Multi-Position Sliders with Resonant Piezoelectric Motors

Overview
Specs
Pin Diagram
Operation
Shipping List
The Elliptec™ Motor
Software
Threading Specs
Feedback

Key Specs^a
Item #	ELL6K & ELL6	ELL9K & ELL9
Ports for Mounted Optics	Two, SM1 Threaded	Four, SM1 Threaded
Switching Time Range (No Load)	180 ms to 270 ms	450 ms to 500 ms
SM1-Threaded Port Separation, Max	31 mm (1.22")	93 mm (3.66")
Positioning Repeatability	<100 µm (30 µm Typical)
Maximum Total Load	0.150 kg (0.331 lbs)
DC Voltage Input	4.5 to 5.5 V
Weight (Slider Only)	44 g (0.097 lbs)	70.0 g (0.154 lbs)
Minimum Lifetime	3.3 Million Operations or 100 km Total Travel

See the Specs tab for complete specifications.

Elliptec Resonant Motor Products

Multi-Position Sliders	28 mm Linear Stage	60 mm Linear Stage	Rotation Stage	Rotation Mount

Thorlabs' Elliptec Technology for OEM

Animation demonstrates mounting these sliders using 30 mm cage system components and operating the ELL6K via the interface board. The ELLA1 (available below) is another mounting option. For additional operating information for the ELL6(K) and ELL9(K), see the Operation tab. The animation shows the carriage moving in slow motion for clarity.

Features

Ideal for OEMs and Applications Requiring Rapid Switching
Micro-B USB and Picoflex^®1Connectors for Control Signals
Multi-Drop Serial Communication Protocol Supported
SM1-Threaded (1.035"-40) Ports for Mounted Optics or Other Components
Photo-Interrupter Optical Sensor Technology for Precise Positioning
Compatible with 30 mm Cage System Components
Bus Distributor and Post Mount Adapter Available Below

Thorlabs offers multi-position sliders with millisecond switching times enabled by Thorlabs' Elliptec™ piezoelectric resonant motor technology. The ELL6 Dual-Position Slider and the ELL9 Four-Position Slider are both available as standalone units, as well as in complete packages that include an interface board (Item #s ELL6K and ELL9K, respectively.) Our compact and lightweight multi-position sliders all use the same custom-designed PCB, with the ELL6 featuring one motor and the ELL9 including two. The motors are highly dynamic and have no gearing. As the motor includes no magnets, it is compatible with EM-sensitive environments. Please see The Elliptec™ Motor tab for more information.

The open frame format, versatility, and simplicity of these sliders make them attractive for OEM applications, as they can be customized according to customer requirements and produced in high-volume quantities. Please see our OEM and Manufacturing Capabilities page for more information.

Control
There are multiple options for powering, driving, and controlling these multi-position sliders, which are detailed in the Operating the Dual-Position and Four-Position Slider section of the Operation tab. Each slider possesses a 3.3 V serial bus and is designed to be operated with or without the interface board; the Pin Diagram tab provides pin assignments. Thorlabs offers software for our Elliptec products capable of providing full and independent control of the slider. When the interface board is used as an accessory to change the position of the carriage on the slider, the carriage's status in the software is automatically updated. Please note that the dual-position and four-position sliders are not designed for continuous operation. We recommend operation with duty cycles of 40% or less.

Multiple Elliptec devices can be controlled using the ELLB Bus Distributor or by splicing multiple connectors onto one ribbon cable. A single bus distributor can connect up to four Elliptec devices; up to 16 devices can be connected if the buses are daisy chained. This bus can be controlled one of three ways: through an interface board (included with the bundles below) to connect to a PC running the Elliptec software, by connecting to an Arduino^®2 or Raspberry Pi^®3 board, or by wiring the connector pins to a user-supplied control board. Alternatively, up to 16 devices can be spliced onto a single ribbon cord. The devices can then be simultaneously controlled by the interface board or selectively controlled by the Elliptec software. See the manual for instruction on how to splice multiple devices onto a ribbon cord and the Pin Diagrams tab for pin assignments when making custom connections.

Application Idea
The ELL6 dual-position and ELL9 four-position sliders are well suited as filter changers, and the ELL6 is also recommended as shutter. Their carriages feature SM1-threaded (1.035"-40) bores with 3.5 mm deep threads, and four 4-40 tapped holes in their structural PCBs allow the sliders to be mounted using the low-profile ELLA1 Post Mount Adapter, available below, and integrated into optical setups using Thorlabs' 30 mm Cage System components.

Picoflex is a registered trademark of Molex Incorporated.
Arduino is a registered trademark of Arduino Sa Société Anonym (SA).
Raspberry Pi is a registered trademark of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Specifications

Performance specifications are given for the case when the multi-position slider is mounted as recommended in the Operation tab.

