Features

• Motorized Lab Jack with Integral APT Controller
• Quiet, Smooth Motion
• Stepper Motor Driven
• Limit Switches
• Power Supply Included

The MLJ050 is a stepper motor driven lab jack. It features an integrated electronic controller that can be controlled remotely using a PC or manually via the buttons and velocity potentiometer on the control key pad.

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 is particularly useful when the unit is being used manually in the absence of a PC and USB link. These Motorized Lab Jacks provide a rugged, height-adjustable platform ideal for mounting optomechanical sub-assemblies requiring height adjustment.

The MLJ050 Motorized Lab Jack offers excellent rigidity and platform parallelism. The large 4.9" x 5.6" (125 mm x 142 mm) mounting platform supports up to 33 lbs (15 kg) with a smooth vertical adjustment range of 2" (51 mm). The top plate offers a generous array of 1/4" -20 (M6) tapped holes, whilst the bottom plate has clearance slots for general mounting requirements.

The unit is supplied with a location-specific power supply with an input of 85 to 264 VAC.

Computer Connection

USB Type B

USB Type B to Type A Cable Included

Driver Flexibility

The MLJ050 Motorized Lab Jack features an integrated apt™ compatible Controller, that is fully configurable (parameterized) with key settings exposed through the associated software graphical interface panels. Jog step sizes can be selected, phase currents can be limited to suitable peak powers as required, and limit switch configuration is accommodated through flexible logic settings.

Moreover, relative and absolute moves can be initiated with move profiles set using velocity profile parameters (including acceleration/deceleration). Similarly, homing (zero position datum) sequences have a full set of associated parameters that can be adjusted for a particular application. For simplicity of operation, the apt™ software incorporates pre-configured settings for the Motorized Lab Jack.

For convenience and ease of use, adjustment of all key parameters is possible through direct interaction with intuitive software graphical panels. For example, a move to the next position can be initiated by clicking directly on the position display and entering a new value.

Note that all such settings and parameters are also accessible through the ActiveX® programmable interfaces for automated alignment sequences. Refer to the Software tab for further information on the apt™ software support.

Full Software GUI Control Suite & ActiveX® Controls Included

A full and sophisticated software support suite is supplied with the MLJ050 Motorized Lab Jack. The suite includes a number of 'out of the box' user utilities to allow immediate operation of the unit without any detailed pre-configuration. All operating modes can be accessed manually ,and all operating parameters may be changed and saved for next time use. For more advanced 'custom' motion control applications, a fully featured ActiveX® programming environment is also included to facilitate custom application development in a wide range of programming environments. Note that all such settings and parameters described above are also accessible through these ActiveX® programmable interfaces. For further information on the apt™ software support for the MLJ050 Motorized Lab Jack, refer to the Software tab. Demonstraton videos illustrating how to program the apt™ software are also available for viewing from the Video Tutorial tab.

The ActiveX® apt™ system software shipped with the Motorized Lab Jack is also compatible with other apt™ family controllers including our multi-channel rack-based system and smaller optical table mountable 'T-Cube' controllers. This single unified software offering allows seamless mixing of the Motorized Lab Jack with any apt™ benchtop, table top and rack based units to build a single positioning applicaiton.

The key innovation of the apt™ range of controllers and associated mechanical products is the ease and speed with which complete automated alignment/positioning systems can be engineered at both the hardware and software level. All controllers in the apt™ range are equipped with USB connectivity. The 'multi-drop' USB bus allows multiple apt™ units to be connected to a single controller PC using commerical USB hubs and cables. When planning a multi-channel application, simply add up the number and type of drive channels required and connect together the associated number of APT controllers.

Software Developers Support CD

A developers’ kit is shipped with all of our apt™ series controllers. This additional software support is intended for use by software developers working on large, system integration projects that incorporate apt™ products. The kit contains an extensive selection of useful code samples as well as a library of Video Tutorials.

Typical APT User GUI

The APT (Advanced Positioning Technology) family covers a wide range of motion controller products ranging from small low powered single channel optomechanical motor drivers (the 'T-Cube' drivers) to high power multi-channel modular 19" rack nanopositioning systems (the APT Rack System).

All controllers in the APT family share a common software platform, the APT System Software. The software supplied with all controllers contains an installation of this system software, together with a wealth of support information in the form of handbooks, help files, tutorial videos, FAQs and other relevant information on using and programming these Thorlabs products.

By providing this common software platform, Thorlabs has ensured that users can easily mix and match any of the APT controllers in a single application while only having to learn one 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 APT System Software allows two methods of usage - graphical user interface utilities (supplied) 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 progammed in the development language of choice.

Typical Configuration Screen

Detailed information on both usage modes is provided on the CD. Also of particular interest, is the inclusion on the software CD of a range of software video tutorials (see the Video Tutorials tab). 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++. 

Click here to go direct to the Thorlabs Download Area to access the full APT software CD. Experiment with the software using the simulator mode - refer to the Tutorial Videos for the APTConfig utility to learn how to select simulator mode.

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.

Click here to view the video tutorial

To further assist programmers, a guide to programming the APT software in LabView is also available.

Click here to view the LabView guide