Newport introduces the CONEX-AG-LS25-27P piezo motor linear stage with closed-loop controller/driver

Newport Corporation, Irvine., Calif., has introduced the newest member of the CONEX™ integrated stage and controller product series.

The CONEX-AG-LS25-27P integrates the compact CONEX-AGP controller with an Agilis™ AG-LS25-27P linear stage that includes a miniature, built-in, direct-read linear encoder. This combination offers quick set up and control with closed-loop positioning performance.

The CONEX-AG-LS25-27P is the first of two specialized stage products to be released that combine an advanced piezo motor linear stage with the low-cost architecture of the CONEX controller family. The ultra-compact controller delivers submicron, bi-directional repeatability of 0.3 µm, making it ideal for applications in confined spaces that require integrated, single-axis control. The linear stage is also capable of 27 mm travel and 0.2 µm metal-insulator-metal (MIM).

“The CONEX-AGP closed-loop algorithm is a simplified version of the typical DC servo loop algorithm, and combined with the stage’s linear encoder, provides a highly repeatable bi-directional system,” notes Beda Espinoza, Newport’s senior product manager, motion control.

The controller’s versatile deadband function allows the user to modify the closed-loop parameters to program the acceptable deviation from a position, and to hold that position steady. The new controller features the simple and intuitive CONEX GUI accessible via USB. For added convenience, the USB interface also supplies power to the controller, which eliminates the need for additional power supplies and/or cables.