Has anyone got an interface for Thorlab's Kinesis software?

Hello,

Has anyone succeeded in interfacing with the ThorLabs Kinesis software for linear stage controllers? I have so far only managed to talk to the APT ActiveX interface, but it's pretty horrible and hard-crashes MATLAB when it gets angry.

Thanks

[Miloth]

Dear Rob,

I have am facing the same issues: APT is buggy and Thorlabs Kinesis does not provide a MATLAB driver.

Have you managed to find a solution?

Thanks

[Klaatu]

I'm not sure it's APT that is buggy. I have run the older Thorlabs TST001's with APT User and had absolutely no problems. However, using the same ActiveX commands to drive KST101's has shown that the KST101 hardware is completely unreliable. This might be a hardware problem, or it might be a firmware problem.

For one, at least as of today (10 Nov 2017), APT User ships with firmware revision level v1.0.2, but Thorlabs' change log for this firmware says that it should be v1.0.6. Furthermore, the description of v1.0.6 states "fixed bug to respond correctly when MoveStop commands are completed." I am experiencing problems with quirky and nondeterministic response to commands, so this makes me wonder if a firmware update would fix the problem. However, the firmware shipped by Thorlabs is four revision levels below the most-recent version that is advertised on Thorlabs' own website.

I have been in dialog with Thorlabs for over a month about this problem, but with no success and no resolution in sight.

UPDATE (19 Dec 2017): I got the firmware update (v1.0.6), and it did nothing to fix the problem on the KST101. Thorlabs then sent me a TST101 out of "new old stock" for me to try, and it runs just as badly. The original "obsolete" TST001 runs perfectly. Go figure.

[Rob Campbell]

You could be right. I'm using a BSC 201 and I heard that the K Cubes may be more stable when used with MATLAB. I too was in communication with ThorLabs for some time but not much was resolved. I'm looking elsewhere in future for motion control products.

[Klaatu]

I'm looking at other hardware as well. I need a minimum incremental motion of less than 10 nm, which narrows the field considerably. The actuators from Physik Instrumente (PI) look promising.

I'd be curious to know what it is you're looking at.

Thanks!

[Rob Campbell]

Me too. I've been using V-551 linear stages for some time and I'm super happy with them. The MATLAB interface, the tech support, and the hardware quality -- all flawless. When I realised the stage controller didn't do something I needed, PI upgraded the firmware within 6 weeks and at no charge.

[Klaatu]

The V-551 looks incredible. 1-nm encoder resolution is crazy good. Can't be cheap, but then, it's like my boss sometimes asks our customers after they've come back to us after getting burned by a cheaper competitor: "Did you get what you paid for, or did you get what you need?"

[Rob Campbell]

Not much change from 8k USD per axis including the controller, IIRC, but it works. Some of their stuff is on Mars right now in Curiosity.