RICH 2015 Testbeam Translation Stages Control

Devices manuals:

• Translation stages: MICOS MT-85, manual

• Motion controller: NI PCI-7330, manual

• Stepper motor drive: NI MID-7604, manual

The most important specification: 1000 steps = 1 mm

A picture of the stages:

Initialization

• Expand Devices and Interfaces
• Expand NI Motion Devices
• Expand PCI-7330 (1)
• Expand Default xxxx Settings
  • Select Axis 1 and press the Initialize button (see image below)
  • Select Axis 2 and press the Initialize button (see image below)

Usage

How to control the stages?

On NI MAX

• Expand Devices and Interfaces
• Expand NI Motion Devices
• Expand PCI-7330 (1)
• Expand Interactive
  • Select 1-D Interactive in order to move one axis (see image below)
  • Select 2-D Interactive in order to move the two axes together (see image below)

• Fill all the important parameters (red boxes)
  • Choose the axis/axes:
    • axis 1 controls the Jura Side ECs and points to Jura
    • axis 2 controls the Saleve Side ECs and points to Saleve
  • Choose the operation mode: absolute position (w.r.t. the origin, see How to find the reference frame?) vs relative position
  • Set a velocity: DO NOT exceed 1000 steps/s
  • Set a target position, remember 1000 steps = 1 mm

• The current positions and speeds of the stages are monitored by the Current Trajectory Data section (blue box)

• SUGGESTION: move the two axis separately especially if the axes are near their limits (if one axis reaches one of its limits during a movement, both the axes stop!)

• WARNING: the Reset Position button (purple box) changes the position of the origin of the axis, please DO NOT press it

• Press Apply, then press Start

How to find the reference frame?

On NI MAX

• Move the axes to their negative limits

• Insert the following coordinates using the Reset Position button (see here)
  • axis 1: 58000 steps
  • axis 2: 58200 steps

• The following image shows the geometrical position of the two stages at the end of this procedure, remember 1000 steps = 1 mm

• The coordinates of the nominal position are:
  • axis 1: 65500 steps
  • axis 2: 65500 steps

LEDs status

• Good: axes away from their limits

• Good: axes at one of their limits

• Bad: axes inhibited, fix it repeating the inizialization (see here)

-- AlessandroPistone - 2015-07-15