Abstract: In an apparatus having a clock and a movable stage, a method of synchronizing the occurrence of the stage reaching a target velocity or target location with the clock signal, comprising:a) determining the clock period;b) before beginning movement of the movable stage, for a first relative time in the clock cycle, determining a calculated relative time of the target velocity or target location;c) if the calculated relative time differs from a predetermined second relative time in the clock cycle, then adding a delay commencing at the first relative time before beginning movement of the movable stage which moves the actual occurrence of the target velocity or target location to another relative time.