. The top plate has twenty-five 1/4"-20 (M6 x 1.0) tapped holes with 0.31" (8.0 mm) depth, while the bottom plate has clearance slots that can be used to mount the stage to an optical breadboard using 1/4"-20 (M6 x 1.0) socket cap screws (not included), as shown in Figure 1.1. The unit is supplied with a location-specific power supply with an input of 100 to 240 VAC. Please connect the power supply unit (PSU) to the stage before connecting the PSU to a power outlet. A USB cable for connection to a PC is also included.

Calibration Files
Each MLJ250(/M) stage is calibrated at the factory. Calibration enables the controller to correct for any mechanical errors present in the system. Mechanical components, such as the lead screw and linkages, can be machined only within a certain tolerance. These mechanical errors result in deviations of the actual position from the commanded position. However, the deviations are repeatable and can be compensated for using the Kinesis software and included calibration files. These files are used by the Kinesis software to convert the position entered by the user into the required mechanical motion. The calibration files can be downloaded by clicking on the red Docs icon () next to the item # below and entering your device's serial number under "Download Calibration Data."

Software Control
USB and RS232 connectivity provides simple PC-controlled operation with our Kinesis software package. The Kinesis Software features .NET controls which can be used by 3rd party developers working in the latest C#, Visual Basic, LabView or any .NET compatible languages to create custom applications. For more details the Kinesis software package, please see the Kinesis Software and Kinesis Tutorials tabs for more details.

Computer Connections

RS232

Software

Kinesis Version 1.14.56

The Kinesis Software Package, which includes a GUI for control of Thorlabs' Kinesis system controllers.

Also Available:

• Firmware Update Utilities
• Communications Protocol

Figure 58A  Kinesis GUI Screen

Thorlabs offers the Kinesis software package to drive our wide range of motion controllers. The software can be used to control devices in the Kinesis family, which covers a wide variety of motion controllers ranging from small, low-powered, single-channel drivers (such as the K-Cubes^®) to high-power, multi-channel benchtop units and modular 19" rack nanopositioning systems (the MMR60x Rack System).

The Kinesis Software features .NET controls which can be used by 3rd party developers working in the latest C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any .NET compatible languages to create custom applications. Low-level DLL libraries are included for applications not expected to use the .NET framework and APIs are included with each install. A Central Sequence Manager supports integration and synchronization of all Thorlabs motion control hardware.

By providing this common software platform, Thorlabs has ensured that users can mix and match any of our motion control devices in a single application, while only having to learn a single set of software tools. In this way, it is perfectly feasible to combine any of the controllers from single-axis to multi-axis systems and control all from a single, PC-based unified software interface.

The software package allows two methods of usage: graphical user interface (GUI) utilities for direct interaction with and control of the controllers 'out of the box', and a set of programming interfaces that allow custom-integrated positioning and alignment solutions to be easily programmed in the development language of choice. 

Thorlabs' Kinesis software features new .NET controls which can be used by third-party developers working in the latest C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any .NET compatible languages to create custom applications.

C#
This programming language is designed to allow multiple programming paradigms, or languages, to be used, thus allowing for complex problems to be solved in an easy or efficient manner. It encompasses typing, imperative, declarative, functional, generic, object-oriented, and component-oriented programming. By providing functionality with this common software platform, Thorlabs has ensured that users can easily mix and match any of the Kinesis controllers in a single application, while only having to learn a single set of software tools. In this way, it is perfectly feasible to combine any of the controllers from the low-powered, single-axis to the high-powered, multi-axis systems and control all from a single, PC-based unified software interface.

The Kinesis System Software allows two methods of usage: graphical user interface (GUI) utilities for direct interaction and control of the controllers 'out of the box', and a set of programming interfaces that allow custom-integrated positioning and alignment solutions to be easily programmed in the development language of choice.

For a collection of example projects that can be compiled and run to demonstrate the different ways in which developers can build on the Kinesis motion control libraries, click on the links below. Please note that a separate integrated development environment (IDE) (e.g., Microsoft Visual Studio) will be required to execute the Quick Start examples. The C# example projects can be executed using the included .NET controls in the Kinesis software package (see the Kinesis Software tab for details).

Click Here for the Kinesis with C# Quick Start Guide Click Here for C# Example Projects Click Here for Quick Start Device Control Examples

LabVIEW
LabVIEW can be used to communicate with any Kinesis-based controller via .NET controls. In LabVIEW, you build a user interface, known as a front panel, with a set of tools and objects and then add code using graphical representations of functions to control the front panel objects. The LabVIEW tutorial, provided below, provides some information on using the .NET controls to create control GUIs for Kinesis-driven devices within LabVIEW. It includes an overview with basic information about using controllers in LabVIEW and explains the setup procedure that needs to be completed before using a LabVIEW GUI to operate a device.

