Stacking: An Alternative To Cognisys.

I use a home-brew system with a Vexta stepper that is driven by a Trinamic motor controller. Helicon Remote is optimized with Trinamic controls, using a FTDI USB converter. Since Helicon recognizes the FTDI driver, it sends the appropriate Trinamic control commands. It worked perfectly right out of the box.

I ended up buying some extra FTDI USB converters, and some Trinamic controllers, and am playing around now with different ways of automating stacking, but all using Helicon Remote.

I wonder if it's a Trinamic driver. I bet it is, as that's the easiest component to source. If so, then the system might integrate well with Helicon Remote. If anyone is thinking of buying one of these it might be worth asking. Helicon Remote is very user friendly and communicates with Nikon and Canon cameras directly through the USB connection. No additional camera shutter trigger cables are required.

I've never worried too much about stacking artifacts for coins. The problems mostly come in with more 3D objects, with fine wiry features like hair or spurs. The only issues I've seen with stacking is in distortion caused by non-telecentric optics. I usually turn off any scaling that would normally happen between frames to line pixels up as the magnification changes slightly due to perspective. If I force no scaling, then the slight changes in scale frame to frame causes slight shifts in features (at the pixel level) as the depth map is filled in. This has proven to be less of an issue than the unsharpness that results from microscaling.


Helicon doesn't change color from the source files at all from what I can tell. "Truer color" may mean that things are being enhanced, which is a definite no-no for coins.

They may be achieving smaller steps by using a stepper with smaller angle steps. I think the stackshot uses a 1.8deg per step motor, but recently 0.9deg per step motors became popular from Chinese mfrs and that may be how they achieve the smaller step size.

More important to me is repeatability and backlash. The rail I bought has essentially zero backlash. It goes exactly back to the starting or ending points. I think the backlash is less than a um. I have heard the StackShot has a bit of backlash, but I've never tested one. I wonder how much backlash the WeMacro system has? Is it spec'd? Backlash is very annoying when doing stacks.

Hi I'm William from WeMacro.Just found there was some discussion here maybe I can make it clear.
First,about the software,we already updated PC software after Johan's review ... from http://extreme-macro.co.uk/wemacro-rail/
The rail now can be controlled by windows though usb cable or bluetooth on Android phone.The app for iphone was completed and wait for app store approval.
In new software,the backlash can be easily compensated by just pressing one buttom(the value of backlash is about 190 micron).
There are two demo videos in youtube.
New pc software
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_vKJJCJUGE
New android bluetooth control(It's almost same in iphone )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_NPN9j6ozk

By the way,the type of motor we used is 1.8 degree.We use micro step to achieve 1 micron step.And the price of the rail we change to 249 USD now.(without shipping charge and VAT)

williamG thank you. I am interested in getting setup. again thank you

Hi Rocky
The adapter we used is 12V 2 amps.But the real current when it is stacking at micron level is about 0.3-0.4amp.The rail have 2 speed setting.
1,Fast mode,set step length at millimeter,the rail will move fast to coarse adjust.The curent is about 0.8-0.9 amp at that time.2 Amp's adapter is mainly for start up current in mm mode in very very short time when it start.The maximum current we had read from multimeter is 0.9 amp.
2,Slow mode,set step length at microns,the current is about 0.3-0.4 amp when it's moving.And it will be about 0.3 amp when the rail is idle.
We had tested the battery pack in our store which can load 3 18650 2700mha.It can work at least four hours.
I hope this information can help.