Thorlabs KPZ101 K-Cube Piezo Controller

Overview

The Thorlabs KPZ101 is a compact single-channel K-Cube piezo controller and driver for manual and automatic control of piezo stacks, piezo equipped actuators and piezo driven mirror mounts. It delivers up to 150 V of drive voltage at 7.5 mA continuous current, allowing operating bandwidths up to 1 kHz with typical piezo loads. The footprint is only 60 by 60 by 47 mm, so the controller can be mounted on the optical table next to the device it drives, keeping high-voltage cables short. All manual controls are on the top face, and USB connectivity allows full computer control. With the K-Cube Strain Gauge Reader KSG101, the Thorlabs KPZ101 also supports high precision closed loop positioning.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Thorlabs KPZ101 to optics and photonics laboratories, nanotechnology and microscopy groups, and industrial alignment and test benches across Oman and the GCC. Our Muscat office helps customers assemble complete piezo positioning systems, including the controller, power supply or hub, drive cables and suitable piezo actuators.

Operating Principle

A piezoelectric actuator expands when a voltage is applied across its stack of ceramic layers, giving extremely fine, repeatable motion over a short range. Electrically a piezo stack behaves like a capacitor, so the driver must supply a stable high voltage and enough current to charge and discharge that capacitance at the required speed. The Thorlabs KPZ101 contains a high-voltage amplifier that produces 0 to 150 V on an SMC connector, with the maximum limited by the user to 75 V, 100 V or 150 V to match the rating of the connected device. Output noise is below 5 mV rms with no load and below 3 mV rms with a 3.6 µF load, which keeps positional jitter low.

In open loop mode, the output voltage is set either from the digitally encoded adjustment pot on the top panel, from the PC, or by a 0 to 10 V analogue signal on the EXT IN SMA connector, which drives the high-voltage amplifier directly so the output is proportional to the input. In closed loop mode, EXT IN instead receives a position signal from an external reader such as the KSG101, and the controller adjusts the drive voltage to hold the commanded position, compensating for piezo hysteresis and creep. A 0 to 10 V monitor output lets users record the drive signal.

Engineering Design of the Thorlabs KPZ101

The Thorlabs KPZ101 follows the K-Cube format: a small housing with a baseplate for direct table mounting and a 26-way connector for the K-Cube controller hubs. The top panel carries the adjustment pot, whose resolution is user selectable, and an easy-to-read voltage display with adjustable brightness. On the rear are the HV OUT SMC connector, the EXT IN and monitor SMA connectors, the USB port and the power connector. The unit weighs 140 g.

Power is supplied through a DIN connector at +15 V (220 mA), minus 15 V (50 mA) and +5 V (350 mA). The TPS002 two-way power supply is designed to take minimal space and can be mounted to the table, while the KCH301 three-channel and KCH601 six-channel controller hubs provide power and a single USB connection for several cubes, simplifying cable management on busy optical tables. The USB connector is a USB 3.0 type running at USB 1.1 full speed, and the Thorlabs control software provides GUI panels and ActiveX controls for building automated positioning applications.

Key Features

The Thorlabs KPZ101 user guide lists these features.

• Single-channel piezo drive of 0 to 150 V at 7.5 mA continuous.
• User-selectable output limit of 75 V, 100 V or 150 V to protect connected devices.
• Drive bandwidth of 1 kHz with a 1 µF load at 1 V peak to peak.
• Low output noise, below 5 mV rms without load and below 3 mV rms with a 3.6 µF load.
• Digitally encoded adjustment pot with selectable resolution and bright voltage display.
• 0 to 10 V external drive input and 0 to 10 V output monitor on SMA connectors.
• Closed loop operation with the KSG101 K-Cube Strain Gauge Reader and feedback equipped actuators.
• Compact 60 by 60 by 47 mm housing with USB control and K-Cube hub compatibility.

Industrial Applications

Piezo actuators provide nanometre scale motion for alignment and scanning. In university and research laboratories in Muscat and across the GCC, the Thorlabs KPZ101 drives piezo mirror mounts for beam steering, fibre alignment stages for coupling light into single mode fibres, cavity length tuning in interferometers and lasers, and fine focus adjustment in microscopy. Its external input allows a function generator or data acquisition card to scan the piezo for spectroscopy or interferometric measurements. Because the output limit can be set to 75 V or 100 V, the same Thorlabs KPZ101 can safely drive lower voltage stacks as well as standard 150 V actuators, which simplifies spares for groups running several different setups.

In industrial settings, the Thorlabs KPZ101 serves optical assembly and test stations, fibre component manufacturing and automated alignment rigs where many axes are controlled from one PC through controller hubs. Seven Star LLC supplies the controller with drive cables, power supplies and hubs, and our Muscat engineers help laboratories in Oman and the GCC match controllers to piezo actuators already in use, including Thorlabs actuators driven today by benchtop piezo controllers.

Technical Specifications

Key Thorlabs KPZ101 specifications from the Thorlabs user guide (HA0365T) are listed below.

How to Order

To request a quotation for the Thorlabs KPZ101, contact Seven Star LLC with the quantity and whether a TPS002 power supply, controller hub, drive cables or KSG101 strain gauge reader are also needed. Our Muscat instrumentation division confirms availability, provides the Thorlabs user guide and supports laboratories in Oman and the GCC. Related Thorlabs products include the Thorlabs BPC303 3-channel benchtop piezo controller, the Thorlabs MDT693B open-loop piezo controller and the Thorlabs KDC101 K-Cube DC servo motor controller.