Galvo-Galvo Scan Head and Controller

Large-Area XY Scanning With User-Defined Scan Shapes
±7.5° Mechanical Scan Range (±15° Optical Scan Range)
Pre-Aligned, Wired, and Calibrated for Plug-And-Play Use
Drive Using DC, Sine, or Sawtooth Wave Signal
SM-Thread and Cage System Compatible

LSKGG4

4 mm Galvo-Galvo Scanner

Controller

Scan Head

Application Idea

Galvo-Galvo Scanner Incorporated into a Cerna^® DIY Microscope System

Galvo-Galvo Scanner

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Overview
Specs
Pin Diagrams
Shipping List
Feedback

Click for Details
Cutaway View of Galvo-Galvo Scan Head
The scan lens being used with the scan head needs to be positioned such that its focus is at the midpoint between the X and Y Mirrors. The distance between the mirrors is indicated by the green line. For the input, that distance corresponds to 27.255 mm, while for the output, that corresponds to 29.045 mm. The input port has internal SM05 threads, internal SM1 threads, and four Ø6 mm bores for a 30 mm cage system, while the output port has internal SM1 threads and four
4-40 taps for a 30 mm cage system.

Features

Optical Scan Range of ±15° (±7.5° Mechanical Scan Range) for Beams up to Ø4 mm
Driven by User-Supplied DC, Sine, or Sawtooth Wave Signal
BNC Connectors for Position Control and Readout
Compatible with National Instruments Cards and Breakout Boxes
Protected Silver Coating for High Reflectance in Visible and NIR
Compact Scan Head Housing is SM Threaded, 30 mm Cage System Compatible, and Post Mountable

Our LSKGG4(/M) Galvo-Galvo Scanner contains two galvo scan mirrors that deflect an incident laser beam in X and Y. Identical to the galvo-galvo scanner used in our Bergamo^® II multiphoton microscopes and complete Cerna^®-based confocal systems, each mirror has a mechanical scan range of ±7.5°, corresponding to an optical scan range of ±15°. This range is large enough to explore the entire diffraction-limited FN20 field of view of Thorlabs' SL50 scan lenses for laser scanning microscopy.

A National Instruments (NI) 68-pin connector is available to directly control and monitor the scanner via an NI card or breakout box (not included). The beam can also be steered by supplying DC, sine, or sawtooth wave drive signals through two BNC connectors. For sine wave signals, a maximum scan rate of 500 Hz is supported. Two additional BNC connectors provide X and Y position feedback signals. This scanner is also compatible with Vidrio's ScanImage software.

Each scan mirror has a protected silver coating that provides high reflectance in the visible and NIR; see the Specs tab for details. Since the coating is metallic, its performance varies minimally over the ±7.5° mechanical scan range of the mirror.

The scan head is connected to the controller using the included DB25 cable. If using the BNC input connectors to drive the galvo mirrors, a drive voltage of ±10 V at an impedance of 200 kΩ will be required for each axis. The BNC output connectors have a voltage range of ±3.75 V and an impedance of 2 kΩ.

Click for Details
The LSKGG4 galvo-galvo scanner can be incorporated into a DIY laser scanning microscopy setup.

Mounting
The input face of the scan head has internal SM05 (0.535"-40) threads, internal SM1 (1.035"-40) threads, and four Ø6 mm bores spaced for our 30 mm cage system. The output face has internal SM1 threads and four 4-40 taps for our 30 mm cage system.

Please note that the scan lens needs to be positioned such that its entrance pupil is at the midpoint between the galvo mirrors; when being used at the input, the distance is 27.255 mm, while at the output, the distance is 29.045 mm. For the CLS-SL Scan Lens, an LCP02(/M) Cage System Size Adapter can be used to convert the 30 mm cage system to a 60 mm cage system to mount and position this scan lens at the correct distance using a LCP8S Cage Plate. An SM1A70 adapter with external SM1 and internal SM30 mounting threads will position our SL50-CLS2, SL50-2P2, or SL50-3P Scan Lens at the correct distance from the scanner output port.

The scan head weighs 0.56 kg, so it may be useful to support it directly using a Ø1/2" post or Ø1" post. Four 1/4"-20 tapped holes (M6) are located on the bottom.

