Meridian
TM-400™
User’s Guide
Motorized Turntable
for Rotational Object
Photography
Chapter 1
AssemblingtheTM-400
STEP A:UNPACKING THE BOXES
The components are detailed below. Please make sure that all parts are included. Examine the parts for any
signs of shipping damage. In the event of shipping damage, immediately contact Kaidan, or your local
distributor to process claims. If any items are missing or you notice any damage, call Kaidan at 215-364-1778,
between the hours of 10:00 am and 6:00 PM, Mon-Fri, EST.
TM-400 PACKING LIST
Description (Item#)
Qty
Box # 1
Box#3
Top support and gearbox ass’y
(1 and 7)
1/2”hub(Part of 7)
10-24 z 1/2”SHCS (10)
18”turntable ass’y (20)
Shaft collar (13)
Motor (9)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
Motor Cable(Not Shown)
Controller (Not Shown)
3/8”hub (Part of 9)
coupler (Part of 9)
eMCee software disk (Mac)
eMCee software disk(Windows)
Serial Cable (Mac)
Serial Cable (Windows)
Sin 8a Serial Converter
Power Cord
Box#2
Side channel support (2)
Industrial glide (3)
Ajustable pedestal ass’y
(14,16,17,18 & 19)
2
4
1
Shaft collar (13)
1
RJ45 Cabling - 4’
RJ45 Cabling - 6”
Box#4
36”turntable ass’y (Not shown)
1
Page - 3
TM-400 Hardware List
Hardware Package
99-1069 1/2-13 Jam Nuts
99-1070 1/2 Split LockWashers
99-1071 1.5 ODx.5 ID FenderWshrs
99-1073 Industrial Glide
Qty.
8.00
4.00
8.00
4.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
8.00
2.00
8.00
1.00
99-1116 Knob 3-Point, 1/4-20 Std
99-1028 3/32 Hex Wrench
99-1117 7/64 allen Wrench
99-2018 1/8 allen Wrench
99-2019 3/16 allen Wrench
99-2020 5/32 allen Wrench
99-2118 1/4 allen wrench
99-2119 5/16 allen wrench
99-2023 3/8 x 1 1/4 SHCS
99-2033 1/4 x 2 Hitch pins
99-2078 3/8 Split Lockwasher
99-2094 Ball Thrust Bearing/INA-455
82-4090bearing spacer
1.00
99-2208 Hex Bolt 3/8-16 x 2.25 lg.
99-2134 3/8 SAE Washer
99-2209 3/8 Wing Nut
4.00
8.00
4.00
Page - 4
Chapter 1
STEP B:IDENTIFYING THE MERIDIAN TM-400COMPONENTS.
PLEASE REFER TO PACKING LIST FOR ITEM NUMBERS
Page - 5
Chapter 1
STEP C:ATTACHING THE SIDE SUPPORTS TO THE BASE
The side supports (Item #2) will accept the four industrial glides, two on each side.Attach them using the 1/
2”flat washers, lockwashers and nuts(Fig A). Once you have attached the industrial glides, each side support
can be attached to either side of the base assembly.To attach the side supports use the 3/8 socket screws
(Item 6) including a 3/8 flat & lockwashers(Fig B).
Fig. B
Fig. A
STEP D:ATTACHING MOTOR AND TO THE BASE
The motor(9) ships with the 3/8”hub and coupler attached.The coupler has grooves that will mate with
the grooved hubs attached to the motor(9) and turntable gearbox(7). Remove and use the four 10-24 screws
in the base assembly, attach the motor and align the coupler with the hubs.(Fig C) Take the motor cable and
attache the appropriate end to the wire harness coming from the motor
Fig. C
Motor
Gearbox
Coupler
Page - 6
STEP E:ATTACHING PEDESTAL /TURNTABLES
The pedestal and turntable assemblies for your Meridian TM-400 all use the same mounting system.The
adjustable pedestal (14, 16, 17, 18, 19) and the 18”turntable base(20) are fitted with a clamp collar.The collar is
designed to rest upon the large thrust bearing and support plate, which are placed “free floating”around
the pedestal axle. (Fig D) The 36” turntable bolts to the 18”turntable using four 3/8-16 x 2 1/4 hexbolts, eight
3/8 flatwashers and four 3/8 wingnuts.
Fig. D
Pedestal
Clamp
Collar
Pedestal
Axle
Bearing
Support
Plate
STEP F: USING THE ADJUSTABLE PEDESTAL
The adjustable pedestal can be adjusted intovarious heights using the two cotter pins (15) provided. The
adjustable pedestal has a series of set screws for locking the pedestal into a fixed position, removing any
lateral clearance needed for pedestal adjustment.
