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Kinesis® K-Cube™ Position Sensing Detector (PSD) Auto Aligner![]()
KPA101 Power Supply PDP90A 2D Lateral PDQ80A Segmented Detectors Table Mounting Plate ![]() Please Wait ![]() Click to Enlarge Back and Top Views of the KPA101 K-Cube™ (See the Pin Diagrams Tab for More Information)
![]() Click to Enlarge The KCH601 USB Controller Hub with installed K-Cube and T-Cube modules. One KAP101 adapter plate is used for the T-Cube on the hub. Features
The KPA101 K-Cube™ Beam Position Aligner is a part of Thorlabs' new and growing Kinesis® line of high-end, compact controllers. It interfaces with our range of Quadrant and Lateral Effect Sensor Heads (see the Typical Application tab above for more information) and can be used either to measure the position of the beam on the sensor (in Open-Loop Mode) or to generate a signal that can be used as the input for an automated beam steering element (in Closed-Loop Mode). When combined with the KPZ101 K-Cube Piezo Drivers, this unit is ideal for such closed-loop beam-steering applications. Please contact Tech Support for details on how the KPA101 can be used with sensors from other manufacturers. Embedded software allows this unit to communicate with position sensing detectors (PSDs) either using the on-unit menu button, display, and control wheel or using external trigger signals. In addition to the on-unit controls, USB connectivity provides simple PC-controlled operation with two available software platforms: our new Kinesis software package or our legacy APT™ (Advanced Positioning Technology) software package. The Kinesis Software features .NET controls which can be used by 3rd party developers working in the latest C#, C++, Matlab, LabWindows/CVI, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any .NET compatible languages to create custom applications. Our legacy APT software allows the user to quickly set up complex move sequences with advanced controls made possible via the ActiveX® programming environment. For example, all relevant operating parameters are set automatically by the software for Thorlabs stage and actuator products. For more details on both software packages, please see the Motion Control Software, Kinesis Tutorials, and APT Tutorials tabs. The unit has a highly compact 60.0 mm x 60.0 mm x 49.2 mm footprint, allowing it to be positioned close to the system for added convenience when using the top panel controls. Tabletop operation also allows minimal drive cable lengths for easier cable management. Each unit contains a front-located power switch that, when turned off, saves all user-adjustable settings. Please note that this switch should always be used to power down the unit. For convenience, a 1.5 m long Type A to Type Micro B USB 3.0 cable is included with the KPA101 cube. Optical Table Mounting Plate Power Supply Options The KPA101 is also compatible with the KCH301 and KCH601 USB Controller Hubs. Our USB Controller Hubs have a single USB connection that provides USB connectivity to all the K-Cubes and T-Cubes connected to the hub. In addition, when the KPA101 is used in the closed-loop mode with beam-steering controllers such as the KPZ101 Piezo Driver K-Cubes, the hub is especially useful since it allows for direct communication between the cubes connected on it. As a result, the feedback signals generated by the KPA101 in the closed-loop mode can be sent directly to the KPZ101 piezo controllers being used to direct the beam steering elements.
Power ConnectorMini-DIN Female
Computer Connection*![]() *The USB 3.0 port is compatible with a USB 2.0 Micro B connector if the Micro B connector is plugged into the shaded region in the photo above. A USB 3.0 type A to type Micro B cable is included with the KPA101. K-Cube™ Mounting OptionsTwo options are available to securely mount our K-Cube™ controllers onto an optical table. An optical table mounting plate, provided with every K-Cube, allows for a single controller to be attached to an optical table. Alternatively, three- and six-port USB controller hubs are offered (sold separately) that can mount and power our K-Cube controllers. These options are described in further detail below. Optical Table Mounting Plate Kinesis USB Controller Hubs K-Cube™ Table Mounting PlateUnlike T-Cubes, every K-Cube includes a mounting plate that clips onto the base of the controller. The plate contains two magnets for temporary placement on an optical table and two counterbores for 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws for more permanent placement on the tabletop. Kinesis USB Controller Hubs3- and 6-Port USB Controller Hubs allow multiple controllers to be connected to one PC for multi-axis applications. K-Cubes can be directly attached to the hubs while T-Cubes require a KAP101 Adapter Plate. ![]() Typical Auto-Alignment Schematic Example Auto-Alignment SetupA basic auto-alignment schematic is shown to the right. It consists of a PDQ80A Photodiode Sensor, a KPA101 Beam Position Aligner, two KPZ101 Piezo Drivers, a previous-generation ASM003 two-axis piezo mirror mount (alternative mounts can be found here), a laser source, and a computer. Together, the system is used to position and maintain the laser beam so that it is located at the center of the detector array with respect to the beam's power density.
