Precision-engineered macro rail controllers for scientists, photographers, and makers who demand perfection at the micron scale.
X-STACK V11 is a dual-core ESP32 controller built for focus stacking in macro and scientific photography. StealthChop motor control, WiFi remote, OTA firmware updates — engineered and handcrafted in Vietnam.
Core 0 handles WiFi & OTA. Core 1 runs motor control & UI with zero interference — guaranteed timing precision.
Start, pause, abort from your phone browser. No app install needed. No physical contact = no vibration blur.
Nearest-integer rounding, remainder frame handling, backlash compensation — every formula verified at the micron level.
Every parameter in X-STACK traces back to optics and mechanics formulas. We publish the full knowledge base so the community can learn, verify, and build.
Focus stacking fundamentals, DoF limits, and why manual stacking fails at high magnification.
1.8° vs 0.9°, pitch selection, and why backlash compensation is non-negotiable for macro.
StealthChop vs SpreadCycle, UART config, microstep precision — the case for premium drivers.
Resolution formula, rounding errors, remainder frames — the full math behind each shot.
Using λ/(2·NA²) to calculate depth of field and match step size for Mitutoyo 20x, 40x.
FreeRTOS task splitting, REST API design, OTA updates — firmware architecture explained.
MotionLab is a one-person hardware studio in Vietnam dedicated to building precision motion control tools for macro and scientific photography. Every device is designed, assembled, and tested by hand.
The X-STACK project started as a personal tool for Mitutoyo Plan Apo lens stacking — where commercial solutions were either too expensive, too generic, or simply unavailable. V11 is the result of iterating through ten hardware and firmware generations.
The philosophy is Hybrid Open: share all the knowledge freely, keep the firmware implementation as the value. The community learns, contributes, and builds better tools together.
All formulas, schematics, and design decisions published openly.
Firmware implementation remains the competitive advantage.
Every unit assembled and calibrated individually in Vietnam.
OTA updates mean your device improves over time, never obsoletes.
// round to nearest, not floor → minimize error
// λ = 0.55μm visible light