LSKGG4(/M) Specifications
Mirrors
Mechanical Scan Range		±7.5°
Optical Scan Range		±15°
Beam Diameter		4 mm (Max)
Coating		Protected Silver
Reflectance (Average)^a		>70% (350 - 450 nm)
		>90% (450 - 550 nm)
		>92.5% (550 - 650 nm)
		>95% (650 - 1080 nm)
		>97% (1080 - 7000 nm)
X Mirror Clear Aperture^b		Ellipse 6.22 mm Major Axis 4.00 mm Minor Axis
Y Mirror Clear Aperture^b		Ellipse 5.82 mm Major Axis 5.22 mm Minor Axis
Front Surface Flatness		<λ/4 (at 633 nm)
Front Surface Quality		60-40 Scratch-Dig
Substrate		Silicon^c
Position Sensor
Repeatability		8 µrad^d
Small Angle Step Response^e		130 μs (Typical)
Maximum Step Angle^f		0.65°
Time Delay Between Input and Output Signal		90 μs
Linearity		99.9%
Scale Drift		50 ppm/°C (Max)
Zero Drift		15 μrad/°C (Max)
RMS Current (Max)		2.4 A
Peak Current		8.0 A
Input / Output
BNC Input	Bandwidth	0 - 500 Hz (Max)^g
	Voltage	±10 V
	Impedance	200 kΩ
	Scale Factor	1.33 V per Mechanical Degree
BNC Output	Voltage	0.5 V/deg. or ±3.75 V
	Impedance	2 kΩ
	Scale Factor	0.5 V per Mechanical Degree
Controller Voltage Input		90 - 264 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz
Power Consumption		120 VA (Max)
Physical
Scan Head Dimensions		100.2 mm x 84.5 mm x 50.8 mm (3.95" x 3.33" x 2.00")
Controller Dimensions		316.7 mm x 199.8 mm x 79.2 mm (12.47" x 7.87" x 3.12")
SM Threading		Internal SM05 (0.535"-40) Internal SM1 (1.035"-40)
Cage Compatibility		30 mm Cage (4-40 Tap, 4 Places; Ø6 mm Bore, 4 Places)
Post Mounting		1/4"-20 (M6) Tap, 4 Places
Operating Temperature Range		0 to 50 °C

A typical reflectance curve is shown to the right.
The X and Y mirrors are denoted in the schematic to the right.
Click Link for Detailed Specifications on the Substrate
The system noise is less than 16 bits over a full voltage range (-10 to 10 V).
Response corresponds to a 0.1° movement from 1% to 99% of its final position.
This is the maximum incremental movement at which the mirrors are able to settle within 130 μs. For movements greater than this, add a slope (Δv/Δt, where v is the difference between the voltages and t is the time difference) to your voltage profile. For example, for a step angle of 1.3°, the settling time is 260 μs.
Bandwidth measured for a ±10 V sine wave. Results vary depending on the waveform chosen.

Click to Enlarge
Typical Reflectance of One Galvo Mirror at 45° AOI
Please note that lot-to-lot variations will occur in the reflectance. The table to the left contains minimum average reflectance values over the recommended wavelength range.

Galvo-Galvo Scan Distances

Click for Details
Cutaway View of Galvo-Resonant Scan Head
The scan lens being used with the scan head needs to be positioned such that its focus is at the midpoint between the X and Y Mirrors. The distance between the mirrors is indicated by the green line. For the input, that distance corresponds to 27.255 mm, while for the output, that corresponds to 29.045 mm. The input port has internal SM05 threads, internal SM1 threads, and four Ø6 mm bores for a 30 mm cage system, while the output port has internal SM1 threads and four 4-40 taps for a 30 mm cage system.

Rear of Laser
Click to Enlarge
The front of the controller has a DB-25 connector for the scan head, as well as BNC connectors and an NI 68-pin connector for position control and readout.

Galvo-Resonant Scan Controller Back Face
Click to Enlarge
The back of the controller has a USB port to control the resonant scanner of the scan head, as well as a fuse holder, power switch, and grounding pin connector.

X IN and Y IN

BNC Female

X IN and Y IN
Input Signal Types	DC, Sine, or Sawtooth Wave
Input Voltage Range	±10 V
Input Impedance	200 kΩ
Input Scale Factor	1.33 V per Mechanical Degree
Input Bandwidth	0-500 Hz (Max)^a

Bandwidth measured for a sine wave with 10 V amplitude. Results vary depending on the waveform chosen.