The top of the assembly is outfitted with single pedestal cap attached by a set screw.The pededstal cap has
a 1/4-20 thread that can accept bolts, for attaching small platforms and/or objects.
(Note:For complete instructions on controller and software installation., consult software disk shipped
Page - 7
Kaidan Warrant y and Return Policy
Limited Warranty
In the event of a defect in materials or workmanship, Kaidan will repair the product with new or
rebuilt parts for a period of three-hundred and sixty five (365) days from the date of original
purchase. Such workwill be performed free of charge. Follow the Product Return Procedure, Item D
below.
Likewise, any software purchased from Kaidan also comes with a one year warranty ifyour disc or
media is defective or damaged.
This warranty is extended onlyto the original purchaser and is not transferable.A purchase receipt
or other proof of date of original purchase will be required before warranty performance is
rendered.
This warranty only covers failures due to defects in materials or workmanship which occur during
normal use. It does not cover damages or failures which are caused from accident, misuse, abuse,
neglect, mishandling, misapplication, alteration, faulty installation, modification, service by anyone
other than an authorized representative of Kaidan,Acts of God or by products not supplied by
Kaidan.
This warranty covers any damage incurred during original shipment of product to customer.
Any item resold or distributed by and not explicitlymanufactured by Kaidan will be covered bytheir
respective company’s product warranty.
Warranty Exclusions
There are no express warranties except as listed above.
KAIDAN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIALOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES,
INCLUDING,WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF
GOODWILL, PROFITS OR REVENUE, LOSS OFTHE USE OFTHIS PRODUCTOR ANYASSOCIATED
EQUIPMENT, COSTOF SUBSTITUTE EQUIPMENT, DOWNTIME COSTS, OR CLAIMS OFANYPARTY
DEALING WITH BUYER FOR SUCH DAMAGES, RESULTING FROM USE OFTHIS PRODUCT OR ARISING
FROM BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, OR ANYOTHER LEGALTHEORY.ALL
EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITYAND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,ARE LIMITED TO THE APPLICABLE WARRANTY PERIOD SET
FORTH ABOVE.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, or limitations on
how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above exclusions or limitations may not apply to you.
This warranty and any claims which arise with the Kaidan product(s) are governed by the laws of
the state of Pennsylvania. By purchasing this product, customer acknowledges and agrees to these
Limits and Exclusions. If a problem with your Kaidan product develops during the warrantyperiod,
immediately contact Kaidan for assistance.
Product Return Policy
All Kaidan products come with a 30-day return policy (some restocking fees may apply) from date of
purchase, with the exception of software or videotapes.
Both of the aforementioned items are copyrighted and subject to the laws concerning intellectual
property. Kaidan will replace defective software/videotapes free of charge upon return receipt of
defective item(s). Products returned under this policy, excluding replacement ofdefective items,
must be shipped at purchaser’s expense. Purchaser must ship product with an approved traceable
service, such as FedEx, and with appropriate levels of shipping insurance for the item being returned.
Kaidan will not be held responsible for returned items lost or damaged in transit.
Page - 8
A
Appendix A:
Troubleshooting eMCee™
THE EMCEE SOFTWARE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE CONTROLLER?
The error message that the controller is not responding or that it is not a
known controller indicates a “break” in the serial communications between
eMCee and the hardware controller.Before troubleshooting the eMCee soft-
ware,pleasemakesurethat allyour connectionsbetween thecomputer and
thehardwarecontroller areproperlysetup.Followthruthelist belowfor the
most common hardware checks:
• The Serial cable is plugged into the serial port.
•TheDB-25pin endoftheSerialcableispluggedintotheSin8converter (blue).
• The slide switch on the converter is in the“P”position.
• The one end of the flat RJ-45 cable is plugged into the Sin8 Converter.
• The other end of the flat RJ-45 cable is plugged into the serial input on the
controller.
IHAVE CHECKED ALL MY SERIAL CONNECTIONS AND THE CONTROLLER STILL ISN’T RESPONDING?
Once you have checkedyour serial connections, a non-responding controller
maybetheresult ofthewrongserialport selection in theeMCeepreferences.
Pleaseverifythat theserialport whichyourcablingispluggedintoisthesame
serial port selected in eMCee’s preferences.
For Macintosh users: Under the Apple Menu go to Control Panels -
AppleTalk. In the Apple Talk Control Panel, make sure that Appletalk is not
trying to use the port eMCee is using. If the serial port is being used by
AppleTalk, change the port or disable AppleTalk in the Chooser.
ApplePowerBooks: ApplePowerBooks have a combination Printer/Mo-
dem port. The eMCee software will only recognize the port when the Mo-
dem port is the selected serial port in eMCee’s preferences. PowerBook users
must also make AppleTalk inactive when using eMCee.
ALL MY CONNECTIONS AND PREFERENCES ARE SET BUT STILL THE CONTROLLER IS NOT RESPONDING?
