Product Portfolio
Our range of motion controllers provides intuitive and accurate control over a full range of actuators, manipulators and stages – from DC motors to piezo drives for nano-positioning. All of the controllers come complete with the power supply and power cables needed to operate the motorized equipment. They are used in controlling microscope, headstage, probe, optics and fiber optics positioners.
Within this range, you find open loop motion controllers as well as closed loop controllers using encoder feedback from the motor to drive the device. Control modes are user-adjustable between high speed and high resolution.
Even our simple single- or 4-axis push-button controllers allow submicron positioning capability, while 1- to 4-axis micrometer dial controllers act as a remote micrometer control and ensure smooth and coordinated motion between the controller and the drive. 3-axis joystick controllers are designed for micron-scale positioning and feature polarity switches to allow the joystick motion to be set to match the direction of travel of the stage being driven.
Beyond manual controllers, we also provide computer interface control systems with 4 to 10 axes that are designed to be connected to the customer’s computer via USB port. Available accessories four our range of motion controllers include switching and junction boxes, digital readouts and more.
Related Products
Our motion controllers are used to drive linear, rotation and tilt stages to support, hold and move high-precision optical components – all available from AMS Technologies in a very broad spectrum, ranging from optical lenses, optical assemblies, optical windows, prisms, beamsplitters or optical filters to fiber collimators and focusers, and also lasers and light sources.
Additionally, we carry a broad range of complementary products such as optical mounts, optical tables, breadboards and platforms, as well as a broad range of optical test and measurement equipment.
Definition
Motion controllers are critical components of motion control systems, used to drive and control motorized stages. In combination, these two components of a motion control system enable the exact movement or guidance of an object around or along one axis (X or Y or Z) or more axes (XY or XYZ) in space, controlling the velocity of movement and/or the position of the object.
Motion controllers operate either in open-loop mode or in closed-loop mode. Open-loop controllers send a motion command to the actuator via the amplifier, but do not receive any information about whether the desired motion was actually executed. With the addition of a measuring element, whose measured value signal is fed back to the controller, the control loop closes - and the closed-loop controller can now compensate for any position or movement errors that arise, resulting in better control with higher precision.
Motion controllers calculate and control the motion profiles that an actuator must follow to achieve the desired movement. In closed-loop systems, they also continuously adapt the control parameters to the measured values from encoders and other feedback sensors. For coordinated, vibration-free motion control, close synchronization of the analogue or digital interfaces between motion controller, drive and sensor is of high importance.
Alternative Terms: Motion Control System; Motion Control Electronics; Travel Controller; Motion Driver
