A control unit of a piezoelectric drive device calculates a maximum deceleration α applied to a driven part by the piezoelectric drive device using a friction force F2max between the piezoelectric drive device and the driven part and a mass m of the driven part, calculates a distance Ln to a target position from a present position of the driven part detected by a position sensor, calculates a reference velocity vth of the driven part using the maximum deceleration α and the distance Ln from the present position of the driven part to the target position, calculates a velocity vn of the driven part from a temporal change of the present position of the driven part detected by the position sensor, and performs control to apply a drive force from the piezoelectric drive device to the driven part when the present velocity vn of the driven part is lower than the reference velocity vth, and apply a brake force from the piezoelectric drive device to the driven part when the present velocity vn is equal to or higher than the reference velocity vth.

A piezoelectric element drive circuit includes a piezoelectric element driven at a predetermined frequency and having a resonant frequency of (2n+1) times the predetermined frequency (n is a predetermined natural number), and a drive voltage generator that has a first output terminal connected to a first terminal of the piezoelectric element and a second output terminal connected to a second terminal of the piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric element is driven, a waveform of potential difference between the first output terminal and the second output terminal is a step wave which transitions while taking an intermediate potential. A time length for which the potential difference is the intermediate potential is around (t2−t1)/(2n+1) in a period of time from time t.sub.1 at which the potential difference falls to the intermediate potential to time t.sub.2 at which the potential difference falls to the intermediate potential subsequently.

A piezoelectric element drive circuit includes a piezoelectric element driven at a predetermined frequency and having a resonant frequency of (2n+1) times the predetermined frequency (n is a predetermined natural number), and a drive voltage generator that has a first output terminal connected to a first terminal of the piezoelectric element and a second output terminal connected to a second terminal of the piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric element is driven, a waveform of potential difference between the first output terminal and the second output terminal is a step wave which transitions while taking an intermediate potential. A time length for which the potential difference is the intermediate potential is around (t2−t1)/(2n+1) in a period of time from time t.sub.1 at which the potential difference falls to the intermediate potential to time t.sub.2 at which the potential difference falls to the intermediate potential subsequently.

A method for identifying a mechanical impedance of an electromagnetic load may include generating a waveform signal for driving an electromagnetic load and, during driving of the electromagnetic load by the waveform signal or a signal derived therefrom, receiving a current signal representative of a current associated with the electromagnetic load and a back electromotive force signal representative of a back electromotive force associated with the electromagnetic load. The method may also include implementing an adaptive filter to identify parameters of the mechanical impedance of the electromagnetic load, wherein an input of a coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a first signal derived from the back electromotive force signal and a target of the coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a second signal derived from the current signal.

A method for identifying a mechanical impedance of an electromagnetic load may include generating a waveform signal for driving an electromagnetic load and, during driving of the electromagnetic load by the waveform signal or a signal derived therefrom, receiving a current signal representative of a current associated with the electromagnetic load and a back electromotive force signal representative of a back electromotive force associated with the electromagnetic load. The method may also include implementing an adaptive filter to identify parameters of the mechanical impedance of the electromagnetic load, wherein an input of a coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a first signal derived from the back electromotive force signal and a target of the coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a second signal derived from the current signal.

A stick-slip piezo motor. At least one voltage source is connected to a piezo motor. The piezo motor has at least one oscillating piezo element and at least one moving friction element connected to the oscillating piezo element. The moving friction element moves in a desired travel direction. A computer is programmed to control the voltage source to deliver voltage to the piezo motor at a predetermined frequency and amplitude to control the speed of the piezo motor. The computer is programmed to hold the frequency constant while varying the amplitude to adjust the speed of the piezo motor. In a preferred embodiment the computer is programmed to hold the frequency constant at an ultrasonic frequency. In another preferred embodiment the computer is programmed to hold the frequency constant at a value of 15 kHz or higher.

A positioning system can include a drive unit having an actuator element and a control system. The actuator element can include a piezoelectric material. The control system can be configured to select a path between a first position and a second position, identify at least one change of direction of the actuator element along the selected path, generate a hysteresis-compensated drive signal based at least in part on the change in direction, and apply the hysteresis-compensated drive signal to the actuator element to move an object along the path.

A device for shifting a nonlinear crystal arranged to frequency convert a laser beam includes an anchor, a mount for holding the nonlinear crystal, and two parallel flexures each interconnecting the mount and the anchor to cantilever the mount from the anchor. Each flexure extends in a first horizontal direction from the mount to the anchor. The two flexures being offset from each other in a vertical direction. The device also includes a transducer connecting between the anchor and the mount. Bending of the transducer shifts the position of the mount in the vertical direction, and the two parallel flexures cooperate to prevent rotation of the mount during shifting of the mount position induced by the transducer. This device provides an inexpensive and compact crystal-shifter solution with crystal-orientation stability equaling that of far more costly and bulky conventional translation stages.

A device for shifting a nonlinear crystal arranged to frequency convert a laser beam includes an anchor, a mount for holding the nonlinear crystal, and two parallel flexures each interconnecting the mount and the anchor to cantilever the mount from the anchor. Each flexure extends in a first horizontal direction from the mount to the anchor. The two flexures being offset from each other in a vertical direction. The device also includes a transducer connecting between the anchor and the mount. Bending of the transducer shifts the position of the mount in the vertical direction, and the two parallel flexures cooperate to prevent rotation of the mount during shifting of the mount position induced by the transducer. This device provides an inexpensive and compact crystal-shifter solution with crystal-orientation stability equaling that of far more costly and bulky conventional translation stages.

A method for identifying a mechanical impedance of an electromagnetic load may include generating a waveform signal for driving an electromagnetic load and, during driving of the electromagnetic load by the waveform signal or a signal derived therefrom, receiving a current signal representative of a current associated with the electromagnetic load and a back electromotive force signal representative of a back electromotive force associated with the electromagnetic load. The method may also include implementing an adaptive filter to identify parameters of the mechanical impedance of the electromagnetic load, wherein an input of a coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a first signal derived from the back electromotive force signal and a target of the coefficient control for adapting coefficients of the adaptive filter is a second signal derived from the current signal.