To make the right decisions and to ensure satisfactory performance in a positioning system, it is necessary to first have a grasp of performance parameters and an understanding of their definitions.Newport CorporationAbbe Error — Linear off-axis errors introduced by angular deviations coupled to a moment arm at the point of interest on stage mounted devices (θ in Figure 1). The effect of Abbe error will appear as linear runout δx, but unlike true linear runout, it can be minimized by reducing...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESBristol Instruments Moves to New HeadquartersPrecision instrument developer Bristol Instruments Inc. has relocated to a 20,000 sq-ft facility to expand its production and R&D laboratory space. The new headquarters aims to better...Photonics Spectra January 2018 IssueOptically Levitated Nanodumbbell Could Further Study of Quantum MechanicsUsing levitated optomechanics, a man-made rotor has been created that can spin at 60 billion revolutions per minute. Such ultrafast rotation could be used to study material properties and probe...Photonics.com 7/23/2018Photonic Hook Could Enable Optical Manipulation of NanoparticlesA curved photonic nanojet, called a photonic hook, was created using an asymmetric cuboid, formed by appending a triangular prism to one side of a cube. Using numerical methods, scientists showed...EuroPhotonics June 2018 IssuePhysik Instrumente a Finalist in Motion Control Industry AwardsMotion control and nanopositioning developer Physik Instrumente LP was a finalist for the Manufacturer of the Year and Contributions to Skills and Training awards at the 2017 Motion Control Industry...Photonics.com 6/29/2017PRODUCTS2nd Generation Piezo Stages for SR MicroscopyThe 2nd generation of PInano XY / XYZ piezo stages is now available as an affordable package with a state-of-the-art digital servo controller for higher performance, stability and additional tuning...Promoted Content November 2016 IssuePiezo Nanopositioning SystemsMad City Labs designs & manufactures a complete product line of high precision piezo nanopositioners, micropositioners, and microscopes suitable for inspection, metrology, super resolution...Promoted Content December 2016 IssueUltra Precise Piezo-Z Axis StageApplied Scientific Instrumentation's (ASI) Ultra Precise Piezo-Z Focusing stage has been specifically designed to provide a high resolution, and highly repeatable, means of controlling the X, Y, and...Promoted Content December 2016 IssueFiber Optic Gyro Coils for Superior Performance"A key element in a fiber optic gyro is the fiber coil. Its quality and consistent performance determine the overall accuracy of the fiber optic gyroscope. Our proprietary winding process, adhesive,...Promoted Content June 2018 IssueMEDIALaserglow_Brightline Alignment LasersPhotonics.com 8/5/2015Robot Touch - LIGHT MATTERS 10.07.2015For all their precision of movement, we can't always count on robots to handle objects with care. But fiber optic sensors could give machines a more human sense of touch. See how – this month on...Photonics.com 10/7/2015Flexible Pulse Control & Hypermodal Nanoparticles - LIGHT MATTERS 01.28.2015On this week’s show, we’ll learn about a new approach for creating laser pulses to order, and a new type of nanoparticle that enhances six different kinds of bioimaging. We’ll also take a look at the...Photonics.com 1/28/2015Sneak Preview: Optifab 2017 Connects Industry and AcademiaOrganized jointly by SPIE and the American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association, Optifab 2017 will be held Oct. 16-19 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y. This...Photonics.com 10/5/2017WHITEPAPERSAdvances in Precision Parallel Robotics: Hexapods Improve Production ProcessesPrecision assembly processes in the semiconductor, electronics, and automobile industries are benefitting from new capabilities of hexapod 6-axis motion and positioning systems in production...Photonics.com 5/1/2017History and Future of Photonics Alignment Automation, Test & Assembly of SiP ComponentsSince first securely linking computers 40 years ago, optical fibers were broadly adopted in smaller and smaller applications over time to the most recent application as a data link from one chip to...Photonics.com 10/1/2017Daisy-chaining Data and Power to Reduce CablingSetting up motion control systems can be time consuming, costly, and complex. At Zaber, we focus on simplifying motion control. One way our systems can save you time and money is by reducing the...Photonics.com 10/10/2017Embedded Motion Modules Make Great Products SmallerEmbedded motion modules are a new option for product design teams. Combining mechanical and electrical functions in one optimized, easy-to-integrate device, they speed the design process and