X OUT and Y OUT

BNC Female

X OUT and Y OUT
Output Voltage Range	±3.75 V
Output Impedance	2 kΩ
Output Scale Factor	0.5 V per Mechanical Degree

DAQ

NI 68-Pin Connector*

* The impedances listed in the table below are provided for cases where the connector is used a non-NI DAQ card or function generator. They do not need to be taken into account if an NI cable is used to connect directly to an NI card.

DAQ
Pin	Name	Description
21	Y Position In	±10 V Input 200 kΩ Impedance
22	X Position In	±10 V Input 200 kΩ Impedance
26	X Velocity	Output Voltage Proportional to Scanner Velocity 2 kΩ Impedance
28	Y Velocity	Output Voltage Proportional to Scanner Velocity 2 kΩ Impedance
30	X Position Out	±3.75 V Output 2 kΩ Impedance
38	Y Fault	Output Pulled from 12 V to 0 V When Fault Detector Trips 4.75 kΩ Impedance
46	X Fault	Output Pulled from 12 V to 0 V When Fault Detector Trips 4.75 kΩ Impedance
54	Ground	Ground Return for User Inputs
57	X Current	Output Voltage Proportional to Motor Current 2 kΩ Impedance
60	Y Current	Output Voltage Proportional to Motor Current 2 kΩ Impedance
65	Y Position Out	±3.75 V Output 2 kΩ Impedance

LSKGG4(/M) Shipping List

Scientific Camera, Cables, and Accessories

Click to Enlarge
Item # Shown: LSKGG4

Each Galvo-Galvo Scanner Includes the Following:

Scan Head
Controller
DB-25 Scan Head Control Cable
Region-Specific Power Cord

Note because the galvo-galvo scanner can be steered using multiple methods of input signals, neither BNC cables nor an NI 68-pin cable are included.

Posted Comments:

Shi Guo (posted 2024-04-17 13:31:50.05)

I need to build a confocal laser scanning setup and I need some technical assistance about Telecentric Scanning Lenses

user (posted 2023-10-09 16:34:41.62)

Even when I turn on the power, power, X FAULT, and Y FAULT just flash and it doesn't work. Please tell me the solution

Raj M (posted 2022-09-06 12:11:36.46)

We are looking for a laser micromachining head/galvanometer scan head to attach it to a 5-axis CNC for a 3D part micromachining. Do you have any product that matches our description?

cdolbashian (posted 2022-09-16 09:43:26.0)

Thank you for reaching out to us with this inquiry, and thinking of us for your application. I have reached out to you directly to discuss this request.

user (posted 2021-07-29 21:15:42.233)

Dear Thorlabs staff, I have LSKGG4 in lab, and wanted to control Galvo scan using Matlab. Could you please tell me how to do that? Do you have any Matlab code to be provided to us? Thank you Dayan Li

YLohia (posted 2021-07-29 01:58:07.0)

Hello Dayan, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The LSKGG4 does not have any direct software control capabilities. We do, however, provide an NI 68-pin connector on the controller that can be interfaced with a National Instruments Data Acquisition Card for programmatic control. Please contact National Instruments directly to find the best DAQ card for your needs.

Georgi Yankov (posted 2021-03-12 08:19:16.733)

Hello, Iskam yes nourished tozi laser skene for coy dalzhini on work. And can you work from dlzhin to vlnata 6.45 micronmeters

YLohia (posted 2021-03-12 03:38:27.0)

Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. Unfortunately, we don't have anyone at Thorlabs that speaks Bulgarian and Google Translate did not do a good job of translation-- would you be able to email your request in English? We will discuss this directly.

Benjamin Judkewitz (posted 2019-11-07 04:17:25.677)

The idea is great, but the unfrotaunte choice of a small mirror diameter (4 mm) makes this useless for our (and many of our colleagues) applications. Are there any plans to offer 5 mm or 6 mm versions? This would be very interesting to us. Best, Benjamin

YLohia (posted 2019-11-07 11:01:45.0)

Hello Benjamin, thank you for your feedback. We currently offer 5mm clear aperture Galvo-Resonant Scanners here : https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=11579. I have posted your request on our internal product engineering forum for further consideration.

user (posted 2019-06-05 10:27:13.433)

Hi there Could you incorporate larger mirrors in this scan head, e.g. to accommodate a 8 mm beam waist? Thank you

YLohia (posted 2019-06-05 03:58:11.0)

Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. We will reach out to you directly to discuss the possibility of offering this customization.

