| 摘要 |
<p>An apparatus and method for homing and synchronizing various drive modules (12, 14) for a carrier tape (10) of an instrument (100) initially establishes a phase offset (Pm) and path length (Xm) for each module (12, 14) incorporated into the instrument (100), either before or after homing of the modules (12, 14). In particular, with knowledge of the overall tape path length (Xu) associated with the instrument (100) based on the various individual module path lengths (Xm), a phase offset (Pm) for each drive module (12, 14) relative to the total path length (Xu) for the tape (10) is determined through the use of position sensors (102) provided on the modules (12, 14). From this information, a consensus position is calculated and used to shift the drive pins (18) of the various modules (12, 14) during synchronization. In this fashion, the individual modules (12, 14) are assured to be synchronized to properly interact with and drive the tape (10) during operation of the instrument (100).</p> |
