Method and apparatus for controlling coordinate displacements of a platform

In an image analysis system comprising a microscope, at least one TV camera mounted on the microscope, and a computer station in communication with the microscope, an apparatus for controlling coordinate displacements of a platform comprising:

• manually actuated displacements means for mechanically providing an input signal of the desired displacement in two directions x, y;
• first displacements means and an associated displacement signal channel assigned to the x-coordinate and second displacement means associated with a second displacement signal channel assigned to the y-coordinate of the platform;
• means for transmitting the mechanical input signal indicating the desired displacement to a position encoder acting as an electromechanical transducer;
• position encoder for transducing the mechanical input signal into a number of pulses which number is proportional to the mechanical input signal in accordance with the resolution of the position encoder given in pulses per displacement unit;
• a pulse decoder which receives the transmitted pulses and registers the pulse input displacement signal for each coordinate x, y;
• electrical means for transforming a pulse output displacement signal from the pulse input displacement signal;
• driver means for converting the result of the pulse transformation into a motor drive signal;
• and
• a motor at the output of each displacement signal channel, each motor acting as an electromechanical transducer for displacing the platform along the coordinates x, y.