17
Introduction to the Autosampler
1
Transport Assembly
The stepper motor positions are determined by the optical encoders mounted
onto the stepper-motor housing. The encoders monitor the position of the
motors continually, and correct for position errors automatically (e.g. if the
gripper is accidentally moved out of position when loading vials into the vial
tray). The initialization positions of the moving components are sensed by
reflection sensors mounted on the flex board. These positions are used by the
processor to calculate the actual motor position. An additional six reflection
sensors for tray recognition are mounted on the flex board at the front of the
assembly.