Thinking in Systems
All in One Hand—All from One Hand |
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In-House Capabilities
To assure that the subassemblies
used satisfy PI's quality
requirements, PI fabricates all
components itself, develops
the ultra-high-resolution sensors
and controllers, and programs
both control algorithms
and operating software. In
Lederhose (Thuringia) at PI
Ceramic
, piezoelectric drives
are developed, optimized and
manufactured. With PIC, PI is
the only positioning system
manufacturer worldwide which
develops its own piezoelectric
actuators to meet market
requirements. The resulting
flexibility is an important reason
for the technological leadership
enjoyed by PI and its
customers.
Capacitive Sensors for
Nanometrology
Special sensors can fulfill the
requirements of many applications
for dynamics, linearity
and stability better than that
provided by standard strain
gauges. Non-contact capacitive
sensors measure position
without drift and provide linearity to 0,01% of the measurement
range. The high
resolution of up to 0.0005%
allows detection and compensation
of the smallest position
errors. PI uses capacitive
sensors developed in-house,
making it possible to adapt the
sensor geometries to the space
available. Placing the sensors
as close as possible to the
moving platform, PI provides
direct metrology systems—
systems in which motion is
detected where it is used.
PI capacitive sensors are also
offered as stand-alone products
for nanometrology applications.
More on Capacitive Sensors
Control of Positioning
Systems
The characteristics of drives
and sensors are made usable
by the drive and control electronics.
PI has designed all
electronics to match the
mechanics optimally. Electronic
amplifiers for piezoelectric
actuators must provide low
noise and drift. Fast rise times
make possible sub-millisecond response times and optimized
control algorithms minimize
settling times. Digital controllers
include advanced algorithms
to improve the system
performance: coordinate transformation
matrices matched to
the mechanical geometries
allow for commanding complex
systems in Cartesian coordinates;
filters support servocontrol
by suppressing resonant
vibrations; pre-shaping of
control signals minimizes trajectory
deviation during dynamic
scans. All functions are
easily accessible through fast
and modern interfaces and
comprehensive user software
and software drivers.
More on advanced digital control (PDF).
Flexibility Through Competent
Partners
High quality requires qualified
partners. Over the years PI has
thus qualified a number of
highly specialized suppliers
with whom we now work as
partners—partners whose conception
of quality is every bit
as high as our own. |
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Drive, sensors, mechanics and control
electronics with software—components
of PI’s positioning systems.
E-710 6-axis Digital Piezo Controller with 6-DOF piezo nanopositioning stage
All PI nanopositioning systems
come with extensive system
performance documentation
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