Item #		ELL6K & ELL6	ELL9K & ELL9
Performance
Switching Time between Adjacent Positions	Unloaded Carriage on Slider	180 ms to 270 ms (Range)	450 ms to 500 ms (Range)
Switching Time between Adjacent Positions	Loaded Carriage on Slider	<600 ms (100 g Load)	<700 ms (150 g Load)
Thread Type of Ports in Carriage		Internal SM1 (1.035"-40)^a Threads, 3.5 mm Deep
Number of SM1-Threaded Ports in Carriage		Two	Four
SM1-Threaded Port Separation, Max		31 mm (1.22")	93 mm (3.66")
Positioning Repeatability^b		<100 µm (30 µm Typical)
Maximum Total Load (Vertically Mounted)^c		150 g (0.331 lbs)
Minimum Lifetime^d		3.3 Million Switching Operations or 100 km Total Travel
Electrical
DC Voltage Input		4.5 to 5.5 V
Typical Current Consumption, During Movement		<600 mA	<1200 mA
Typical Current Consumption, During Standby		38 mA
Typical Current Consumption, During Search for Resonant Frequencies^e		1.2 A
Communications
Bus^f		Multi-Drop 3.3 V/5 V TTL RS232
Connector on Multi-Position Slider Board		Picoflex^®
Connectors on Interface Board		Picoflex^® Micro-B USB 5 VDC Power: [For Plug with Ø5.5 mm OD (Ground) and Ø2.1 mm ID (+5 V)]
Speed		9600 baud/s
Data Length^g		8 bit
Protocol Data Format		ASCII HEX
Module Address and Command Format		Mnemonic Character
8-Conductor Ribbon Cable Length	Supplied	0.250 m
8-Conductor Ribbon Cable Length	Maximum	3 m
Mechanical
Dimensions of the Slider	ELL6 Carriage in Either Position; ELL9 Carriage in Position 1 or 2^h	79.0 mm x 77.7 mm x 14.0 mm (3.11" x 3.06" x 0.55")	125.0 mm x 77.7 mm x 14.2 mm (4.33" x 3.06" x 0.56")
Dimensions of the Slider	ELL9 Carriage in Position 0 or 3^h	N/A	141.0 mm x 77.7 mm x 14.2 mm (5.55" x 3.06" x 0.56")
Dimensions of the Interface Board		32.0 mm x 65.0 mm x 12.5 mm (1.26" x 2.56" x 0.49")
Weight (Slider)		44 g (0.097 lbs)	70.0 g (0.154 lbs)
Weight (Interface Board)		10.3 g (0.023 lbs)
Environmental Operating Conditions
Temperature Range		15 to 40 °C
Maximum Relative Humidity (Non-Condensing)		<80% at 31 °C
Maximum Altitude		2000 m

For more information, see the Threading Specs tab.
Low-power infrared photo-interrupter optical sensor technology aligns the carriage at each position.
The multi-position board is vertically mounted, with the motor beneath the optics, so that movement of the carriage is side-to-side and not up-and-down.
The ELL6 and ELL9 are not designed for continuous operation.
Additional Power Supply May Be Required (For Details: Operation tab: Supplying Power)
Use two 10 kΩ pull-up resistors in multi-drop mode for RX/TX.
1 Stop Bit, No Parity
See the following mechanical drawings for the ELL9 for position definitions.

Mechanical Drawings

Click to Enlarge
Mechanical Drawings of the Interface Board

Mechanical Drawings of the Dual-Position Slider

Click to Enlarge
Mechanical Drawings of the ELL6 Dual-Position Slider

Mechanical Drawings of the Four-Position Slider

Click to Enlarge
Mechanical Drawings of the ELL9 Multi-Position Slider

ELL6 Connector J2 Pinout^a,b
Pin	Type	Function
1	PWR	Ground
2	OUT	OTDX - Open Drain Transmit 3.3 V TTL RS232
3	IN	RX Receive 3.3 V TTL RS232
4	OUT	In Motion, Open Drain Active Low Max 5 mA
5	IN	JOG/Mode = Normal/Test Demo, Active Low Max 5 V
6	IN	BW Backward, Active Low Max 5 V
7	IN	FW Forward, Active Low Max 5 V
8	PWR	VCC +5 V ± 10%; 600 mA

Connector Model Number MOLEX 90814-0808;
Mating Connector Model Number MOLEX 90327-0308
A polarity indicator is engraved onto each PCB next to the Picoflex connector, as shown in the drawing to the left, to assist with properly connecting the interface board to the main unit. The red wire in the ribbon cable should be adjacent to this indicator. Not doing so can harm the unit.

Pinout Diagram of the Picoflex Connector on the Dual-Position Slider PCB

Click to Enlarge
Pinout diagram of the Picoflex connector is shown referenced to a partial diagram
of the ELL6 Dual-Position Slider Board. The polarity indicator on the connector
must be adjacent to the red wire on the supplied 8-connector cable.

ELL9 Connector J2 Pinout^a,b
Pin	Type	Function
1	PWR	Ground
2	OUT	OTDX - Open Drain Transmit 3.3 V TTL RS232
3	IN	RX Receive 3.3 V TTL RS232
4	OUT	In Motion, Open Drain Active Low Max 5 mA
5	IN	JOG/Mode, Active Low Max 5 V
6	IN	BW Backward, Active Low Max 5 V
7	IN	FW Forward, Active Low Max 5 V
8	PWR	VCC +5 V ± 10%; 1200 mA

Connector Model Number MOLEX 90814-0808;
Mating Connector Model Number MOLEX 90327-0308
A polarity indicator is engraved onto each PCB next to the Picoflex connector, as shown in the drawing to the left, to assist with properly connecting the interface board to the main unit. The red wire in the ribbon cable should be adjacent to this indicator. Not doing so can harm the unit.

Pinout Diagram of the Picoflex Connector on the Four-Position Slider PCB

Click to Enlarge
Pinout diagram of the Picoflex connector is shown referenced to a partial diagram
of the ELL9 Four-Position Slider Board. The polarity indicator on the connector
must be adjacent to the red wire on the supplied 8-connector cable.

