Item #	LTS150	LTS300
Bidirectional Repeatability	2 µm	2 µm
Backlash	2 µm	2 µm
Acceleration (Max)	6 mm/s²	6 mm/s²
Velocity (Max)	15 mm/s	15 mm/s
Homing Velocity (Max)	5 mm/s	5 mm/s
Velocity Stability	± 1 mm/s	± 1 mm/s
Max Horizontal Load Capacity	15 kg	15 kg
Recommended Horizontal Load Capacity	<12 kg	<12 kg
Achievable Incremental Movement (Min)	100 nm	100 nm
Repeatable Incremental Movement (Min)	4 µm	4 µm
Absolute On-Axis Accuracy	50 µm	50 µm
Percentage Accuracy (Max)	0.18%	0.2%
Home Location Accuracy	±3.0 µm	±3.0 µm
Pitch	0.016°	0.022°
Yaw	0.05°	0.06°
Weight	1.9 kg	2.5 kg
Travel Range	150 mm	300 mm

For details and complete specifications, please see the Specs tab.

Features

Low-Profile, Long-Travel Stages
with Integrated Controller
Control via Manual Keypad or Remote PC
150 mm or 300 mm Travel Range
Maximum Speed of 15 mm/s
Horizontal Load Capacity up to 15 kg
Integrated Limit Switches
Power Supply Included

The LTS Series stages are stepper-motor-driven long-travel stages offering either a 150 mm and 300 mm travel range. Each 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 powered up, these settings are applied automatically. This is particularly useful when the stage is being used manually in the absence of a PC and USB link.

The stages are lightweight, compact, and robust with high performance over the full travel range. With a load capacity of up to 15 kg, they are highly suited to applications such as interferometry and M² measurements and are compatible with our range of optomechanical and translation stages. The heavy-duty aluminum construction and low-profile design make these stages ideal for applications where space is limited. Integrated magnetic limit switches allow homing and overdrive protection in both directions. A precision-ground lead screw delivers smooth, virtually noise-free movement.

The power supply provided with the stages operates with 85 - 264 VAC input voltages and is shipped with a location-specific power cord.

The ActiveX® apt™ system software shipped with the LTS stages 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 LTS stages with any apt™ benchtop, table top, and rack-based units to build a single positioning application.

Item #	LTS150	LTS300
Controller Specifications
Microsteps per Full Step	128
Microsteps per Revolution of Motor	25,600
Motor Drive Voltage	24 V
Motor Drive Power	Up to 25 W (Peak)/ 12.5 W (Avg)
Motor Speeds	Up to 720 RPM (200 Full Step Motor)
Input Power Requirements
Voltage	24 VDC
Power	30 W (Peak)
Stage Specifications
Bidirectional Repeatability	2 µm
Backlash	2 µm
Maximum Acceleration	6 mm/s² Horizontal, 5 mm/s² Vertical
Maximum Velocity	15 mm/s Horizontal, 3 mm/s Vertical
Velocity Stability	± 1 mm/s
Horizontal Load Capacity (Max)	15 kg
Recommended Horizontal Load Capacity	< 12 kg
Vertical Load Capacity (Max)	4 kg
Achievable Incremental Movement(Min)	100 nm
Min Repeatable Incremental Movement	4 µm
Absolute On-Axis Accuracy^a	50 µm	50 µm
Max Percentage Accuracy^b	0.18%	0.2%
Home Location Accuracy	±3.0 µm
Pitch^c	0.016°	0.022°
Yaw^c	0.05°	0.06°
Motor Specifications
Step Angle	1.8° (50 poles and ±2 phases for 360° divided by 200, or 1.8°)
Step Accuracy	5%
Rated Phase Current	1A
Phase Resistance	4.6 Ω
Phase Inductance	1.4 mH
Holding Torque	23.1 N.cm
Detent Torque	1.7 N.cm
Operating Temperature	-20 to 40 °C (Motor Specification Only)
General
Housing Dimensions (W x D x H)	100 mm x 360 mm x 39.5 mm (3.94" x 14.2" x 1.56")	100 mm x 500 mm x 39.5 mm (3.94" x 19.7" x 1.56")
Weight	1.9 kg (4.8 lbs)	2.5 kg (5.5 lbs)