The experimental setup shown above was created based on the schematic to the right. An LDM635 red laser diode module emitting at 635 nm serves as the laser source. The light is incident on a previous-generation ASM003 turning mirror mount, which is mounted on an MBT616D flexure stage (center of photo). The turning mirror's X and Y motions are controlled using two KPZ101 piezo controllers (not shown). Please note that the piezo elements are meant for small beam alignment adjustments. The turning mirror directs light to a BP150 pellicle beamsplitter. The light transmitted by this beamsplitter will continue on to the rest of the experimental setup (not shown) while the reflected light is directed towards the PDQ80A Quadrant Sensor (right of photo), which is controlled by the KPA101 Auto-Aligner (not shown). It should be noted that when used with older versions of the former generation TPZ001 T-Cubes (i.e., Rev. 1; the revision number is displayed on the LED screen when the T-Cube is booted), the piezo cubes must be connected to the beam position aligner using two external SMA connectors even if a KCH301 or KCH601 Controller Hub or former generation TCH002 Controller Hub is being used. If KPZ101 K-Cubes™ or Rev. 2 TPZ001 T-Cubes are used with a controller hub, the SMA to SMA cables are not needed.
Introducing Thorlabs' Kinesis® Motion ControllersA major upgrade to the former-generation T-Cubes, the growing K-Cube line of high-end controllers provides increased versatility not only through the new Kinesis software, but through an overhaul and updating of their physical design and firmware. Every K-Cube controller includes a digital display. In addition to basic input and output readouts, the KPA101 OLED display hosts a number of menu options that include monitor, closed loop, open loop, and automatic closed/open loop switching. The on-unit wheel and menu button are used to scroll through the available options. Each unit contains a front-located power switch that, when turned off, saves all user-adjustable settings as well as two bidirectional SMA trigger ports that accept or output a 5 V TTL logic signal. Please see the table to the right for a full comparison of the features offered by our new KPA101 K-Cube and previous-generation TPA101 T-Cube PSD controllers.
Kinesis USB Controller Hubs K-Cubes simply clip into place using the provided on-unit clips, while current- and previous-generation T-Cubes require the KAP101 Adapter Plate, shown in the animation to the below right. The hub vastly reduces the number of USB and power cables required when operating multiple controllers. K-Cube Table Mounting PlateUnlike T-Cubes, every K-Cube includes a mounting plate that clips onto the base of the controller. The plate contains two magnets for temporary placement on an optical table and two counterbores for 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws for more permanent placement on the tabletop. Kinesis USB Controller Hubs3- and 6-Port USB Controller Hubs allow multiple controllers to be connected to one PC for multi-axis applications. K-Cubes can be directly attached to the hubs while T-Cubes require a KAP101 Adapter Plate. Thorlabs offers two platforms to drive our wide range of motion controllers: our Kinesis® software package or the legacy APT™ (Advanced Positioning Technology) software package. Either package can be used to control devices in the Kinesis family, which covers a wide range of motion controllers ranging from small, low-powered, single-channel drivers (such as the K-Cubes™ and T-Cubes™) to high-power, multi-channel, modular 19" rack nanopositioning systems (the APT Rack System). The Kinesis Software features .NET controls which can be used by 3rd party developers working in the latest C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any .NET compatible languages to create custom applications. Low-level DLL libraries are included for applications not expected to use the .NET framework. A Central Sequence Manager supports integration and synchronization of all Thorlabs motion control hardware. ![]() Kinesis GUI Screen ![]() APT GUI Screen Our legacy APT System Software platform offers ActiveX-based controls which can be used by 3rd party developers working on C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any Active-X compatible languages to create custom applications and includes a simulator mode to assist in developing custom applications without requiring hardware. By providing these common software platforms, Thorlabs has ensured that users can easily mix and match any of the Kinesis and APT controllers in a single application, while only having to learn a single set of software tools. In this way, it is perfectly feasible to combine any of the controllers from single-axis to multi-axis systems and control all from a single, PC-based unified software interface. The software packages allow two methods of usage: graphical user interface (GUI) utilities for direct interaction with 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. A range of video tutorials is available to help explain our APT system software. These tutorials provide an overview of the software and the APT Config utility. Additionally, a tutorial video is available to explain how to select simulator mode within the software, which allows the user to experiment with the software without a controller connected. Please select the APT Tutorials tab above to view these videos. SoftwareKinesis Version 1.14.25 The Kinesis Software Package, which includes a GUI for control of Thorlabs' Kinesis and APT™ system controllers. Also Available:
Thorlabs' Kinesis® software features new .NET controls which can be used by third-party developers working in the latest C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW™, or any .NET compatible languages to create custom applications. C# For a collection of example projects that can be compiled and run to demonstrate the different ways in which developers can build on the Kinesis motion control libraries, click on the links below. Please note that a separate integrated development environment (IDE) (e.g., Microsoft Visual Studio) will be required to execute the Quick Start examples. The C# example projects can be executed using the included .NET controls in the Kinesis software package (see the Kinesis Software tab for details).
