Digital encoder cuts costs in motion control
An
Inmoco product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Aug 15, 2006
Digital encoder enables engineers to simplify control system designs, eliminate interpolation modules and reduce motion platform costs.
Available from Inmoco, the Mercury 1500 digital encoder made by MicroE Systems enables engineers to simplify control system designs, eliminate interpolation modules and reduce motion platform costs.
The world's smallest digital encoder, the M1500 makes these benefits possible by integrating signal processing and interpolation electronics on a single chip inside the sensor.
As a result, the M1500 is a truly plug-and-play digital encoder.
In common with other members of the twenty-one strong Mercury family, the M1500 sensor is small, just 8.4mm high, a feature that enables the use of smaller motion stages and drive motors, resulting in reduced overall system costs.
In addition, smaller motion stages also improve system performance, providing higher throughput, reduced weight and a smaller footprint.
The Mercury 1500 range comprises two units: the M1500S is configured with an RS422 compliant, 15-pin standard D-sub connector, whereas the M1500H is configured with an RS422 compatible 5x2 microconnector for tight spaces.
These encoders provide four interpolation values of x4, x8, x20 and x40, giving equivalent resolution ranges from 5 to 0.50um for linear applications, and 10,000 to 655,000 count/rev, rotary.
Accuracy for both units is +/-3 to +/-5um, linear, or +/-2.1arc-sec, rotary, with the option of a +/-1um accuracy also available up to 130mm.
The maximum operating speed for the encoders is 7.2m/s, and they are EMI shielded for noise immunity.
In addition to being the smallest digital encoder on the market, the Mercury 1500 also has claim to being the easiest to use.
The unit makes short work of encoder alignment and setup compared with all other encoders.
There are no pots to tweak and no external test gear is needed Instead, MicroE System's optional SmartPrecision alignment tool, enables alignment and setup operations to be completed in less than 5 minutes.
Key to the Mercury's incredibly easy alignment procedure is MicroE's patented PurePrecision optics.
The optical design allows significantly relaxed tolerances, particularly in the theta z-axis.
The M1500, like other Mercury encoders, gives a plus or minus 2 degree tolerance, or a 300% improvement over the best competitive encoder.
This, combined with the SmartPrecision alignment tool (SS-AT), virtually automates the alignment and setup procedures.
Complementing the M1500 package is MicroE Systems SmartPrecision software.
This package enables users with PCs running Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000 or XP, to view encoder signal data plots and verify signal strength over the full length of travel.
In addition, the software allows users to read the encoder position in engineering units while the system runs unattended.
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