Notes

a. On axis accuracy:
This is the absolute accuracy of the commanded position. It is defined as the maximum discrepancy between command position and absolute position over the full travel of the stage and should not be confused with repeatability. For example if a stage is specified with an on axis accuracy of 20 µm then a command to travel to 10 mm will result in an absolute position of within 20 µm of 10 mm. This value will tell you the maximum possible inaccuracy at any point in your travel. However, sometimes a more useful specification can be maximum percentage accuracy as the discrepancy between command position and absolute position generally increases linearly with the amount of travel. This gives rise to an on axis accuracy which is generally much less than the accuracy at the beginning of the travel of the stage. An percentage accuracy can give you a good idea of what to typically expect along the stages travel.

b. On axis maximum percentage accuracy:
This is the maximum discrepancy between command position and absolute position expressed as a percentage of the commanded position and gives a better idea of what to typically expect along a stages travel. The advantage of expressing this as a percentage is that the higher accuracy at lower travel of a stage can now be represented. As the maximum percentage error will not necessarily be at full travel this means the value given will be an excellent description of the maximum possible error that can be expected.

c. Pitch and Yaw
Pitch and Yaw define how much the moving world shifts as the stage translates. Pitch is measured by moving the stage over its full travel and taking an angular robust laser interferometry (RLI) measurement in the pitch axis at 20 equidistant points along the travel. This is repeated 10 times and the maximum discrepancy between minimum and maximum value taken. Yaw is measured by moving the stage over its full travel and taking an angular RLI measurement in the yaw axis at 20 equidistant points along the travel. This is repeated 10 times and the maximum value taken.

Driver Flexibility

The LTS series stages feature 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 LTS series stages.

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 for the BSC200 Series.

Full Software GUI Conrol Suite & ActiveX® Controls Included

A full and sophisticated software support suite is supplied with the LTS series stages. 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 LTS stages, refer to the Software tab. Demonstraton videos illustrating how to program the apt™ software are also available for viewing from the Video Tutorial tab.

MMR600 Family of Rack Mounted Controllers

The ActiveX® apt™ system software shipped with the LTS stages 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 LTS stages 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.

Computer Connection

USB Type B

USB Type B to Type A Cable Included

APTUser
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 '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 CD 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 programmed in the development language of choice.

APTConfig
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

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Posted Comments:

Poster: tcohen

Posted Date: 2012-10-04 13:02:00.0

Response from Tim at Thorlabs: The list of methods can be found in the APT Server Help that is installed with APT in the following directory: Thorlabs>APT>Help>APT Server Help.

Poster: garguell

Posted Date: 2012-10-04 12:15:18.0

Hello, I am trying to program the stage in Labview and was wondering if there was a reference list of the Methods we can use. It would be nice to have a description of what each Method does and how to use each one. If there isn't, I think it would be helpful if there was. Thank you!

Poster: bdada

Posted Date: 2012-01-27 14:04:00.0

Response from Buki at Thorlabs: Thank you for using our online feedback tool. For the LTS300/M, we specify the pitch to be 0.022° and the yaw to be 0.06°, which defines how much the moving world shifts as the stage translates. Please see below for a brief explanation on the pitch and yaw. Please contact TechSupport@thorlabs.com if you have additional questions. Pitch The stage was moved over its full travel and an angular RLI measurement was taken in the pitch axis at 20 or 10 equidistant points along the travel, dependent on the stages travel. This was repeated 10 times and the maximum discrepancy between minimum and maximum value taken. Yaw The stage was moved over its full travel and an angular RLI measurement was taken in the yaw axis at 20 or 10 equidistant points along the travel, dependent on the stages travel. This was repeated 10 times and the maximum value taken.

Poster: khmadsen

Posted Date: 2012-01-23 14:15:52.0

I need to place a pinhole on the LTS300/M and a light beam is to go through the pinhole for all positions of the stage. How much will the center of the pinhole move in the plane perpendicular to the travelling direction? Regards, Kristian

Poster: khoe

Posted Date: 2012-01-13 05:08:22.0

What is the accuracy in the plane perpendicular to the travelling direction? Regards, Kristian

Poster: Thorlabs

Posted Date: 2010-11-04 09:47:24.0

Response from Javier at Thorlabs to bbel10: the limiting factor for increasing the speed of the LTS stage is the current that the controller can source. We are currently working on the design of a new stage with a travel range of 280 mm and a maximum speed of 200 mm/s. I will contact you directly with more details.

Poster: bbell10

Posted Date: 2010-11-03 11:29:46.0

Can the leadscrew be changed in these stages so that a faster translation rate can be acheived? If I recall it is currently 15mm/sec. I need a minimum of ~25mm/sec travel or higher.