LabVIEW
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.
To further assist programmers, a guide to programming the APT software in LabView is also available.
![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge KCH301 USB Controller Hub (Sold Separately) with Installed K-Cube and T-Cube™ Modules (T-Cubes Require the KAP101 Adapter)
The KPA101 K-Cube™ Beam Position Aligner is designed for use with our range of Quadrant and Lateral Effect Sensor Heads. It features a top-mounted control panel with an OLED screen for on-unit control and position readouts. The OLED display includes a backlight that can be dimmed or turned off using the top panel menu options. The front of the unit contains two bidirectional trigger ports that can be used to read a 5 V external logic signal or output a 5 V logic signal to control external equipment. Each port can be independently configured to control the logic level or to set the trigger as an input or output. The unit is fully compatible with our new Kinesis software package and our legacy APT control software. Please see the Motion Control Software tab for more information. Please note that this module does not ship with a power supply. Compatible power supplies are listed below. Operation When in open-loop mode, the X DIFF and Y DIFF difference signals shown on the target screen are not output to the SMA connectors on the back of the unit. Instead, the X DIFF and Y DIFF SMA outputs, which represent X OUT and Y OUT position demand signals, will be fixed at zero or the last closed-loop value. This mode allows for manual alignments on the detector. Once roughly aligned, the unit can be set to closed-loop mode to begin automated alignments of the system. In the closed-loop mode, a DSP processor inside the KPA101 runs two independent feedback loops that output X DIFF and Y DIFF position demand signals. These signals will be present at the SMA connectors on the back of the unit for use as the inputs to the beam steering elements being used to center the beam on the detector. The proportional, integral, and differential (PID) constants can be adjusted to fine tune the response of the feedback loops to changes in the target position. Floating-point arithmetic allows for a greater range of PID coefficients to be used in the control loop, resulting in higher precision and lower noise (see Appendix B of the manual for details). This increases the range of actuators that can be stabilized using the auto aligner. Furthermore, the unit incorporates a notch filter that can be used to counteract the natural resonance of the specific mechanical system in which the unit is being used. This can stabilize actuators that are prone to mechanical resonances, such as piezo mirror gimbal mounts. When the unit is controlled via the USB interface, the open-loop output of the unit is also exported digitally to the computer. Please note that stable closed-loop operation can only be achieved with continuous wave (CW) lasers. The KPA101 K-Cube is not recommended for use with pulsed lasers. ![]()
The TPS002 supplies power for up to two K-Cubes* or T-Cubes. The cubes still require individual computer connection via USB cable. The KCH301 and KCH601 USB Controller Hubs each consist of two parts: the hub, which can support up to three (KCH301) or six (KCH601) K-Cubes or T-Cubes, and a power supply that plugs into a standard wall outlet. The hub draws a maximum current of 10 A; please verify that the cubes being used do not require a total current of more than 10 A. In addition, the hub provides USB connectivity to any docked K-Cube or T-Cube through a single USB connection. For more information on the USB Controller Hubs, see the full web presentation. *The TPS002 can only support one KNA-VIS or KNA-IR controller or one KLD101 driver and should not be used to power any additional units as that may exceed current limitations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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