StackShot and WeMacro rails and Trinamic Stepper Motor

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Helicon Remote can control StackShot and WeMacro macro rails and Trinamic stepper motors.

In extreme macro and micro photography the depth of field can be as shallow as a few hundredths of a millimeter. In these cases, macro rails and stepper motors can be used to adjust the camera's position relative to the object of interest. These devices are able to move the camera — and thus the focusing plane — in submillimeter steps.

If a compatible device is connected, Helicon Remote sends stepping commands to the external device instead of a camera lens.

Using external steppers has the following advantages:

1. Precision: macro rails can move the focusing plane by tiny steps of about 0.01 mm. Custom-built setups can give even greater precision.
2. Reliability: camera lenses sometimes ignore focusing commands due to mechanical issues. Stepper motors never miss steps.
3. Linearity: the movement of the focusing plane is unequal, i.e., not linear, when made by a camera lens. Steppers take equal steps.
4. Custom applications: you can use steppers to shift or rotate objects instead of the camera or the rotating knob of a microscope.

Trinamic Stepper Motors

We support Tmcm-1141 single axis stepper motor. We also support older model, Trinamic PANDrive PD3-110-42-232, however, its production and sales have been discontinued.

See the Tmcm-1141 Technical Data Sheet for more details.

Trinamic Tmcm-1141 costs about $200.

For Trinamic PANDrive PD3-110-42-232 you will also need a USB-RS232 converter ($30-40) to connect the motor to a computer.

You may be able to find similar converters in computer stores. Please make sure that any converter you buy is based on an FTDI chip. Otherwise the program will not be able to find it.

For both models you will also need a 12-28V DC power supply with a maximum current of 1.5A or more. Almost any laptop power supply will conform to these parameters.

Click here to see how to wire a USB converter and Trinamic motor.

StackShot Macro Rails

The StackShot is an electronically controlled macro-rail. See a full description here: http://www.cognisys-inc.com.

The non-USB version of the StackShot costs $475. The USB version costs $525.00

This includes the StackShot controller with USB, stepper-motor-enabled macro rail, AC adapter (US, EU, AUS, or UK), and a 2m motor cable.

WeMacro Rail

WeMacro is an automatic focus stacking rail. Total travel length is 100 mm, minimum step can be set to 1 micron in precise mode.

Please check the official Web site for full description and prices.

Please note that only Win and Mac OS versions of Helicon Remote 2x and later support control of StackShot Macro Rail, WeMacro rail and Trinamic Stepper Motors