Once you have verified that the controller connections are appropriate and
that thepreferencesin eMCeeareset foryour configuration,ifthecontroller
will still not respond,the culprit in most cases,is a system extension conflict.
Page - 9
T
M
-
4
0
0
X-Axis
20000
100
500
10
Y-Axis
M
T
-
8
4
X-Axis
126033
250
300
20
Y-Axis
C
-
6
0
X-Axis
20000
100
500
15
Y-Axis
M
-
1
5
0
1
X-Axis
12000
100
500
10
Y-Axis
The eMCee software controls Kaidan hardware via a serial interface and in
order for eMCee to function properly it must be able to gain solitary control
oftheserialport beingused.System Extensionsthat monitor theserialports
for activitywill denyeMCee solitarycontrol ofthe serial port.Extensions like
3rd party print drivers or Palm Pilot’s Hot Sync that are constantly running,
will prevent eMCee accessing the serial port.
For Macintosh users: Under the Apple Menu, go to Control Panels - Exten-
sions Manger. In the Extensions Manager, deselect the extensions that you
want to disable. Restart your computer. If you are not sure of what exten-
sions may be causing this problem, follow these directions. Go to the Apple
Menu and select the Apple System Profiler. Create a new report,check off all
boxes in the dialog window and email the report to support@kaidan.com.
For PC users: Uninstall the extensions that may be conflicting with
eMCee.andrestartyourcomputer.Ifyouarestillexperiencingproblemsplease
get a profile of your system & drivers, and email it to support@kaidan.com.
EMCEE IS WORKING, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE TURNTABLE/RIG IS NOT MOVING TO THE RIGHT
POSITION?
If the motors are running under eMCee control but they appear not to be
positioning properly, you may need to check the preferences of the eMCee
software.eMCeeshipswith allKaidan motorizedproductsandtherearedif-
ferent preferencesettingsfor each Kaidan model.Thepreferencesfor eMCee
can beset byrunningtheappropriatedefault settingscript foryour paticular
Kaidan product.The default setting scripts are located in the“Scripts” folder
ofyour eMCee software package.You can also enter the preferences directly
through eMCee’s preferences panel, see chart below for values.
Steps per Rev
Intial Velocity
Slew Velocity
Ramp Slope
Move Speeds
Step Resolution
0
0
0
0
0
0
Steps per Rev
Intial Velocity
Slew Velocity
Ramp Slope
Move Speeds
Step Resolution
0
0
0
0
0
0
500
Full
300
Full
Steps per Rev
Intial Velocity
Slew Velocity
Ramp Slope
Move Speeds
Step Resolution
374810
Steps per Rev
Intial Velocity
Slew Velocity
Ramp Slope
Move Speeds
Step Resolution
20000
100
700
15
100
300
10
500
Full
700
500
Full
300
Page - 10
M
D
T
-
1
9
X-Axis
14165*
100
300
15
Y-Axis
M
-
2
5
0
0
X-Axis
20000
100
500
10
Y-Axis
20000
*
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.
Steps per Rev
Intial Velocity
Slew Velocity
Ramp Slope
Move Speeds
Step Resolution
0
0
0
0
0
0
Steps per Rev
Intial Velocity
Slew Velocity
Ramp Slope
100
300
10
300
Full
Move Speeds
Step Resolution
500
Full
300
EMCEE WAS WORKING THE LAST TIME I USED IT, BUT NOW THE CONTROLLER IS NOT RESPONDING?
If you have been using eMCee succesfully but are now having communica-
tion problems,you should try discarding eMCee’s preferences.
For Macintosh users:openyour System Folder,open thePreferencesfolder
and locate eMCee’s preference file, discard the file.
For PC users: the preference file for eMCee is in the same folder as the ap-
plication, discard the file. Once you have discarded the preferences, you will
need to restore the preferences for your specific Kaidan model.
IHAVE DONE EVERTYTHING BUT EMCEE CANNOT SEE THE CONTROLLER?
Ifyou have read through this appendixand have not a solution toyour prob-
lem,pleaseemail:support@kaidan.comorcall215-364-1778Mon-Fri9amto6pm
EST.
Sincerely,
The Kaidan Support Team
Page - 11
36" TURNTABLE ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
3/8-16x2.25lg.
hex bolt
Flat Washer (8)
36" Turntable
18" Turntable
Wing Nut (4)
IN ORDER TO USE THE 36" TURNTABLE, IT MUST BE BOLTED TO THE 18"
TURNTABLE AS SHOWN ABOVE IN FOUR PLACES, USING THE (4)3/8-16 X 2.25
LG. HEX BOLT, (8)3/8" SAE WASHERS AND (4) 3/8" WING NUTS.
Page - 12
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