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12 mm (0.47") Motorized Translation Stages![]()
MT1-Z8 1-Axis Stage MT401 Breadboard Mounting Adapter MT405 Side-Mounted Actuator Adapter MT3-Z8 3-Axis Stage ![]() Please Wait
Features
Thorlabs' Motorized Translation Stages provide electronically controlled linear motion along a well-defined axis. The MT1-Z8 (MT1/M-Z8) Single-Axis Stage provides 12 mm (0.47") of travel along one axis, while the MT3-Z8 (MT3/M-Z8) Three-Axis Stage provides travel in three dimensions. Each stage is equipped with a 1.00" x 1.00" (25.0 mm x 25.0 mm) tapped hole matrix that includes seven 1/4"-20 (M6) taps for compatibility with standard optomechanics. The moving platform contains holes for alignment pins that ensure orthogonality when the stage is stacked with other stages or connected to our accessories. Horizontal loads of 20 lbs (9 kg) and vertical loads of 10 lbs (4.5 kg) are supported by the actuator's inline 67:1 planetary gear head. The stages feature hardened steel linear bearings for precision motion and long life. Mounting Adapters and Stage Combinations Included and Compatible Actuators Controller Options
Resolution CalculationFor the Z812B, there are 512 encoder counts per revolution of the motor. The output shaft of the motor goes into a 67:1 planetary gear head. This requires the motor to rotate 67 times to rotate the 1.0 mm pitch lead screw one revolution. The end result is the lead screw advances by 1.0 mm. The linear displacement of the actuator per encoder count is given by 512 x 67 = 34,304 encoder counts per revolution of the lead screw, whereas the linear displacement of the lead screw per encoder count is given by 1.0 mm / 34,304 counts = 2.9 x 10-5 mm (29 nm).
Z812B Connector Pin OutD-Type Male
Thorlabs offers two platforms to drive our wide range of motion controllers: our Kinesis® software package or the legacy APT™ (Advanced Positioning Technology) software package. Either package can be used to control devices in the Kinesis family, which covers a wide range of motion controllers ranging from small, low-powered, single-channel drivers (such as the K-Cubes™ and T-Cubes™) to high-power, multi-channel, modular 19" rack nanopositioning systems (the APT 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. A Central Sequence Manager supports integration and synchronization of all Thorlabs motion control hardware. ![]() Kinesis GUI Screen ![]() APT GUI Screen Our legacy APT System Software platform offers ActiveX-based controls which can be used by 3rd party developers working on C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any Active-X compatible languages to create custom applications and includes a simulator mode to assist in developing custom applications without requiring hardware. By providing these common software platforms, Thorlabs has ensured that users can easily mix and match any of the Kinesis and APT 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 single-axis to multi-axis systems and control all from a single, PC-based unified software interface. The software packages allow 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. A range of video tutorials is available to help explain our APT system software. These tutorials provide an overview of the software and the APT Config utility. Additionally, a tutorial video is available to explain how to select simulator mode within the software, which allows the user to experiment with the software without a controller connected. Please select the APT Tutorials tab above to view these videos. SoftwareKinesis Version 1.14.25 The Kinesis Software Package, which includes a GUI for control of Thorlabs' Kinesis and APT™ system controllers. Also Available:
These videos illustrate some of the basics of using the APT System Software from both a non-programming and a programming point of view. There are videos that illustrate usage of the supplied APT utilities that allow immediate control of the APT controllers out of the box. There are also a number of videos that explain the basics of programming custom software applications using Visual Basic, LabView and Visual C++. Watch the videos now to see what we mean.
To further assist programmers, a guide to programming the APT software in LabView is also available.
Motorized Linear Translation StagesThorlabs' 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, pitch and yaw platforms, and goniometers. We also offer manual translation stages. Piezo StagesThese stages incorporate piezoelectric elements in a variety of drive mechanisms. Our Nanoflex™ translation stages use standard piezo chips along with manual actuators. Our LPS710E z-axis stage features a mechanically amplified piezo design and includes a matched controller. The PD1 stage incorporates a piezo inertia drive that uses "stick-slip" friction properties to obtain an extended travel range. The Elliptec™ stages use resonant piezo motors to push and pull the moving platform through resonant elliptical motion.
Stepper Motor StagesThese translation stages feature removable or integrated stepper motors and long travel ranges up to 300 mm. The MLJ150 stage also offers high load capacity vertical translation. The other stages can be assembled into multi-axis configurations.
DC Servo Motor StagesThorlabs offers linear translation stages with removable or integrated DC servo motors. These stages feature low profiles and can be assembled in multi-axis configurations.
Direct Drive StagesThese 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.
