Motion Control Software

An updated EEPROM in motion control stages sold starting in early 2022 necessitates a controller firmware upgrade. If you receive an "unknown stage" or "phasing error" message, please update your Kinesis software to the latest version, and use the included firmware update utility.

Thorlabs’ Motion Control Products are supported by 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. 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 and a simulator is included to assist in developing applications without requiring hardware.

Guides to using our Kinesis software package with LabVIEW can be found here.

*While select products are still capable of running the legacy APT™ software package, this platform is no longer fully supported. Information on software compatibility can be found in the product documentation, and additional details about the APT software can be found here.

The software is organized into the following categories:

  1. Kinesis Software: Kinesis software installation package.
  2. APT Software: APT software installation package.
  3. Communications Protocol: Document describing the communications commands for the Kinesis and APT software packages.
  4. GitHub Resources: Link to Thorlabs' motion control content on GitHub®.
  5. Support: Calibration tool for the PDXC2 controller.
  6. Archive: The previous versions of the software.

Kinesis 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows

Kinesis 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is the recommended installation for the 32-bit Kinesis system software.
Version1.14.50
Filesize170 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows 2008 Server

Kinesis 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

Kinesis 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis 32-bit installation allows the 32-bit Kinesis system software to run on a 64-bit Windows system (also known as WoW64). It should be used when using 32-bit development software on a 64-bit Windows platform.
Version1.14.50
Filesize171 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows 2008 Server

Kinesis 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

Kinesis 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis installation is for the 64-bit Kinesis system software only. This version of the Kinesis software is not compatible with third-party 32-bit software, such as 32-bit LabVIEW.
Version1.14.50
Filesize172 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows 2008 Server

APT 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows

APT 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is the recommended installation for the 32-bit APT system software.
Version3.21.6
Filesize96 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 2008 Server

APT 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

APT 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis 32-bit installation allows the 32-bit APT system software to run on a 64-bit Windows system (also known as WoW64). It should be used when using 32-bit development software on a 64-bit Windows platform.
Version3.21.6
Filesize97 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 2008 Server

APT 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

APT 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis installation is for the 64-bit APT system software only. This version of the APT software is not compatible with third-party 32-bit software, such as 32-bit LabVIEW.
Version3.21.6
Filesize101 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 2008 Server
Communications Protocol  
DescriptionThis is a .pdf file describing the communications commands for all APT- and Kinesis-compatible devices. 
Version38
Filesize5.48 MB
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GitHub® Resources  
DescriptionThorlabs has been expanding our offering of example code for the Motion Control products on our GitHub account. These include examples for the C++, C#, MATLAB®, and Python programming languages, and are a useful starting point for implementing Thorlabs' devices in common applications. 
AdditionalPlease click the icon below to visit our GitHub page.
PDXC2 Calibration Tool  
DescriptionThis tool is used to recalibrate the PDXC2 controller with the PDX1 and PDXR1 ORIC piezo inertia stages with encoders. 
Version1.1.0
Filesize128 KB
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Kinesis 1.14.49 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows

Kinesis 1.14.49 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is the installation for the 32-bit Kinesis system version 1.14.49 software.
Version1.14.49
Filesize170 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows 2008 Server

Kinesis 1.14.49 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

Kinesis 1.14.49 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is a 32-bit version of the Kinesis software version 1.14.49 for use on a 64-bit Windows system. (also known as WoW64). It should be used when using 32-bit development software on a 64-bit Windows platform.
Version1.14.49
Filesize170 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows 2008 Server

Kinesis 1.14.49 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

Kinesis 1.14.49 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis installation is for the 64-bit Kinesis system software only. This version of the Kinesis software is not compatible with third-party 32-bit software, such as 32-bit LabVIEW. This installation is for the 64-bit Kinesis system software version 1.14.49 only. This version of the Kinesis software is
Version1.14.49
Filesize171 MB
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System RequirementsWindows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows 2008 Server

APT V3.21.5 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows

APT V3.21.5 32-Bit Software for 32-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is a 32-bit version of the APT software version 3.21.5.
Version3.21.5
Filesize95 MB
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System RequirementsWindows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 2008 Server

APT V3.21.5 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

APT V3.21.5 32-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is a 32-bit version of the APT software version 3.21.5 for use on a 64-bit Windows system.
Version3.21.5
Filesize96 MB
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System RequirementsWindows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 2008 Server

APT V3.21.5 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows

APT V3.21.5 64-Bit Software for 64-Bit Windows  
DescriptionThis is a 64-bit version of the APT software version 3.21.5.
Version3.21.5
Filesize101 MB
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ReadMe
License
Change Log
System RequirementsWindows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or Windows 2008 Server

PDXC2 Calibration Tool

PDXC2 Calibration Tool  
DescriptionThis tool is used to recalibrate the PDXC2 controller with the PDX1 and PDXR1 ORIC piezo inertia stages with encoders. 
Version1.0.0
Filesize130 KB
Download
Only download from trusted sources, like Thorlabs, and always scan files before executing.