ELLB Connector J1, J2, J3, and J4 Pinout^a,b
Pin	Type	Function
1	PWR	Ground
2	OUT	OTDX - Open Drain Transmit 3.3 V TTL RS232
3	IN	RX Receive 3.3 V TTL RS232
4	OUT	In Motion, Open Drain Active Low Max 5 mA
5	IN	Not Connected
6	IN	Not Connected
7	IN	Not Connected
8	PWR	VCC +5 V ± 10%; 800 mA per Connected Device

Connector Model Number MOLEX 90814-0808;
Mating Connector Model Number MOLEX 90327-0308
A polarity indicator is engraved onto each PCB next to the Picoflex connector, as shown in the drawing to the left, to assist with properly connecting the interface board to the main unit. The red wire in the ribbon cable should be adjacent to this indicator. Not doing so can harm the unit.

Pinout Diagram of the Picoflex Connector on the ELLB Bus Distributor

Click to Enlarge
Pinout diagram of the Picoflex connector is shown referenced to a simplified diagram
of the ELLB Bus Distributor. The polarity indicator on the connector
must be adjacent to the red wire on the supplied 8-connector cables.

Operation Notes

This tab contains information on handling, mounting, and operating these Dual- and Four-Position Sliders.

Contents

Handling
Mounting
Loading
Supplying Power
Operation of the Motor
Resonant Frequencies
Operating the Dual- and Four-Position Sliders

Assembled and Labeled Components of the ELL9K Bundle

Click to Enlarge
Figure 1 Components of the ELL9K Bundle

Click to Enlarge
Figure 2 The Interface Board

Application Idea Using RotationDual-Position Slider

Click to Enlarge

View Imperial Product List

Item #	Qty	Description
ELL6K	1	Dual-Position Slider Bundle: Dual-Position Slider, Interface Board, Cables
FGL515M	1	Ø25 mm OG515 Colored Glass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 515 nm Longpass
FGB37M	1	Ø25 mm BG40 Colored Glass Bandpass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 335 - 610 nm
ER1-P4	1	Cage Assembly Rod, 1" Long, Ø6 mm, 4 Pack
CP33	1	SM1-Threaded 30 mm Cage Plate, 0.35" Thick, 2 Retaining Rings, 8-32 Tap
TR3	1	Ø1/2" Optical Post, SS, 8-32 Setscrew, 1/4"-20 Tap, L = 3"
UPH2	1	Ø1/2" Universal Post Holder, Spring Loaded Locking Thumbscrew, L = 2"

View Metric Product List

Item #	Qty	Description
ELL6K	1	Dual-Position Slider Bundle: Dual-Position Slider, Interface Board, Cables
FGL515M	1	Ø25 mm OG515 Colored Glass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 515 nm Longpass
FGB37M	1	Ø25 mm BG40 Colored Glass Bandpass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 335 - 610 nm
ER1-P4	1	Cage Assembly Rod, 1" Long, Ø6 mm, 4 Pack
CP33/M	1	SM1-Threaded 30 mm Cage Plate, 0.35" Thick, 2 Retaining Rings, M4 Tap
TR75/M	1	Ø12.7 mm Optical Post, SS, M4 Setscrew, M6 Tap, L = 75 mm
UPH50/M	1	Ø12.7 mm Universal Post Holder, Spring-Loaded Locking Thumbscrew, L = 50 mm

Figure 4 ELL6K with Glass Filters and Mounted using 30 mm Cage System Components

Click to Enlarge

View Imperial Product List

Item #	Qty	Description
ELL6K	1	Dual-Position Slider Bundle: Dual-Position Slider, Interface Board, Cables
FGL515M	1	Ø25 mm OG515 Colored Glass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 515 nm Longpass
FGB37M	1	Ø25 mm BG40 Colored Glass Bandpass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 335 - 610 nm
ELLA1	1	Post Mount Adapter for ELL6 and ELL9
TR3	1	Ø1/2" Optical Post, SS, 8-32 Setscrew, 1/4"-20 Tap, L = 3"
UPH2	1	Ø1/2" Universal Post Holder, Spring Loaded Locking Thumbscrew, L = 2"

View Metric Product List

Item #	Qty	Description
ELL6K	1	Dual-Position Slider Bundle: Dual-Position Slider, Interface Board, Cables
FGL515M	1	Ø25 mm OG515 Colored Glass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 515 nm Longpass
FGB37M	1	Ø25 mm BG40 Colored Glass Bandpass Filter, SM1-Threaded Mount, 335 - 610 nm
ELLA1	1	Post Mount Adapter for ELL6 and ELL9
TR75/M	1	Ø12.7 mm Optical Post, SS, M4 Setscrew, M6 Tap, L = 75 mm
UPH50/M	1	Ø12.7 mm Universal Post Holder, Spring-Loaded Locking Thumbscrew, L = 50 mm

Figure 3 ELL6K with Glass Filters and Mounted using the ELLA1

Handling

Our sliders and interface boards are robust to general handling. An assembled ELL9K bundle with labels indicating key features is shown in Figure 1, and a picture of an interface board is in Figure 2. To ensure reliable operation, keep the surface contacted by the motor free of oils, dirt, and dust. It is not necessary to wear gloves while handling the dual-position or four-position slider, but avoid touching the surface contacted by the motor to avoid transferring contaminants to it. If it is necessary to clean the surface contacted by the motor, it can be wiped using KW32 or similar extra low lint sheets and isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits (white spirit). Do not use acetone, as this solvent will damage the plastic edge of the slider's carriage.