ensure...Photonics.com 4/16/2018WEBINARSNanometer-Level Positioning: A Mechatronic & System Design ApproachNanopositioning, or moving objects with atomic-scale precision, is a key enabling technology in areas such as semiconductor processing, microscopy and nano imaging, hard-drive and electronics...Photonics.com 3/11/2015Techniques in Biophotonic ImagingFREE WEBINAR Sponsored by: Hamamatsu & Applied Scientific Instrumentation Additional Questions & Answers from the webinar are below: Dr. Kimani C. Toussaint Jr. Quantitative...Photonics.com 3/21/2013Shareable Advanced Light-Sheet Microscopy Using FlamingoThis webinar will discuss a new model for advanced microscopy, based on shareable, modular instruments. This model, called Flamingo, is designed to bridge the gap between biology and technology....Photonics.com 10/25/2018Micro-Spectroscopy: Enabling Research From Novel Nano-Devices To Clinical DiagnosisMicro-spectroscopy is an ever developing modality for new and exciting research in the areas of nano-technology and bioscience. This webinar will look at modular approaches to microspectroscopy and...Photonics.com 3/24/2015PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSCrayford focuserA high-quality focuser that uses rollers rather than gears and offers smooth, precise motion while reducing or eliminating image shift and backlash.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009nanopositioning actuatorA positioning device capable of producing repeatable motion in increments as small as 1 nm or less. Nanopositioning actuators are frictionless devices that are typically piezoelectrically driven....EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009backlashIn a mechanical system, any lost motion between driving and driven elements due to clearance between parts.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009stepper motorA positioning drive that rotates a fraction of a 360° turn when the motor coils are activated, resulting in linear or rotary motion. They are generally one of two types, either variable...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESNanopositioning: A Step Ahead: It is almost a cliché among students of creativity that innovation occurs at the intersection of fields. Since nanopositioning is a discipline that has enabled swiftly evolving application arenas as diverse as materials science, genomics, photonics, defense, biophysics and semiconductors, it’s unsurprising that its pace of innovation is nothing short of blistering in recent years.By its original definition, a nanopositioning device is a mechanism capable of repeatedly delivering motion in increments as small as one nanometer. Lately demands from industry and research have...Photonics HandbookMicroassembly: Minimizing Error and Maximizing Precision: Optimizing positioning systems for microassembly processes requires an understanding of the potential errors that can cause precision part placement to go awry.Progressive assembly operations such as guiding, gluing and bonding often take place around a static package in three-dimensional space. Integrating the different mechanical systems to ensure that...Photonics HandbookVibration Control: Limiting Mechanical Noise: Vibration control plays a critical role in research and industry. Mechanical noise, for example, can obscure high-resolution images and affect the quality of nanotechnology processes. Fortunately, vibration can be controlled through proper experimentation, process design and the use of specialized equipment.In general, there are three common approaches to reducing mechanical excitation of photonic systems. The first is identifying the sources of vibration and implementing ways to eliminate or reduce...Photonics HandbookOptical Delay Lines: Key to Time-Resolved Measurements: To obtain an accurate means of creating reliable delays in any time-resolved spectroscopy or dynamic experiment, several factors about the delay line stage must be considered to reduce or eliminate errors associated with linear stages.One of the most critical elements of any time-resolved spectroscopy and dynamics experiment is the optical delay line. A typical optical delay line consists of a retroreflector or folding mirrors on...Photonics HandbookPHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESOptical MountsAstronomical InstrumentsOptical PyrometersAn optical pyrometer is a system that, by comparing a source whose temperature is to be measured to a standardized source of illumination (usually compared to the human eye), determines the...Linear EncodersCOMPANIESNewport CorporationNewport – an MKS Instruments Brand Newport is a brand within the MKS Instruments Light & Motion division. The Newport product portfolio consists of a full range of solutions including...Photonics Buyers' Guide