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 Fiber Alignment / Laser Diode Test & Assembly / Mirror Calibration
The processes surrounding fiber alignment, to a component, a laser diode, or even another fiber, requires the ability to make extremely small incremental moves, ranging from 50 to 100 nanometers, and ultimately stop and hold a stable position, without dither. After a fiber is moved around to determine a precise alignment, transmitting the maximum light from one element to another element, it must be held in place for an attachment process. Be it laser welding, epoxy, or soldering, the attachment process demands position stability to assure the determined alignment does not move.
Parker Bayside accomplishes this motion requirement with a stage that uses precision crossed roller bearings that provide exceptional stiffness with smooth rolling action, a linear encoder mounted down the center (to minimize the effects of angular error), and a piezo linear motor, which can drive both linear and rotary stages. The piezo motor acts as a friction drive, as it is pressed against an opposing ceramic surface. While the motor can operate in the 5 nanometer range, the encoder resolution will determine the smallest incremental move under closed loop servo operation. Standard positioning systems support 50 nanometer encoder resolution and ZERO servo dither when the desired position is achieved.
Whether the process is to calibrate a mirror assembly, align and test a laser diode, or align a fiber to a component, each process requires sensing the strength of light and setting a position. The technology built into Parker Bayside's photonics stages combines the benefits of high resolution motion with the ability to achieve high speeds and long travels. In one compact package Bayside can address load / unload positions, rapid moves (200mm / sec), and the critical motion characteristics for fiber processes.
Inspection / Scanning
 As fiber optic manufacturing processes vary, so do the motion requirements. Contrary to the high position stability requirements during alignment and test, there are several applications that involve the melting of glass fibers, scanning and inspection. Such applications need constant motion with extremely low velocity ripple. These applications also require high resolution, but not because of dither, rather for constant velocity.
Constant velocity at speeds of 50 microns per second requires an exceptionally smooth bearing structure with good accuracy, high resolution and accuracy from the linear encoder, and a smooth, non-cogging drive mechanism. Parker Bayside has addressed this need with a low profile, hollow crossed roller stage that rivals air bearing performance. The stage has a linear encoder and brushless DC linear servo motor mounted on its side. This stage features constant velocity of better than .5% with speeds down to 50 microns per second, well suited to fiber attach on the fly and other scanning requirements. |
Integrated Solutions
All of Parker Bayside’s piezo motor driven stages are supplied with a specific amplifier matched to the motor. Because the amplifier accepts a +10V command signal, the stage can be controlled with almost any motion controller using a PID loop. Some of the many controllers that work with ParkerBayside’s Photonic Series are; ACS, Delta Tau, Galil, MEI, Nyquist, National Instruments, and others.
Fiber optic applications often require the complete ability to integrate motion control with vision and data acquisition. To support these applications Parker Bayside has teamed with National Instruments to provide a seamless solution with easy integration.
Parker Bayside's motion control platform features all of the necessary stages and motor amplifiers, and National Instruments features a motion control card, LabView data acquisition and optional vision. This platform is standard with a GPIB and TCPIP connections.
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