The open frame format of the ELL6K and ELL9K can tolerate up to 8 kV of static discharge. ESD precautions should be taken, as an electrostatic discharge can produce an electrical signal that may cause an unintended movement of the carriage. Avoid subjecting the structural PCB to loads in excess of 500 g. If an excessive load is applied the PCB may bend, which will degrade the performance of the slider.

Mounting

The ELL6 and ELL9 may be operated with the slider mounted vertically (upright) or horizontally (laying down), assuming certain conditions are met. When the slider is oriented vertically, ensure that the carriage translates side-to-side, rather than up-and-down, as the effects of gravity substantially reduce the maximum load that may be translated. When it is mounted vertically, the slider may be oriented with the motor(s) above or below the carriage. The recommended orientation is with the motor(s) below the carriage, as is shown in Figures 3 - 7, which minimizes the chance of any dust or particulates displaced during operation settling on the surface of the optics mounted in the carriage. When mounting the slider horizontally, ensure that the installation does not bend the PCB. In all cases, do not allow anything to interfere with moving parts of the slider and make sure that the slider and the mounted optics are secure to avoid jostling during motion.

There are several options for mounting the sliders. The ELLA1 Post Mount Adapter, which is available below, fastens directly to the back of the slider's PCB. As shown in Figure 3, the adapter can then be used to mount the slider to a Ø1/2" post. The compact dimensions of the ELLA1 allows sliders to be placed one behind the other while minimizing the space separating them, as shown below. The adapter can also be integrated with Thorlabs' 30 mm Cage System components and/or SM1-threaded components, such as lens tubes. Alternately, 30 mm cage system components alone can be used to mount the sliders. An example of this is shown in Figure 4, in which a CP33 Cage Plate, four ER1 rods, a Ø1/2" post, and a post holder mount and support the assembled ELL6K.

Loading

The maximum total load specification of 150 g refers to the weight of the load mounted to the carriage, and does not include the weight of the slider. For example, the weight of the unloaded ELL6 slider is approximately 22 g, and the maximum allowed weight of the mounted components is 150 g; the combined maximum permitted weight of the slider and mounted components is 172 g. Both sliders are designed to be compatible with 30 mm cage system components.

Supplying Power

Using the Interface Board
Even though ultrasonic voltage signals are required to operate the motors, the stage is powered by applying a DC voltage signal to the interface board. The electronics on the board, which convert the applied DC signal to a sinusoidal signal oscillating at the desired resonant frequency, make this possible.

The ELL6 includes one motor and the ELL9 includes two. Because of the lower power requirements of the ELL6's single motor, it is possible to supply power to the ELL6 through the Micro-B USB connector on the interface board. A 5 V power supply is not included in the ELL6K bundle; however, if it would be convenient to use a 5 V power supply, the TPS101 is compatible with the interface board. Operation of the ELL9's two motors requires a 5 V power supply, and one is included in the ELL9K bundle.

An advantage of powering the ELL6 using the Micro-B USB connector on the interface board is that a computer can be used to simultaneously control and power the slider. Laptops can supply the amperage necessary to enable switching between positions on the ELL6 dual-position slider; however, some laptops may not be able to supply the 1.2 A required to perform a search for optimal resonant frequencies, which is described in the following Resonant Frequencies section. When this is the case, and it is necessary to perform a search for optimal resonant frequencies, an alternate power source capable of delivering the needed amperage must be used to supplement the power provided by the laptop.

When the setup includes the ELL9 and an interface board, power is supplied through the 5 VDC power socket. As the Micro-B USB connector does not supply power sufficient to drive both motors, this connector is used only for computer control of the ELL9.

Without the Interface Board
When either the ELL6 or ELL9 slider is incorporated into an application without the interface board, the connection with the power source is made using the pins on the Picoflex^® connector. A pinout diagram of this connector is included in the Pin Diagram tab, and information on powering and addressing the slider given in its manual and the communications protocol manual respectively.

Operational Principle of the Motor

The Elliptec motors move the carriages on the sliders between positions, and the direction of the translation is determined by the ultrasonic frequency driving motor's piezoelectric elements. For each motor, there is one ultrasonic resonant frequency that will push the carriage forward, and another that will pull the carriage backward. Operating a motor at one of its resonance frequencies causes the tip of the motor to continuously cycle in a tight clockwise elliptical path. When the motor is driven at its other resonance frequency, the tip of the motor cycles through that same path in a counterclockwise direction. Both resonance frequencies are around 100 kHz. The total displacement at the tip of motor is a function of the mechanical load it is driving and the voltage supplied to the piezo element. In the case of no loading and a 5 V maximum driving voltage at a resonant frequency, the tip of the motor expands and contracts no more than a few microns while tracing the elliptical path. Please see The Elliptec™ Motor tab for more information and an animation that illustrates the operational principle of the motor.

Resonance Frequencies

On power-up, the factory default setting instructs the slider to search for the resonance frequencies that will deliver the best performance. During this process, the slider will translate between the forward and backward positions. At the conclusion of this calibration process, the slider is in the backward position. If this movement on start-up is undesirable, it is possible to disable this calibration procedure by using the serial port to initialize the frequencies on power-up. A new search for optimal resonance frequencies may be performed at any time; to maintain optimal performance, it is recommended that new searches be performed after changes in loading and/or ambient temperature. Please see Section 3.3 of the ELL6(K) manual or Section 4.4 of the ELL9(K) manual for details.

