Hi Michael,

Thanks for developing this Python wrapper for Thorlabs APT! I am trying to adapt it for a Thorlabs TDC 001 step motor in my instrument (I forked your repository using the account @Huanglab-ucsf last week ). The moving functions worked very well, but I found that there is no jogging function, which is crucial for my experiment. I tried to add it by calling self.aptdll.MOT_MoveJog(self.SerialNum, c_int()) but failed. It seems the library does have the MOT_MoveJog function, but I did not have the correct input. I was wondering if you have attempted to add a similar function and what arguments should be fed to it. Thanks!

Best,
Dan

Hi! Michael

First, thank you for developing this package. I was trying to run it after putting the dll and lib files in the same folder. I ran the following command

from PyAPT import APTMotor
Motor1 = APTMotor(83861368, HWTYPE=31)

and get error message like the following:

`ERROR: DLL not found

WindowsError Traceback (most recent call last)
in ()
1 from PyAPT import APTMotor
2 import time
----> 3 Motor1 = APTMotor(83861368, HWTYPE=31)

C:\Users\M-LAB\Desktop\TGS Python\pyAPT\PyAPT.py in init(self, SerialNum, HWTYPE, verbose)
47 if not os.path.exists(dllname):
48 print "ERROR: DLL not found"
---> 49 self.aptdll = windll.LoadLibrary(dllname)
50 self.aptdll.EnableEventDlg(True)
51 self.aptdll.APTInit()

C:\Anaconda2\lib\ctypes__init__.pyc in LoadLibrary(self, name)
441
442 def LoadLibrary(self, name):
--> 443 return self._dlltype(name)
444
445 cdll = LibraryLoader(CDLL)

C:\Anaconda2\lib\ctypes__init__.pyc in init(self, name, mode, handle, use_errno, use_last_error)
363
364 if handle is None:
--> 365 self._handle = _dlopen(self._name, mode)
366 else:
367 self._handle = handle

WindowsError: [Error 126] The specified module could not be found`

I am pretty sure I put the dll in the same directory, do you have any idea what might be wrong?

Thank you

Originally posted by @bhushansavalia in #18 (comment)

In the original APT software, there is an LED indicator that shows whether the hardware is connected to the controller or not. How do I implement the same here? Motor.initializeHardwareDevice() is not throwing any error even when there is no hardware connected to the specified controller.
(I'm using the Thorlabs FW103S filter wheels connected to a TCH001 T cube controller, which has individual TST001 controller units.)

In line 129 under the setStageAxisInformation() function variable pitch is set to equal c_float(self.config.get_pitch()) and it falls on "self.config is not defined". indeed self.config is nowhere to be found in the code. Is there a way to bypass that/set the axis information.
I'll keep looking for a way and update if i find something.

    def setStageAxisInformation(self, minimumPosition, maximumPosition):
        minimumPosition = c_float(minimumPosition)
        maximumPosition = c_float(maximumPosition)
        units = c_long(1) #units of mm
        # Get different pitches of lead screw for moving stages for different stages.
        **pitch = c_float(self.config.get_pitch())**
        self.aptdll.MOT_SetStageAxisInfo(self.SerialNum, minimumPosition, maximumPosition, units, pitch)
        return True

Hi, I used the pyapt.py to control the stage, but when it ran through self.aptdll.APTInit() something was wrong, I couldn't figure out the reason. Can anyone help me? Thanks.

Thanks for the good work,

I was wandering it is possible to control a piezo cube controller TPZ001 with this wrapper?
Hardwaretype is 30.
System Level Exports command as GetHWInfo or APTInit work fine but no Specific Exports for piezo controller seems to exist in the apt.dll or APTAPI.h

Maxime

Hi,
I'm using two NRT100/M stages with controller BSC202 (1ch driver card is SCC001, hwtype = 21).
I'm able to move my stage in the forward direction but it doesn't respond to any backwards moving commands including go_home. I tried different sets of home parameters but none of them helped.
I was wondering if you might know what I've missed to get it work?
Thanks.

I came across an error with the go_home() function. The problem is that when go_home() function is executed the program crashes with the following error message:

c:\PyAPT.pyc in go_home(self)
292 raise Exception('Please connect first! Use initializeHardwareDevice')
293 if self.verbose: print 'go_home SUCESS'
--> 294 self.aptdll.MOT_MoveHome(self.SerialNum)
295 return True
296

Any suggestion on how to solve this issue?

How would I be able to get this to work for a hardware # of 40? I know it's not on the list but this seems like it might be the only way I can control it

I am getting error on the display "At Rev Limit" and it can't move back (KDC 101 Motor with Z812B stage).
I must admit that initially when i started my work (2 months back) I was able to move it back, but now I have many more features to my GUI ( I need to do other stuff too) and it doesn't go back!

Can anyone help?

I am trying to interface with a MFF 101/102 Motorized flipper in MATLAB 2015bx32, and I was wondering where the header file for this library is and if you have a 32-bit version of the library.

I am a novice coder, so please excuse any ignorance in the above question. That being said, I would also love any suggestions you might have. All I need to do is get the motor to change positions.

In principle the code seems to work fine with the Thorlabs Kinesis KDC101 controller using HWTYPE=31. However, only after replacing the DLL (APT.dll and APT.lib) with copies of the latest one from Thorlabs (found in the folders of the Thorlabs APT software after installing it or here APTDLL.zip ).

This wrapper is great! Thanks for taking the time to do this.

I have one concern though. In my project, I am using a NI-DAQ to scan over a target. My plan is to use this motor control to move the target while I scan. Therefore, I need some sort of trigger. I saw the command MOT_SET_TRIGGER in the manual. I tried to load this command and noticed that it was not in the PyAPT.py file. So i figured I could add it and that did not work either. I opened up the APT.lib and the command was not even in the the .lib file.

Is there something I am missing here? I figured that the APT files would have all the command from the Thorlabs APT Controllers manual. If this is not possible, do you have any suggestions on how I can sync the start of the motor with the start of the scanning?

Thanks again for making this and I hope to hear from you soon!

I'm guessing this is outside the scope of this project, but I didn't see any closed issues on this, so: are there any plans to support Kinesis, or does anyone know of a Python project that does? The best I've found so far is instrumental-lib, which has a basic implementation for one device.

I guess Thorlabs introduced Kinesis in 2016 and is using that for new devices. My impression is that Kinesis software will drive APT devices, but APT software won't drive Kinesis devices.

Very useful code !

I'm trying to use an OUT trigger from a motor (XY stage MLS203, controlled by BBD202 precisely) to trig a display.
In the manual of the controller BBD202 (5.3.4 section page 53), , it says that I must use the "LLSetGetDigOPs" method, which I cannot find in the APT.dll

It seems to be a low-level method : do you know how I can use it ? Do I have to use the RS232 connection, if so what are the commands to communicate ?

(also, I tried with APT user, but even when I select "persist to hardware" the trigger seems to be the same when I move the stage, i.e. a TTL output of a certain width even if I change the mode from "Max vel. reached" to "Motion complete" for instance)

Thanks !