andriy.chmyrov (posted 2019-01-25 16:19:29.63)

Dear Tech Support, could you, please, highlight the differences of LSKGG4/M compare to 'an ordinary' GVS002 XY-galvo set? One obvious thing is an easy integration into a cage system. What are the other key benefits which are included in 5 times higher price? Thanks for your feedback!

llamb (posted 2019-01-29 08:46:50.0)

Thank you for contacting Thorlabs. For a few key advantages, the LSKGG4/M offers a faster max full angle scan rate (500 Hz vs 250 Hz for a sine wave input), a faster small angle step response (130 µs vs 300 µs), better repeatability (within 8 µrad instead of 15 µrad), and overall a more user-friendly design ready for plug-and-play use. It has a National Instruments 68-pin connector for direct control from an NI card, and it is also compatible with Vidrio's ScanImage software. We will reach out to you directly to see if this product is best suited for your application.

user (posted 2018-06-21 03:51:28.26)

Hello. I want to know whether the resonant mirror's scanning velocity is variable or not.

YLohia (posted 2018-06-26 10:11:44.0)

The scan velocity is variable from 0-500 Hz.

amelie2777 (posted 2017-10-30 09:13:46.637)

Is the LSK-GG galvo mirror system operated at a closed-loop condition? For a small angle (±0.2°), what is the (small angle) step response and what is the maximum scan frequency or (small angle) bandwidth? What is the angular resolution? Thanks.

nbayconich (posted 2017-11-09 12:08:14.0)

The LSK-GG allows customer access to all input and output signals to the galvos. It is completely up to the customer how they want to drive the mirrors. The kit is merely the galvos with controllers. Any interfacing with a DAQ card/system will have to be done by the customer. For closed-loop operation, the customer would have to write their own script. ThorImage, for example, drives these in Open Loop mode, that is, it doesn’t look at the encoder signal from the mirrors. It just feeds a sinusoidal wave to the mirrors so that they scan the field of view. https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=10647 On the Specs tab we have the Small Angle Step Response to be 130us (Typical). The response corresponds to a 0.1 deg movement from 1% to 99% of its final position. The Specs tab also mentions a bandwidth of 500Hz for full swing (-10V to 10V or -7.5 deg to 7.5 deg mechanical).

h.wu (posted 2017-05-21 12:47:08.213)

Dear Thorlabs, could you tell me the damage threshold for LSK-GG? Is the optical scan range of LSK-GG dependent upon the input beam size? I also would like to know the diameter of the view field (field of view) for LSK-GG with SL50-CLS2 scan lens at the intermediate image plane. I will use the NI 68-Pin connector of the controller for position control and readout so how could I put 200 kΩ resistors in pin 21 and 22 positions (between NI 68-Pin connector of the controller and NI SHC68-68-EPM cable)? Or 200 kΩ resistors were pre-installed inside the NI 68-Pin connector of the controller? The same question for 2 kΩ in pin 26, 28, 30, 57, 60 and 65. Why is the price of LSK-GG so expensive compared to that of GVS002/M? Could you provide special offers or bundle deals for such complete system package (LSK-GG + SL50-CLS2 + TL200-CLS2)? Thank you.

nbayconich (posted 2017-06-07 04:05:09.0)

Thank you for contacting Thorlabs. At the moment we do not have a damage threshold specification for the LSK-GG but they are intended to be used with ti sapphire lasers up to 1 watt CW power that fills the clear aperture. The SL50-CLS2 has a smaller optical scan angle we also have the CLS-SL if you need a larger field of view. The field of view will be close to the size of the image at the focal plane, but if you want diffraction-limited performance, you must limit the input to be within the below field of view: 23.8 x 23.8 mm2 The scanner is meant for a Ø4mm beam or smaller but the scan range is not dependent on the input beam size. SL50 scan lenses have a smaller FOV. We have the CLS-SL if you need a bigger FOV. The field of view will close to the size of the image at the focal plane, but if you need diffraction-limited performance, you should limit the input to be within the field of view: 23.8 x 23.8 mm2 The price of the LSK-GG compared to the GVS galvo units is significantly higher because the GVS series are more intended for OEM applications and also do not support a simple plug and play configuration like the LSK-GG. A Techsupport representative will contact you directly with more information.

Galvo-Galvo Scan Head and Controller

Due to a major supply chain outage, we are currently unable to confirm a shipment date for Item # LSKGG4(/M). We will provide more information as it becomes available.