Operating the Dual-Position and Four-Position Slider

Note that our sliders are not intended for continuous operation. We recommend operation with duty cycles of less than 40% during general use, while operation with duty cycles greater than 60% should be limited to a few seconds.

The movement of the slider's carriage may be controlled by pressing buttons on the interface board, through computer control via the Elliptec™ software package that may be downloaded, or by sending simple signals to digital lines on the slider board. The constant drive power results in a linear speed profile, which enables the motor to accelerate and decelerate in a few microseconds.

The interface board may be used as an accessory while interfacing with the ELL6 or ELL9 through the Elliptec software; all changes in the position of the carriage that occur as a result of pressing buttons on the interface board are registered by the software, and the software may independently control the carriage while the interface board is connected. The buttons on the interface board can be seen in Figure 2.

Multiple Elliptec devices can be be controlled using the ELLB Bus Distributor or by splicing multiple connectors onto one ribbon cable. A single bus distributor can connect up to four Elliptec devices; up to 16 devices can be connected if the buses are daisy chained. This bus can be controlled one of three ways: through an interface board (included with the bundles below) to connect to a PC running the Elliptec software, by connecting to an Arduino^® or Raspberry Pi^® board, or by wiring the connector pins to a user-supplied control board. Note that if an interface board is used, its on-unit buttons will be disabled. Alternatively, up to 16 devices can be spliced onto a single ribbon cord. The devices can then be simultaneously controlled by the interface board or selectively controlled by the Elliptec software. See the manual for instruction on how to splice multiple devices onto a ribbon cord and the Pin Diagrams tab for pin assignments when making custom connections. The communications protocol manual describes how to use the software to individually address each connected device. A link to download the software and accompanying documentation can be found in the Software tab.

Figures 5 - 7, as well as the animation included on the Overview tab, show the operation of the ELL6 dual-position slider using the interface board. By pressing the button on the interface board marked 'FW,' as is about to be done in Figure 6, the slider is sent to the forward position. The slider will return to the home position when the button on the interface board marked 'BW' is pressed.

When using the interface board to control the position of the carriage on the ELL9 four-position slider, the JOG button is also used. If the slider is facing forward and oriented vertically with motors beneath the translating mount, press and hold the JOG button then press the FW button to move the carriage one position to the observer's right. Press and hold the JOG button and press the BW button to move the carriage one position to the observer's left. Stated differently, and referencing the drawing at the bottom of the Specs tab, the former increments the position of the carriage and the latter decrements the position of the carriage.

Dual-Position Slider in Forward Position

Click to Enlarge
Figure 7 Dual-Position Slider with Carriage
in the Forward Position

Click to Enlarge
Figure 6 The carriage will translate from the backward
position (Figure 5 and above) to the forward position
(Figure 7) in response to a press of the FW button.

Click to Enlarge
Figure 5 Dual-Position Slider with Carriage
in the Backward Position

ELL6K Dual-Position Slider Bundle

Click to Enlarge
Components of the ELL6K Bundle

Each Bundle Includes the Following:

ELL6 Dual-Position Slider
Interface Board
Micro-B to A-Type USB Cable
8-Conductor 28 AWG Ribbon Cable

PC-based software is also available for download, as are the manual, communications protocol manual, and other documentation.

ELL9K Four-Position Slider Bundle

Click to Enlarge
Components of the ELL9K Bundle
One Region-Specific Power Adapter Included, All Region-Specific Plugs Shown for Reference

Each Bundle Includes the Following:

ELL9 Four-Position Slider
Interface Board
Micro-B to A-Type USB Cable
8-Conductor 28 AWG Ribbon Cable
5 V Power Supply with Location-Specific Plug

PC-based software is also available for download, as are the manual, communications protocol manual, and other documentation.

Click to Enlarge
The Components of the Elliptec Motor

Click to Enlarge
The Elliptec Piezoelectric Resonant Motor

The Elliptec™ Piezoelectric Resonant Motor

Thorlabs' Elliptec™ piezo resonant motor, shown at right, is lightweight, with a mass of 1.2 g, and compact: the dimensions of the resonator housing, excluding the spring, are 8 mm x 4 mm x 20 mm.

Components of the Motor

The components that compose the motor are shown at far-right. The piezoelectric element is press fit into the aluminum resonator, which has been precisely designed and machined to produce the desired elliptical motion at the tip and to interface optimally with the driven module. The free ends of the spring are integrated with the resonator housing. The wires, which are soldered to the top and bottom of the piezoelectric element, deliver the voltage signal that induces the piezoelectric element to vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies.

When the motor is built into a system, the open loop of the spring is bolted to a sturdy surface that is stationary with respect to the item to be driven, and the tip of the resonator is placed in contact with the item. The purpose of the spring is to maintain constant contact between the tip of the resonator and the driven item, and the direction of motion is determined by the resonance frequency at which the piezo element is driven.

Elliptical Motion and Comparison with Conventional Motors

Elliptec motors quickly and precisely position stages and mounts while never seeming to move. Their microscopic movements occur at ultrasonic frequencies and are invisible to the naked eye.

The motor is operated by driving it at one of its two resonance frequencies. A voltage signal oscillating at an ultrasonic frequency is applied to the piezoelectric chip, which responds by expanding less than a micron and then contracting back to its original dimensions at the frequency of the driving signal. This rapid-cycling change in the chip's dimensions causes a vibration in the aluminum resonator housing. When the vibration is at one of the housing's resonance frequencies, a pushing motion results at the tip of the motor. When the vibration is at the other resonance frequency a pulling motion results.

