Abstract: A multi-axis positioner comprising: a fixed part (40) having drive mounts (42, 44, 46) for receiving a plurality of drive inputs and a movable part (30) having surfaces for attaching a sample, wherein multiple drive trains, one for each of up to six motion axes, connect the drive inputs to the movable part. The whole device has a cuboid shape with the movable part fitting inside one corner. All the motion axes are driven by access through the two internally facing sides of the movable part, leaving all other sides free for sample mounting and/or external access. The whole device can be mounted in any orientation, e.g. on its side or upside down. It has flat mounting surfaces on each side, on the top and bottom and on the front. Only the rear is not available for mounting, since it is reserved as a drive input face for receiving the micrometer, or other, drives.

Abstract: A general problem with optical component systems is the prevalence of two separate standards, the metric standard and the Imperial standard. Both standards arm well established and there is no prospect of one standard dominating in the forsceable future. In the metric standard, optical tables, breadboards and other items are provided with square grids having a 25 mm or 50 mm pitch. In the Imperial standard, the pitch is instead 1 or 2 inches. Optical rail systems, cage assembly systems and the like thus have to be specifically manufactured for each standard. The invention builds on the fact that in the metric system, the optical rods used have diameter of 12 mm (radius 6 mm), whereus in the Imperial system they have a diameter of ½ inch (radius ¼ inch).