KBD101 In Stock

The ThorLabs KBD101 is a K-Cube brushless DC motor controller that provides both local and computerized control of a single motor axis. With the ability to drive a variety of rotary and linear brushless 3-phase DC motors with peak coil current up to 2 A, this powerful device has been specifically designed for out-of-the-box operation with brushless DC servo motor equipped stages. When paired with compatible stages, the KBD101 can achieve impressive speeds of up to 500 mm/s, making it a perfect solution for high-speed positioning applications.

The KBD101 features a top-mounted control panel with a velocity wheel that supports four-speed bidirectional control with forward and reverse jogging as well as position presets. The digital display on the top panel includes a backlight that can be dimmed or turned off using the top panel menu options. The KBD101 also boasts two bidirectional trigger ports on its front that can be used to read a 5 V external logic signal or output a 5 V logic signal to control external equipment. Each port can be independently configured to control the logic level or to set the trigger as an input or output.

The KBD101 has a highly compact 60.0 mm x 60.0 mm x 49.2 mm footprint, which can be positioned in proximity to the motorized system for increased convivence when adjusting motor positions manually with the controls on the top panel. The device can be conveniently powered down using the front-located power switch, which saves all user-adjustable settings for future use. For easy connectivity with a PC, the KBD101 comes equipped with a 1.5 m long Type A to Type Micro B USB 3.0 cable. This feature allows for 'Plug-and-Play' PC-controlled operation with two available software platforms: a Kinesis software package or an Advanced Positioning Technology (APT) software package.

The KBD101 features a mounting plate that clips onto the base of the controller. The plate contains two magnets for temporary placement on an optical table and two counterbores for 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws for more permanent placement on the tabletop. Additionally, the device is highly flexible and supports operation with a wide range of third-party DC servo motors and associated stages and actuators. The KBD101 can be powered by either a single-channel or hub-based power supply, depending on the end user's application and whether compatible power supplies are readily available. Multiple units can be connected to a single PC by using compatible USB controller hubs for multi-axis motion control applications.