G.2.1.

Rotary Axis Calibration

Rotary axis calibration is available with software version 5.18 and higher.
Rotary axis calibration is used in place of standard axis calibration when the encoder counts per revolution of a
rotary axis is not evenly divisible by the encoder counts between correction values. A rollover distance is specified
in the calibration file. The calibration table always rolls over at the rollover distance. A rotary axis calibration file
is identical to the sample in Figure !1" except that#
the calibration information begins with #R$TAR% instead of #&TART
the rollover value ' in machine steps( is entered after the sample distance and before the correction data
The use of rotary axis calibration is best demonstrated by an example. )f axis calibration data was sampled every
*+ for a rotary axis with ,+"+++ encoder counts - rev" the number of encoder counts between correction values
would be ,+"+++ - . / ,",,,.,. The smallest unit of distance is the encoder count" and so the fractional portion of
,",,,., cannot be represented in the calibration file.
0sing standard axis calibration as described previously and a sample distance of ,",,," the calibration table would
roll over at ,,,,, x . / 1."..2 encoder counts. &ince the table does not roll over at ,+"+++ encoder counts" the
calibration data will not be properly aligned with the axis during future revolutions.
Rotary axis calibration addresses this problem by allowing the table rollover value to be specified in the calibration
file. A calibration file for this example is shown in Figure !1.
;***************** ROTARY_SAMPLE.CAL ***************************
:ROTARY ; start rotary axis cal block
1 ; axis n!b"r #1$ %$ &$ or '(
&&&& ; sa!)l" *istanc" in !ac+in" st")s #,%-.(
&//// ; rollo0"r 0al" in !ac+in" st")s
1 % & ' / 1& 1% 11 / / ; absolt" !ac+in" st") corr"ction *ata
:E23 ; "n* axis 1 rotary cal block
Figure G-2. Sample ASCII Rotary Calibration File
The first correction value '1( in the calibration file is the correction at *+. The second to last correction value '+( is
the correction at ,3+. 'This value should be + or very close to it because the correction at +-,3+ is always +(.
The last + is necessary because the ,3+ correction value is used at ,",, x . / 1."..2 encoder counts" and another
correction value is needed for interpolation between 1."..2 and ,+"+++ encoder counts. Always append an extra
4+5 to the end of the correction data as shown here. The calibration data for this example is listed in Table !1.
6ommanded 7istance
' machine steps (
Actual 7istance
' displayed in diagnostic window (
6orrection 7ata
' entered in calibration file (
+ + + 'implied(
,",,, ,",,* 1
3"333 3"338 1
."... 1+"++1 ,
1,",,1 1,",,3 *
13"335 13"335 +
1."..8 1."..5 !,
1,",,1 1,",1. !1
13"33* 13"33, !1
1."..2 1."..2 +
,+"+++ ,+"+++ + 'implied(
,,",,, ,,",,* 1
,3"333 ,3"338 1
,."... *+"++1 ,
Table G-2. Sample Rotary Calibration Data