Click Here to View the LabVIEW Guide Click Here to View the Kinesis with LabVIEW Overview Page

Motorized Linear Translation Stages

Thorlabs' motorized linear translation stages are offered in a range of maximum travel distances, from a stage with 20 µm of piezo translation to our 600 mm direct drive stage. Many of these stages can be assembled in multi-axis configurations, providing XY or XYZ translation. For fiber coupling applications, please see our multi-axis stages, which offer finer adjustment than our standard motorized translation stages. In addition to motorized linear translation stages, we offer motorized rotation stages and goniometers. We also offer manual translation stages.

Piezo Stages

These stages incorporate piezoelectric elements in a variety of drive mechanisms. ORIC^® stages incorporate piezo inertia drives that use "stick-slip" friction properties to obtain extended travel ranges. Our Nanoflex™ translation stages use standard piezo chips along with manual actuators. Elliptec^® stages use resonant piezo motors to push and pull the moving platform through resonant elliptical motion. Our LPS710E z-axis stage features a mechanically amplified piezo design and includes a matched controller.

Piezoelectric Stages
Product Family	ORIC® PDXZ1 Closed-Loop 4.5 mm Vertical Stage	ORIC® PD2 Open-Loop 5 mm Stage	ORIC® PDX2 Closed-Loop 5 mm Stage	ORIC® PDX4 Closed-Loop 12 mm Stage	ORIC® PD1 Open-Loop 20 mm Stage	ORIC® PD1D Open-Loop 20 mm Monolithic XY Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	4.5 mm	5 mm		12 mm	20 mm
Speed	1 mm/s (Typ.)a	10 mm/s (Typ. Max)b	8 mm/s (Typ.)c	15 mm/s (Typ.)a,c	3 mm/s (Typ. Max)d
Drive Type	Piezoelectric Inertia Drive
Possible Axis Configurations	Z	X, XY, XYZ				XY, XYZ
Mounting Surface Size	45.0 mm x 42.0 mm	13.0 mm x 13.0 mm		13.0 mm x 23.0 mm	30.0 mm x 30.0 mm
Additional Details

• Specified at 20 kHz Driving Frequency and in Closed-Loop Mode
• Specified using PDXC and PDXC2 Benchtop Controllers. For performance when controlled with a KIM001 or KIM101 K-Cube Controller, see the Specs tab of the PD2 or PD3 stage presentation.
• Specified using PDXC and PDXC2 Benchtop Controllers.
• Specified using KIM101 K-Cube Controller.

Piezoelectric Stages
Product Family	ORIC® PDX1 Closed-Loop 20 mm Stage	ORIC® PDX1A Closed-Loop 20 mm Stage Low-Profile	ORIC® UDX1 Ultrasonic Closed-Loop 20 mm Stage	ORIC® PD3 Open-Loop 50 mm Stage	ORIC® PDX3 Closed-Loop 50 mm Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	20 mm			50 mm
Speed	20 mm/s (Typ. Max)a	10 mm/s (Typ.)b	100 mm/s (Typ. Max)c	10 mm/sd	10 mm/s (Typ. Max)b
Drive Type	Piezoelectric Inertia Drive		Ultrasonic Piezoelectric Drive	Piezoelectric Inertia Drive
Possible Axis Configurations	X, XY, XYZ
Mounting Surface Size	30.0 mm x 30.0 mm			80.0 mm x 30.0 mm
Additional Details

• Specified using PDXC and PDXC2 Benchtop Controllers.
• Specified at 20 kHz driving frequency and in closed-loop mode.
• Specified at 200 kHz driving frequency and in closed-loop mode.
• Specified using PDXC and PDXC2 Benchtop Controllers. For performance when controlled with a KIM001 or KIM101 K-Cube Controller, see the Specs tab of the PD2 or PD3 stage presentation.
• This is equivalent to the push/pull force along the axial/travel direction.