Poster: Thorlabs

Posted Date: 2010-10-14 15:52:35.0

Response from Javier at Thorlabs to John Garnier: the controller of the LTS stages is built in the assembly, so there is no need to purchase an external driver. You can also connect it directly to your PC. The NR360S/M does require an external controller. We recommend using the BSC101 (http://www.thorlabs.com/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID=1064&pn=NR360S).

Poster: john.garnier

Posted Date: 2010-10-14 12:25:47.0

LTS300/M and NR360S/M Do these stages have build in power supply motion controller dfro direct interface to PC ? or do I need to add in intermediate motion controller (e.g. 1,2 or 3 unit aptTM Stepper Motor Controller) to complete the system set-up? Its clear that the unit aptTM Stepper Motor Controller is needed with other motorized translation stages such as the NRT100/M Please advise: John office: 208 526 9388 It may be faster to send your e-mail with your phone contact john.garnier@inl.gov

Poster:

Posted Date: 2010-09-29 07:46:08.0

A reply from Oli at Thorlabs to William: Unfortunately this would need to come back to Thorlabs for repair of the limit switch, I will contact you directly to go through some troubleshooting to ensure the limit switch is at fault and set up a return.

Poster: william.doherty

Posted Date: 2010-09-28 08:40:35.0

HI, Just came across a problem with the limit switches. On homing, the drive stage hits the end of the track but keeps trying to drive, suggesting the limit switches are not working. Can these be reset or is it a factory job? Regards, William

Poster:

Posted Date: 2010-08-30 21:35:30.0

A reply from Jens at Thorlabs: after installing the APT software click on Windows Start - All Programsand select APT - Help - APT Server Help. This will give you e.g. a detailed description for each method. Besides that you can look at the online tutorials at http://www.thorlabs.com/tutorials/Intro.cfm and http://www.thorlabs.com/images/TabImages/GuideToLabVIEWandAPT.pdf

Poster: p.modard

Posted Date: 2010-08-30 16:22:41.0

Hello. Can you please tell me where I can find a document which explains the LabView commands to control the LTS? Thanks. Philippe

Poster: Thorlabs

Posted Date: 2010-08-26 09:58:12.0

Response from Javier at Thorlabs to rbjaculbia: Thank you for your feedback. We will release a variable optical delay line stage which may be more suitable for your application than one of the LTS stages within the next few weeks. It features a travel range of 200 mm, 500 mm/s maximum speed, and it can achieve a max. optical delay of 667 ps. We can arrange for you to receive a prototype unit so that you can test it in your experiment. I will contact you directly with more details.

Poster: rbjaculbia

Posted Date: 2010-08-25 21:33:45.0

Hello. We are looking to use the LTS300 for a delay line. However my adviser is asking if there are other research laboratories who use this stage for their experiments. Would it be possible if you could give us a list of customers who use your product so that we can be assured that it would work with our system? Thank you

Poster: klee

Posted Date: 2009-09-21 18:08:31.0

A response from Ken at Thorlabs to martini: We are currently contacting customers to check if they would be willing to share their experience. We will send you details via email. And per our phone conversation last week, we can offer a loan unit at any time so you can directly compare the two systems.

Poster: martini

Posted Date: 2009-09-14 13:56:24.0

Hi. We are setting up an ultrafast laser system and need a translation stage. We found that your product is very economical, compared to the most commonly used Newport translation stage found in most labs. Do you have a list of user that are currently using your product? Id like to get some feedback from first hand users, and I would also appreciate any comment you might have about this. Ignacio

Poster: jens

Posted Date: 2009-06-29 11:09:51.0

A reply from Jens at Thorlabs: I have just send the manual to you via email, the file will be update on the web page within the next hours. Thanks for notifying us.

Poster: thomasce2

Posted Date: 2009-06-29 10:38:44.0

Hi. Manuals refuse to download for the LTS150 and LTS300 stages (English and Metric). Interestingly the icon shows a Word document but the download is for a PDF file. Anyhow, "page not found" error appears for all the LTS manuals (Windows XP and IE8). regards, tommy thomas (I was trying to get the LTS300 manual and then tried all the others)

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Integrated Long Travel Stages

Features

Notes

Driver Flexibility

Full Software GUI Conrol Suite & ActiveX® Controls Included

Software Developers Support CD

Computer Connection

USB Type B