![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge Schematic of Metric Single-Axis Stage ![]() Click to Enlarge Schematic of Imperial Single-Axis Stage
Thorlabs' MT1-Z8 (MT1/M-Z8) Single-Axis and MT3-Z8 (MT3/M-Z8) Three-Axis Motorized Translation Stages provide linear, orthogonal motion in one or three dimensions. Seven 1/4"-20 (M6) tapped holes allow easy integration with a wide variety of common optomechanical setups. The stages feature hardened steel linear bearings for precision motion and long life. The MT1-Z8 stage is designed for single-axis translation. For applications requiring XY motion, simply purchase two MT1-Z8 stages and stack them using the provided alignment pins to ensure orthogonality. If XYZ motion is desired, then we recommend the MT3-Z8 stage. In addition to alignment pins for all three axes, the MT3-Z8 includes an MT401 Base Plate and an MT402 Right-Angle Bracket. For more details on these accessories, please read below. Each axis requires a standalone controller unit and power supply to operate. For this purpose, we recommend our KDC101 K-Cube™ Motor Controller, which is described in more detail below. The motor cable that is built into the Z812B actuator is 0.5 m (1.64 ft) long. If more length is required for your application, we recommend our PAA632 Extension Cable, which provides an additional 2.5 m (8.20 ft). It is sold at the bottom of this page. ![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge Two Stacked MT1-Z8 Single-Axis Stages Mounted to a Breadboard via an MT401 Base Plate
The MT401(/M) Base Plate is ideal for securing the stages sold above to an optical table or breadboard when counterbores in the middle of the stages are obstructed. This base plate provides mounting flanges with 1" (25 mm) centers. For a single-axis stage, the base plate allows an attached stage to be mounted on a breadboard without having to disassemble a setup that already exists on the moving platform in order to access the mounting holes. Two 1/4"-20 cap screws (3/16” hex) or two M6 cap screws (5 mm hex) are included with the MT401 imperial or MT401/M metric base plate, respectively, for mounting an MT stage. The two alignment pins included with the MT1(/M)-Z8 stage fit into the stage and base plate, ensuring that the translation axis is parallel to the plate. ![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge Three MT1-Z8 Single-Axis Stages Mounted into an XYZ Configuration via an MT402 Right-Angle Bracket
The MT402 Right-Angle Bracket orients an MT1-Z8 (MT1/M-Z8) Single-Axis Stage in the vertical plane and allows for the construction of XY, XZ, or XYZ arrangements. This angle bracket is pre-drilled and includes four 1/4"-20 screws (3/16" hex) and four M6 screws (5 mm hex) for compatibility with both imperial and metric setups. Balldrivers and hex keys are sold separately here. This bracket is included with the purchase of an MT3-Z8 (MT3/M-Z8) Three-Axis Stage. To begin the assembly process, insert the two alignment pins provided with the MT1-Z8 stage into the stage's alignment holes. Then position the bracket's alignment holes above the pins. The bracket can be fastened down using two 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws. At this point, the bracket's vertical mounting surface will accommodate a stage that is attached horizontally (for XY configurations) or vertically (for XZ or XYZ configurations). For details, please see the XYZ Assembly tab on the MT1 Manual Translation Stages page; this page shows different actuators, but the assembly process is otherwise identical. ![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge Side-Mounted Z812B Actuator via an MT405 Adapter
The MT405 Side-Mounted Actuator Adapter allows the actuator to be repositioned from the rear of the stage to the side, as shown in the image on the right. The adapter attaches to the side of the stage that does not contain the locking screw and plate. This reduces the overall length of the stage assembly by 1.2" (30 mm), while increasing the width by 0.71" (18 mm). ![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge Vertically Mounted MT406 Flexure Stage Accessories Plate
The MT406(/M) Flexure Stage Accessories Adapter Plate is compatible with our full range of flexure stage accessories and is ideal for creating basic fiber coupling solutions. It fastens directly to the top of the MT1-Z8 (MT1/M-Z8) stage with two 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws and contains twenty-eight 6-32 (M3) taps. ![]() ![]()
Thorlabs' KDC101 K-Cube Brushed DC Motor Controller provides local and computerized control of a single motor axis. It features a top-mounted control panel with a velocity wheel that supports four-speed bidirectional control with forward and reverse jogging as well as position presets. A backlit digital display is also included that can have the backlit dimmed or turned off using the top-panel menu options. The front of the unit contains two bidirectional trigger ports that can be used to read a 5 V external logic signal or output a 5 V logic signal to control external equipment. Each port can be independently configured. The unit is fully compatible with our new Kinesis software package and our legacy APT control software. Please see the Motion Control Software tab for more information. Please note that this controller does not ship with a power supply. Compatible power supplies are listed below. Additional information can be found on the main KDC101 DC Servo Motor Controller page. ![]() ![]() Click for Details A location-specific adapter is shipped with the power supply unit based on your location. The adapters for the KPS101 are shown here. ![]() Click to Enlarge The KPS101 Power Supply Unit
The KPS101 power supply outputs +15 VDC at up to 2.4 A and can power a single K-Cube or T-Cube with a 3.5 mm jack. It plugs into a standard wall outlet. The KCH301 and KCH601 USB Controller Hubs each consist of two parts: the hub, which can support up to three (KCH301) or six (KCH601) K-Cubes or T-Cubes, and a power supply that plugs into a standard wall outlet. The hub draws a maximum current of 10 A; please verify that the cubes being used do not require a total current of more than 10 A. In addition, the hub provides USB connectivity to any docked K-Cube or T-Cube through a single USB connection. For more information on the USB Controller Hubs, see the full web presentation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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