Piezoelectric Stages
Product Family	Nanoflex™ 20 µm Stage with 5 mm Actuator	Nanoflex™ 25 µm Stage with 1.5 mm Actuator	Compact Modular XRN25X 25 mm Stage	Modular XR25X 25 mm Stage	Elliptec® 28 mm Stage	Elliptec® 60 mm Stage	LPS710E 1.1 mm Vertical Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	20 µm + 5 mm Manual	25 µm + 1.5 mm Manual	25 mm		28 mm	60.0 mm	1.1 mm
Maximum Velocity	-		≤3.6 mm/mina		180 mm/s	90 mm/s	-
Drive Type	Piezo with Manual Actuator		Piezoelectric Inertia Drive		Resonant Piezoelectric Motor		Amplified Piezo
Possible Axis Configurations	X, XY, XYZ		X, XY, YZ, XZ, XYZ		X		Z
Mounting Surface Size	75 mm x 75 mm	30 mm x 30 mm	85.0 mm x 50.7 mm	110.0 mm x 75.7 mm	15 mm x 15 mm		21 mm x 21 mm
Additional Details

• For a given set of settings in Kinesis, while travelling in one direction, each device's step size may vary by up to 20% and is not normally repeatable. Due to the open loop design, component variance, change of direction and application conditions may further increase the scale of the variance.
• The PIA25 piezo inertia actuator is ideal for set-and-hold applications that require high-resolution relative positioning.
• For position readouts with 10.0 µm accuracy, we offer the ENCXR25 optical encoder (sold separately).

Stepper Motor Stages

These translation stages feature removable or integrated stepper motors and long travel ranges up to 300 mm. Many of these stages either have integrated multi-axis capability (PLSXY) or can be assembled into multi-axis configurations (PLSX, LNR Series, NRT Series, and LTS Series stages). The MLJ150 stage also offers high load capacity vertical translation.

Stepper Motor Stages
Product Family	PLSX with and without PLST(/M) Top Plate 1" Stage	PLSXY with and without PLST(/M) Top Plate 1" Stage	LNR Series 25 mm Stage	LNR Series 50 mm Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	1"		25 mm	50 mm
Maximum Velocity	7.0 mm/s		2.0 mm/s	50 mm/s
Possible Axis Configurations	X, XY		X, XY, XYZ	X, XY, XYZ
Mounting Surface Size	3" x 3"		60 mm x 60 mm	100 mm x 100 mm
Additional Details

Stepper Motor Stages
Product Family	NRT Series 100 mm Stage	NRT Series 150 mm Stage	LTS Series 150 mm Stage	LTS Series 300 mm Stage	LTS Series 450 mm Stage	MLJ250 50 mm Vertical Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	100 mm	150 mm	150 mm	300 mm	400 mm	50 mm
Maximum Velocity	30 mm/s		50 mm/s			3.0 mm/s
Possible Axis Configurations	X, XY, XYZ		X, XY, XYZ		X, XY	Z
Mounting Surface Size	84 mm x 84 mm		100 mm x 90 mm			148 mm x 131 mm
Additional Details

DC Servo Motor Stages

Thorlabs offers linear translation stages with removable or integrated DC servo motors. These stages feature low profiles and many can be assembled in multi-axis configurations.

DC Servo Motor Stages
Product Family	MT Series 12 mm Stages	PT Series 25 mm Stages	MTS Series 25 mm Stage	MTS Series 50 mm Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	12 mm	25 mm	25 mm	50 mm
Maximum Velocity	2.6 mm/s		2.4 mm/s
Possible Axis Configurations	X, XY, XYZ		X, XY, XYZ
Mounting Surface Size	61 mm x 61 mm	101.6 mm x 76.2 mm	43 mm x 43 mm
Additional Details

DC Servo Motor Stages
Product Family	M30 Series 30 mm Stage	M30 Series 30 mm Monolithic XY Stage	M150 Series 150 mm XY Stage	KVS30 30 mm Vertical Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	30 mm		150 mm	30 mm
Maximum Velocity	2.4 mm/s		X-Axis: 170 mm/s Y-Axis: 230 mm/s	8.0 mm/s
Possible Axis Configurations	X, Z	XY, XZ	XY	Z
Mounting Surface Size	115 mm x 115 mm		272.4 mm x 272.4 mm	116.2 mm x 116.2 mm
Additional Details

Direct Drive Stages

These low-profile stages feature integrated brushless DC servo motors for high speed translation with zero backlash. When no power is applied, the platforms of these stages have very little inertia and are virtually free running. Hence these stages may not be suitable for applications where the stage's platform needs to remain in a set position when the power is off. We do not recommend mounting these stages vertically.

Direct Drive Stages
Product Family	DDS Series 50 mm Stage	DDS Series 100 mm Stage	DDS Series 220 mm Stage	DDS Series 300 mm Stage	DDS Series 600 mm Stage
Click Photo to Enlarge
Travel	50 mm	100 mm	220 mm	300 mm	600 mm
Maximum Velocity	500 mm/s		300 mm/s	400 mm/s	400 mm/s
Possible Axis Configurations	X, XY		X, XY	X	X
Mounting Surface Size	60 mm x 52 mm		88 mm x 88 mm	120 mm x 120 mm
Additional Details