ThermoComp™ Functions

Optional Purchase Necessary: The information on this page applies only if you purchased the ThermoComp™ feature on your Aerotech positioning product.

Thermal Compensation

ThermoComp™ is a feature of the Automation1 controller that applies physical calibration to stages when the thermal state of the stage environment changes. The software uses axis calibration tables to apply ThermoComp. The axes that are specified in the axis calibration tables are the axes to which ThermoComp is applied. Refer to Axis Calibration for more information.

Standard Configuration

Aerotech supplies a compiled AeroScript program (.a1exe file) that correctly configures ThermoComp for your system. You can configure this file to run automatically through Program Automation so that ThermoComp is always active for your system. This will let the .a1exe file run after each controller reset, setting the calibration tables with the coefficients that are specific to your system.

For more information about how to automate AeroScript programs, see the Program Automation Module page. This module is part of the Develop workspace.

Advanced Configuration

Although Aerotech fully configures the ThermoComp feature at the factory with coefficients that are specific to your system, it is possible to customize your system more with advanced ThermoComp configuration functions.

Thermal compensation is applied based on the mode of operation. Use the ThermoCompMode enumeration to specify the type of stage.

Specifies the mode of operation for the given calibration table and specifies the analog configuration of the sensor that reads the thermal state of the stage environment.

Arguments

$table  The calibration table to configure.

$mode  The specified mode of ThermoComp.

$axis  The axis that contains the thermal state sensor.

$analogChannel  The analog input number connected to the thermal state sensor.

enum ThermoCompMode
   LinearStage = 0
   BallScrewStage = 1
end

Specifies the mode of operation for the given calibration table using the dedicated temperature sensor to read the thermal state of the stage environment.

Arguments

$table  The calibration table to configure.

$mode  The specified mode of ThermoComp.

$axis  The axis that contains the thermal state sensor.

enum ThermoCompMode
   LinearStage = 0
   BallScrewStage = 1
end

Specifies all of the coefficient values for the given calibration table.

Arguments

$table  The calibration table to configure.

$minTemp  Minimum bound on compensated temperature values.

$maxTemp  Maximum bound on compensated temperature values.

$values  Calibration coefficients.

Configures the regular updating interval of the given calibration table.

Arguments

$table  The calibration table to configure.

$updateInterval  The update interval specified in seconds.

Resets all previously applied ThermoComp configurations.

Operation

After configuration, ThermoComp can be enabled to apply thermal calibration to the specified stages on the designated interval. AeroScript functions are available for enabling and disabling ThermoComp, and manually controlling the calibration updates.

Turn ThermoComp calibration on for all configured tables.

Turn ThermoComp calibration off for all configured tables.

Pause automatic updates for all ThermoComp calibration tables.

Resume automatic updates for all ThermoComp calibration tables.

Immediately trigger a manual update for all ThermoComp calibration tables.

ThermoComp Status

When the ThermoCompOn() function is executed, the ThermoCompEnabled bit of AxisStatusItem.AxisStatus changes to ON for each axis that has ThermoComp enabled.

The controller also features several system status items that identify key features of ThermoComp operation, including:

  • ThermoCompSensorTemperature
  • ThermoCompControllingTemperature
  • ThermoCompCompensatingTemperature
  • ThermoCompStatus