translator and by the number of stator drive electrodes in one group i e by the number 2n u00b1 1 specifically the displacement step size is the translator electrode pitch divided by the number of stator electrodes in a group for example if the translator pitch is one micron and the stator group size is seven a single step of the voltage pattern causes the translator to move by 0 143 microns however this is not critical in contrast to the drive electrodes the levitator electrode arrangement of fig1 is inconsistent with the prior art levitator arrangements the levitator electrodes 124 along the translator 110 continue to follow the alternating pattern as applied by a voltage source 136 however the levitator electrodes 128 along the stator 112 are configured similarly to the drive electrodes 130 along the stator except that the voltages that are applied to the stator levitator electrodes 128 are selected to oppose the voltages on the translator levitator electrodes 124 this is shown schematically in fig1 wherein the voltage pattern on the stator 112 is selected so that most translator levitator electrodes are positioned above stator levitator electrodes of the same voltage as in fig1 the filled electrodes represent electrodes that are at least temporarily at 0 volts while the remaining electrodes represent a high voltage state at the electrodes as a result of the combination of the support provided by the straight beam flexures and the voltage patterns shown in fig1 the translator 110 is spaced apart from the stator 112 by a gap g the pitches as determined.