Microposioning Stage Controllable by Labview and ARM Processor Via Ethernet Connection

Micropositioning stages are proper tools for moving in X-Y directions with high resolution in micro meter or nano meter scales. 3D micro printers for MEMS fabric-ation, tissue printers, optical devices and microscopes are some examples which need high resolution stages. In this paper a new micropositioning stage is proposed which consists of two step motors, ball screws, interface board and computer. Interface board includes ARM processor which makes connection between computer and stage. Computer is the main processor which runs controlling algorithm. Obviously, it can be replaced by a simple microprocessor when the control method is finalized. The primary results show good resolution, almost 1 micrometer, while the moving length is more than 100 millimeter. Ethernet connection is used for transferring data between computer and hardware. As another innovation, the stage can be controlled remotely by LAN connection.