As illustrated in the video, the pulling and pushing motions result from the tip of the motor tracing an elliptical path in space when the motor operates at resonance. The selected resonance frequency controls the direction of the cyclical motion. The motor's tip traces one half of the ellipse as it expands and the other half as it contracts. When the motor pushes the driven item, the motor's tip is in contact with the item while the tip expands; the two are not in contact while the tip contracts. The converse is true when the motor pulls the driven item in the opposite direction. The total displacement at the tip of the motor is a function of both the mechanical load it is driving and the voltage supplied to the piezo element. The maximum displacement can be up to a few microns when the peak driving voltage is 5 V.

The motor behaves in many ways like a DC or electromagnetic stepper motor, but it does not suffer from many of the drawbacks of these conventional motors. Unlike conventional electromagnetic motors, which must overcome inertial delays to come to a stop, the highly dynamic Elliptec motor can stop within microseconds. As it has no gears, it does not exhibit backlash. Since it possesses no magnets, it is compatible with use in environments sensitive to electromagnetic interference. The motion of the driven element is continuous and smooth. As the tip of the motor must be in contact with the driven item to induce motion, the motor possesses the safety feature of an inherent friction brake. When in contact with a plastic surface, the motor operates virtually silently.

For OEM applications, the motor can be manufactured in volume at low cost, and it can be driven by inexpensive analog electronics. It does not require microprocessors or software; however it is compatible for use with them.

Screen Capture of the Elliptec Piezoelectric Resonant Motor Control Software GUI

Click to Enlarge
The Elliptec Piezoelectric Resonant Motor Control Software GUI

Software for Devices Driven by Elliptec™ Piezoelectric Resonant Motors

All devices based on the Elliptec™ resonant piezo motor may be controlled by the Elliptec system software, which features an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). The source code, in C# format, is included in software bundle available for download, and custom applications can be created in any language. The image at right shows a screen capture of the GUI, and the button that follows links to the download page.

Commands are entered in the Sequencer command / wait order section located at the center-left of the GUI. An example of a sequence of commands that might be sent to the device is "Afw" to move the slider at address "A" to the forward position and then "Abw" to move the slider at address "A" to the backward position. The command "As1" is used to perform the frequency search that will identify the optimal resonant frequencies, for the current operating conditions, for the motor at address "A."

Software

Version 1.5.0

Includes the Elliptec System Software, with an easy-to-use GUI. Also available for download is the Communications Protocol manual, which details the communication commands for the Elliptec software package.

Thorlabs' Threading Specifications

Thorlabs' lens tubes utilize a series of non-standard threadings. Threading specifications are given below for our SM threadings utilized in our lens tube and cage system components so that you can machine mating components to suit your application. We also offer products with C-Mount and RMS threadings, and the specifications for these threadings are also given below. Please note that other manufacturers may have different tolerances for these threads. For other thread specifications that are not listed here, please contact Tech Support.

Click to Enlarge

SM05 Threading: Ø1/2" Lens Tubes, 16 mm Cage Systems
External Thread, 0.535"-40.0, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 0.535"-40.0, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	0.5340"	Min Major Diameter	0.5350"
Min Major Diameter	0.5289"	Min Pitch Diameter	0.5188"
Max Pitch Diameter	0.5178"	Max Pitch Diameter	0.5230"
Min Pitch Diameter	0.5146"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	0.508"
Max Minor Diameter	0.5069"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	0.514"

RMS Threading: Objective, Scan, and Tube Lenses
External Thread, 0.800"-36.0, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 0.800"-36.0, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	0.7989"	Min Major Diameter	0.8000"
Min Major Diameter	0.7934"	Min Pitch Diameter	0.7820"
Max Pitch Diameter	0.7809"	Max Pitch Diameter	0.7866"
Min Pitch Diameter	0.7774"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	0.770"
Max Minor Diameter	0.7688"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	0.777"

C-Mount Threading: Machine Vision Lenses, CCD/CMOS Cameras
External Thread, 1.000"-32.0, UN-2A		Internal Thread, 1.000"-32.0, UN-2B
Max Major Diameter	0.9989"	Min Major Diameter	1.0000"
Min Major Diameter	0.9929"	Min Pitch Diameter	0.9797"
Max Pitch Diameter	0.9786"	Max Pitch Diameter	0.9846"
Min Pitch Diameter	0.9748"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	0.966"
Max Minor Diameter	0.9651"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	0.974"

SM1 Threading: Ø1" Lens Tubes, 30 mm Cage Systems
External Thread, 1.035"-40.0, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 1.035"-40.0, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	1.0339"	Min Major Diameter	1.0350"
Min Major Diameter	1.0288"	Min Pitch Diameter	1.0188"
Max Pitch Diameter	1.0177"	Max Pitch Diameter	1.0234"
Min Pitch Diameter	1.0142"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	1.008"
Max Minor Diameter	1.0068"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	1.014"

SM30 Threading: Ø30 mm Lens Tubes
External Thread, M30.5x0.5		Internal Thread, M30.5x0.5
Max Major Diameter	30.480 mm	Min Major Diameter	30.500 mm
Min Major Diameter	30.371 mm	Min Pitch Diameter	30.175 mm
Max Pitch Diameter	30.155 mm	Max Pitch Diameter	30.302 mm
Min Pitch Diameter	30.059 mm	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	29.959 mm
Max Minor Diameter	29.938 mm	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	30.094 mm

