Newport ESP300 – Motion Controller

The Newport ESP300 is a single to three-axis motion controller and driver system that integrates control and drive electronics into a unified chassis for precision positioning and automation. It drives 2-phase stepper motors and brush DC servo motors—both open-loop and closed-loop—delivering up to 3 A at 48 V per axis. The system features a 32-bit floating-point DSP processor with digital PID feed-forward servo control, 1000x programmable micro-step resolution for stepper motors, and an 18-bit DC motor command output for enhanced stability. Motion capabilities include synchronized and non-synchronized point-to-point positioning, jogging, linear and circular interpolation, and continuous path contouring. Advanced functions encompass electronic gearing for axis slaving, on-the-fly trajectory modification, software limits, backlash compensation, and origin search with encoder index pulse detection. The controller communicates via RS-232-C, optional IEEE-488 (GPIB), and USB 2.0, with 16 bi-directional digital I/O for event synchronization. It accepts 115/230 VAC input with an integrated 150 W power supply. Programming uses a command-based language with over 100 motion commands; 64 kB Flash memory stores up to 100 user programs for standalone operation. The compact 2U form factor (42 × 31 × 8 cm, 7 kg) suits both rack-mount and bench-top installations. Comprehensive LabVIEW drivers and Windows communication DLLs accelerate application development.