SEM: Motorized Stage #10

New issue

Open

opened 2025-05-22 20:01:43 +00:00 by rahix · 2 comments

rahix commented

2025-05-22 20:01:43 +00:00

Owner

We already have a motorized stage (X, Y and Z axes) for our SEM "Kevin", but it is currently still broken.

rahix added the

Type

Equipment

label 2025-05-22 20:01:43 +00:00

forgejo-actions commented

2025-05-22 20:02:22 +00:00

Partial Techtree

flowchart BT

    classDef eoi fill:#fff, stroke:#000, color:#000;
    classDef dependant fill:#fff, stroke:#888, color:#888;
    classDef dep_missing fill:#fcc, stroke:#800, color:#000;
    classDef dep_assigned fill:#ffa, stroke:#a50, color:#000;
    classDef dep_completed fill:#afa, stroke:#080, color:#000;
    0:::eoi
    0["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/10' target='_blank'>#10</a> | ASSIGNED\n<i>Equipment</i>\n<b>SEM: Motorized Stage</b>"]
    1:::dep_completed
    1["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/28' target='_blank'>#28</a> | COMPLETED\n<i>Equipment</i>\n<b>Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)</b>"]
    2:::dep_completed
    2["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/26' target='_blank'>#26</a> | COMPLETED\n<i>Equipment</i>\n<b>Water Cooling</b>"]
    3:::dependant
    3["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/11' target='_blank'>#11</a> | MISSING\n<i>Process</i>\n<b>Simple Chip Imaging</b>"]
    4:::dependant
    4["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/17' target='_blank'>#17</a> | MISSING\n<i>Process</i>\n<b>SEM Nanoprobing/Live Analysis</b>"]
    1 --> 2
    0 --> 1
    3 --> 0
    4 --> 0

Digest: 4bd19053f219fd4bacc5997f36f54d39873813e6ca4b92751377389c63d269e7; Last Updated: 2025-05-25 15:31:08

## Partial Techtree ```mermaid flowchart BT classDef eoi fill:#fff, stroke:#000, color:#000; classDef dependant fill:#fff, stroke:#888, color:#888; classDef dep_missing fill:#fcc, stroke:#800, color:#000; classDef dep_assigned fill:#ffa, stroke:#a50, color:#000; classDef dep_completed fill:#afa, stroke:#080, color:#000; 0:::eoi 0["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/10' target='_blank'>#10</a> | ASSIGNED\nEquipment\nSEM: Motorized Stage"] 1:::dep_completed 1["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/28' target='_blank'>#28</a> | COMPLETED\nEquipment\nScanning Electron Microscope (SEM)"] 2:::dep_completed 2["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/26' target='_blank'>#26</a> | COMPLETED\nEquipment\nWater Cooling"] 3:::dependant 3["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/11' target='_blank'>#11</a> | MISSING\nProcess\nSimple Chip Imaging"] 4:::dependant 4["<a href='https://git.fa-fo.de/fafo/techtree/issues/17' target='_blank'>#17</a> | MISSING\nProcess\nSEM Nanoprobing/Live Analysis"] 1 --> 2 0 --> 1 3 --> 0 4 --> 0 ``` Digest: 4bd19053f219fd4bacc5997f36f54d39873813e6ca4b92751377389c63d269e7; Last Updated: 2025-05-25 15:31:08

rahix added a new dependency 2025-05-22 20:03:45 +00:00

#11 Simple Chip Imaging

rahix added the

Needs Documentation

label 2025-05-22 20:09:37 +00:00

rahix added a new dependency 2025-05-22 20:11:15 +00:00

#17 SEM Nanoprobing/Live Analysis

rahix added a new dependency 2025-05-22 22:55:32 +00:00

#28 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

0ff was assigned by q3k

2025-05-24 10:00:21 +00:00

q3k commented

2025-05-24 10:13:43 +00:00

Owner

More details off the top of my head:

The Y axis has had its actuator shaft broken off alongside the manual handle and encoder for its motor.
Because of 1., the Y and R (unmotorized) controls have been swapped within the SEM, ie. the internal axes/u-joints have been redone to have instead R be Y, and the motorized stage has been decommissioned.
0ff hacked together a temporary solution to the broken axle (keeping it as R, though) be gluing the broken shaft back together to get any feedback going from the motor. Due to a reassembly mishap however, the endstops no longer work.
Regardless of the fix above, the motor controller does not want to start up and instead throws cryptic error codes over serial.

There are a few possible further avenues here:

Fix the original stage controller and somehow properly fix the broken axle. This will probably require a whole bunch of Z80 code to be reverse engineered, as the stage controller is made up of two of them working in tandem.
Retrofit new actuators and a new controller.

More details off the top of my head: 1. The Y axis has had its actuator shaft broken off alongside the manual handle and encoder for its motor. 2. Because of 1., the Y and R (unmotorized) controls have been swapped within the SEM, ie. the internal axes/u-joints have been redone to have instead R be Y, and the motorized stage has been decommissioned. 3. 0ff hacked together a temporary solution to the broken axle (keeping it as R, though) be gluing the broken shaft back together to get _any_ feedback going from the motor. Due to a reassembly mishap however, the endstops no longer work. 4. Regardless of the fix above, the motor controller does not want to start up and instead throws cryptic error codes over serial. There are a few possible further avenues here: 1. Fix the original stage controller and somehow properly fix the broken axle. This will probably require a whole bunch of Z80 code to be reverse engineered, as the stage controller is made up of two of them working in tandem. 2. Retrofit new actuators and a new controller.