SM1.5 Threading: Ø1.5" Lens Tubes
External Thread, 1.535"-40, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 1.535"-40, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	1.5339"	Min Major Diameter	1.535"
Min Major Diameter	1.5288"	Min Pitch Diameter	1.5188"
Max Pitch Diameter	1.5177"	Max Pitch Diameter	1.5236"
Min Pitch Diameter	1.5140"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	1.508"
Max Minor Diameter	1.5068"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	1.514"

SM2 Threading: Ø2" Lens Tubes, 60 mm Cage Systems
External Thread, 2.035"-40.0, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 2.035"-40.0, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	2.0338"	Min Major Diameter	2.0350"
Min Major Diameter	2.0287"	Min Pitch Diameter	2.0188"
Max Pitch Diameter	2.0176"	Max Pitch Diameter	2.0239"
Min Pitch Diameter	2.0137"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	2.008"
Max Minor Diameter	2.0067"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	2.014"

SM3 Threading: Ø3" Lens Tubes
External Thread, 3.035"-40.0, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 3.035"-40.0, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	3.0337"	Min Major Diameter	3.0350"
Min Major Diameter	3.0286"	Min Pitch Diameter	3.0188"
Max Pitch Diameter	3.0175"	Max Pitch Diameter	3.0242"
Min Pitch Diameter	3.0133"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	3.008"
Max Minor Diameter	3.0066"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	3.014"

SM4 Threading: Ø4" Fixed Lens Mounts
External Thread, 4.035"-40.0, UNS-2A		Internal Thread, 4.035"-40.0, UNS-2B
Max Major Diameter	4.0337"	Min Major Diameter	4.0350"
Min Major Diameter	4.0286"	Min Pitch Diameter	4.0188"
Max Pitch Diameter	4.0175"	Max Pitch Diameter	4.0245"
Min Pitch Diameter	4.0131"	Min Minor Diameter (and 83.3% of thread)	4.008"
Max Minor Diameter	4.0066"	Max Minor Diameter (and 64.9% of thread)	4.014"

Posted Comments:

user (posted 2021-02-04 14:25:47.1)

Hi, my ELL9 slider started mooving with difficulty, as its rail would need some oil or fat. What kind of oil/fat should I use? Thanks

cwright (posted 2021-02-05 08:51:32.0)

Response from Charles at Thorlabs: Hello and thank you for your query. By far the most common cause of movement issues are settings such as incorrect motor frequencies and you could try a frequency search. If there is a lot of dust/dirt which has entered the linear rail then you could try cleaning it with Ultrasol. Your local technical support team has already reached out to you.

Naaman Amer (posted 2019-07-10 16:32:28.25)

Hi Can I use the device in Vacuum environment? Can I control it via labview? Thanks

AManickavasagam (posted 2019-07-19 05:04:02.0)

Response from Arunthathi at Thorlabs: Thanks for your query. Unfortunately, except for the motor itself the elliptic range is not vacuum compatible. This could be controlled with Labview (the .dll files would be in the installation folder).

Peter Domenicali (posted 2019-05-22 00:56:54.707)

Can the ELL6 be used long-term upside down? That is, with the bulk of its PC board pointing upwards, opposite to how it is shown in all your images? I should think one concern would be whether any wear particles will slough off of the friction interface, where the "inch worm" drive oscillates. If so these particles might drop down onto the optic being moved. But any other reason this wouldn't work?

AManickavasagam (posted 2019-05-22 11:37:11.0)

Response from Arunthathi at Thorlabs: Thanks for your query. The ELL6 should be perfectly fine to work in the flipped orientation you require.

user (posted 2019-04-03 04:07:51.447)

Hi Thorlabs service Team, Nice little product. I am using the serial commands in python (pyserial) to access the four-position slider. The connection is always successful and "0in" always returns the right output. Occasionally however, a "0ma00000000" is unsuccessful and returns a "signal error" - "0GS0A". Once it occurs, I can't move the stage anymore, even when I disconnect with python and connect with ELLO. (0ma attempts always return 0GS0A) Unplugging the stage resolves this issue but do you have any advice on how I could prevent this from happening? Note: This never happened so far with the ELLO_DLL in python but I would prefer serial commands to keep the script more versatile.

user (posted 2019-04-05 07:13:29.0)

Response from Arunthathi at Thorlabs: Thanks for your query. The encoder error (0x0A) returned is a discrepancy between number of count position and requested position. It is generally a mechanical issue: vibration, moving load, stage moved or stopped by hand. It is recommended to use HOME instead of “ma” to go to the 0 position. Home resumes the unit from error (caused by vibration) as it resets the encoder to a known absolute 0 position. If the issue still persists please contact your local tech support team directly for further assistance.

