100x Improved Scanning Linearity with new Digital NanoScanning Positioning Controllers

Lambda are pleased to introduce PI's new generation of Digital Piezo NanoPositioning / NanoScanning Controllers for applications such as scanning microscopy, metrology, surface profiling, material science, nanotechnology, cell tracking.

The E-710.SCN controllers are available in 3, 4 and 6 channel versions and address the ever growing linearity and speed requirements of today's nanotechnology applications.

The need for ever increasing scanning speeds has led to the development of these new digital controllers. Conventional PID (proportional integral derivative) piezo servo motion controllers exhibit phase lag and tracking errors due to the nonlinear nature of PZT material and the inherent limitations of the PID controller concept. With a standard PID piezo controller, tracking errors can be as large as 20% (in closed-loop operation!) even at relatively low scanning rates of 5 Hz. This limits both the speed and precision of data acquisition e.g. in scanning microscopy applications.

The new PI E-710.SCN controllers use a different, smart digital controller model, reducing nonlinearity and phase lag to indiscernible levels, even with high-frequency dynamic actuation under load. The effect is an improvement in linearity (~usable bandwidth) of two orders of magnitude resulting in significantly increased throughput.

Posted December 2003