Julien PROUST (posted 2019-03-26 11:28:40.167)

I measured the stability: Positioning Repeatability +/-0.26 mm in normal condition (vertical) After around 30 actuations, a shift of 0.1 mm appears

user (posted 2019-03-27 11:07:04.0)

Response from Arunthathi at Thorlabs: Thanks for your feedback. To look into this further we will need to analyse your test setup and methods. I have contacted you directly for further details.

user (posted 2019-02-12 15:45:57.423)

I second: Would be awesome to have micromanager support!

rmiron (posted 2019-02-14 05:41:42.0)

Response from Radu at Thorlabs: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I will relay your feedback internally.

keisuke.yoshioka (posted 2018-11-04 21:21:15.983)

ELL9Kで穴位置を細かく動かしたいのですが、maコマンドが使えないようでした。 maコマンドを使用できるように、仕様を変更して欲しいです。

rmiron (posted 2018-11-06 04:33:55.0)

Response from Radu and Fumi at Thorlabs: この度はお問合せいただきありがとうございました。ご要望をファームウエア開発チームに伝え確認いたしました。"ma"コマンドや"mr"コマンドはELL9で使用することは自体は可能です。ただし、決められた４つのスライダーポジションに移動できるだけであり、精密な移動はできません。これは、他のElliptec製ステージと異なり、ELL9がエンコーダを搭載していないためであり、大変恐れ入りますがファームウエアの改造のみでは実現ができません。ただ、所定の時間に対してスムースに移動するようコマンドを送ることは可能です。そのようなコマンドに対するご質問や"ma"コマンドに対する応答についてのご質問がございましたら、弊社の日本オフィスsales@thorlabs.jpにご連絡くださいませ。 Translation: Feedback: I want to finely move the hole positions with ELL9K, but it seems that the 'ma' (move absolute) command can not be used. I'd like for the stage to change such that we can use the 'ma' command. Response: Thank you for your feedback. I have relayed it to the developers of Elliptec's firmware who will take it into account when planning for future releases. The 'ma' and 'mr' commands can be used on ELL9, but only to switch between the 4 slider positions. Unfortunately, we can't modify this stage's firmware in order to allow these commands to be used for fine translations. This is because ELL9, as opposed to the other Elliptec stages, lacks an encoder. With that being said, we could add a similar command that would allow one to translate the stage for a given period of time. If your stage is not responding to the 'ma' or 'mr' commands, please contact our Japanese office at sales@thorlabs.jp.

lvjing (posted 2018-04-19 14:52:34.907)

Usb plugged in the computer can not identify the device

bhallewell (posted 2018-04-19 12:21:32.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your email. I'll contact you to troubleshoot the problem.

massimo (posted 2018-03-29 14:55:49.94)

Is it possible to turn off the LEDs in the interface board? I'm using this slider to move ND filters and my optical setup is enclosed in a light tight box, because I need to perform measurement at very low light. The flat cable between the interface board and the slider is too short so I have to keep the interface board inside the light controlled box, but the light intensity of the LED on the board is not at all negligible. At the moment I'm covering the LED with black tape, but it's definitely not enough and not very nice. I couldn't find anything about it in the documentation. It'd be great if didn't have to replace the flat cable with a longer one. Thanks

bhallewell (posted 2018-04-05 07:19:20.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. There isn't a programming solution to turn off the LED however you should have access to remove the LED or alternatively short the LED with a wire.

user (posted 2018-03-27 17:29:38.03)

It would be awesome if this had drivers for micro manager.

rmiron (posted 2018-04-11 05:16:53.0)

Response from Radu at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. I have relayed it to our developers. I will contact you directly regarding our future plans on this front.

Roger.John (posted 2018-02-15 22:01:57.177)

Can one mount a ME1-P01 in one position of the ELL6, as a flip mirror alternative? Thanks!

bhallewell (posted 2018-02-23 10:55:22.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: You will be able to mount this optic through use of our SM1L03 SM1 Lens tube, which includes an SM1RR retaining ring to secure the optic in the lens tube. The optic seated in the lens tube can then be threaded into the ELL6 mount. The total load that the slider can actuate is 0.150 kg.

user (posted 2017-10-25 15:33:18.65)

Could the ELL6 be used in a medium vacuum (>10^-2mbar) environment? Thank you very much.

bwood (posted 2017-10-30 05:06:50.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. While in principle the Elliptec motor technology will work in a vacuum, the stock ELL6 slider contains several components which will outgas, so it may not be suitable for your application. If you would like to pursue this further, I would suggest contacting your local tech support office, to discuss your application in more detail.

nhuffman (posted 2017-07-25 10:20:39.697)

Are there any 32bit libraries for the Eliptec software available for 64bit Windows like are available for the APT and Kinesis software? I need to interface with 32bit MATLAB on a 64bit machine.

bwood (posted 2017-07-26 09:27:16.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your question. Unlike Kinesis compatible devices, our Elliptec devices are controlled solely through serial commands (directly or through our Elliptec System Software). You should be able to configure MatLab to communicate through these serial commands however. You can find the serial communications protocol on the Elliptec software webpage.

bjorn.fjelddahl (posted 2016-11-29 08:32:55.62)

Hi The ELL6 is made for 2 filters Is it possible to add two more filters to a total of 4? Best regards, Björn

bhallewell (posted 2016-12-01 07:23:58.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your enquiry. This would likely fall within our capabilities for customisation. I will contact you to discuss this opportunity further.

user (posted 2016-11-04 16:04:37.99)

Do the top two threaded hole have clearance from the sliding portion to attach 30 cage posts on each side? i.e. can you stack multiples of these?

bhallewell (posted 2016-11-09 09:39:00.0)

Response from Ben at Thorlabs: Thank you for your question here. Checking our web models, there is not enough clearance for an ER 30mm cage rod system to mate with the PCB from both sides, this is a 4-40 hole which can only be accessed from the rear side. This is one of our off-the-shelf solutions & is limited in customisation however for OEM opportunities we may be able to go beyond this. I will contact you directly to start a discussion.