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Sensors, networking
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for automation
Training manual
Shaft Encoders
Training manual for shaft encoders (September 2003)
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Internet: http://www.ifm-electronic.com
Contents:
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................ 6
1.1 Measuring systems........................................................................................................... ....... 6
1.1.1 Shaft encoders as a standard means of measuring .....................................................................6
1.2 Applications for shaft encoders ............................................................................................. .. 6
1.2.1 Rotational movement.................................................................................................................7
1.2.2 Linear movement .......................................................................................................................7
1.3 Application examples of shaft encoders................................................................................... 7
1.4 Digital signals............................................................................................................. ............. 8
1.5 Measuring device and measuring system ................................................................................. 9
2 Layout .............................................................................................................................. 10
2.1 On the contents ............................................................................................................. ....... 10
3 Techniques and methods of electronic linear measurement ............................................... 11
3.1 Analogue systems ............................................................................................................ ..... 11
3.1.1 Potentiometers.........................................................................................................................11
3.1.2 Resolvers ..................................................................................................................................11
3.1.3 Inductive principle ....................................................................................................................12
3.1.4 Magnetic principle ...................................................................................................................12
3.1.5 Capacitive principle ..................................................................................................................13
3.2 Digital systems ...................................................................................................................... 13
3.2.1 Mechanical shaft encoders .......................................................................................................13
3.2.2 Oscillator sensors .....................................................................................................................14
3.2.3 Inductive system.......................................................................................................................14
3.2.4 Photoelectric shaft encoders ....................................................................................................14
4 Shaft encoders of ifm electronic........................................................................................ 16
4.1 DIADUR method ............................................................................................................... .... 16
4.2 Shaft encoder types of ifm electronic..................................................................................... 17
5 Shaft encoders.................................................................................................................. 18
5.1 Incremental shaft encoders.................................................................................................. .. 18
5.1.1 Shape and design.....................................................................................................................18
5.1.2 Coded disc ...............................................................................................................................19
5.1.3 Resolution - mechanical ...........................................................................................................20
5.1.4 Signal generation .....................................................................................................................20
5.1.5 Pulse generation and analogue signals .....................................................................................23
5.1.6 Wiring of an incremental encoder ............................................................................................27
5.1.7 Detection of the direction of rotation for the direction of counting..........................................28
5.1.8 Pulse multiplication ..................................................................................................................29
5.2 Absolute shaft encoders..................................................................................................... ... 30
5.2.1 Resolution ................................................................................................................................32
5.2.2 Singleturn shaft encoders.........................................................................................................32
5.2.3 Multiturn shaft encoders ..........................................................................................................34
5.2.4 Code types...............................................................................................................................35
5.3 Comparison of absolute shaft encoders and incremental shaft encoders................................ 39
5.4 Data transmission ........................................................................................................... .......40
5.4.1 SSI interface on the shaft encoder ............................................................................................40
5.4.2 SSI interface programming via software ...................................................................................43
5.4.3 SSI controller ............................................................................................................................44
5.4.4 Profibus-DP interface................................................................................................................46
5.5 Accuracy of the shaft encoder ............................................................................................... 48
5.5.1 Dividing error ...........................................................................................................................49
5.5.2 Mark-to-space ratio..................................................................................................................49
5.5.3 Phase difference .......................................................................................................................49
6 Mechanical design ............................................................................................................ 51
6.1 Solid shaft encoders ........................................................................................................ ......51
6.1.1 Flange types for solid shaft encoders ........................................................................................52
6.2 Hollow shaft encoders ....................................................................................................... ....54
6.2.1 Mounting of hollow shaft encoders..........................................................................................55
7 Electrical connection ......................................................................................................... 56
7.1 Connection cable ............................................................................................................ ......56
7.2 Connector ................................................................................................................... ..........57
7.2.1 Sockets/coupling ......................................................................................................................58
7.3 Laying the cable ............................................................................................................ ........59
7.4 Earthing and screening ...................................................................................................... ....59
8 Mechanical data ............................................................................................................... 60
8.1 Maximum mechanical rotational speed ..................................................................................60
8.1.1 Mechanical rotational speed of the shaft encoder . ...................................................................60
8.2 Shaft load.................................................................................................................. ............61
8.3 Shock resistance and vibration resistance ...............................................................................62
8.4 Housing material ............................................................................................................ .......62
8.5 Protection rating........................................................................................................... .........62
8.6 Operating temperature ....................................................................................................... ...62
9 Electrical data ................................................................................................................... 64
9.1 Voltage supply.............................................................................................................. .........64
9.2 Voltage supply via the external evaluation electronics ............................................................65
9.3 Sensor cables for encoders.................................................................................................. ...65
9.4 Current consumption ......................................................................................................... ...66
9.4.1 Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) .....................................................................................................66
9.5 Current rating of the signal outputs.......................................................................................6 7
9.6 Signal frequency............................................................................................................ ........67
9.6.1 Signal frequency and mechanical rotational speed ...................................................................67
9.6.2 Signal frequency and cable length............................................................................................68
10 Overview shaft encoders................................................................................................... 70
11 Operating instructions ...................................................................................................... 71
12 Data sheet........................................................................................................................ 72
13 Accessories....................................................................................................................... 74
13.1 Couplings for solid shaft encoders......................................................................................... 74
13.2 Angle flanges.............................................................................................................. .......... 76
13.3 Bearing block .............................................................................................................. .......... 76
13.4 Isolating adapter .......................................................................................................... ......... 77
13.5 Pinion and rack ............................................................................................................ ......... 77
13.6 Resilient base ............................................................................................................. ........... 78
13.7 Measuring wheel ............................................................................................................ ...... 78
13.8 Fastening clamp .................................................................................................................... 80
13.9 Pulse divider, pulse stretcher.................................................................................................. 80
13.9.1 Pulse divider .............................................................................................................................81
13.9.2 Pulse stretcher..........................................................................................................................81
14 Mounting of shaft encoders.............................................................................................. 82
15 Calculation examples ........................................................................................................ 84
15.1 Linear measurement.............................................................................................................. 84
15.2 Switching frequency and mechanical rotational speed ........................................................... 84
16 Handling of shaft encoders ............................................................................................... 85
17 Applications...................................................................................................................... 86
18 Annex............................................................................................................................... 89
18.1 Competitors................................................................................................................ .......... 89
18.2 Glossary of technical terms................................................................................................ .... 89
19 Type key ........................................................................................................................... 93
19.1 Examples of the use of the type key ...................................................................................... 94
20 List of figures .................................................................................................................... 95
21 Index ................................................................................................................................ 98
22 Source ............................................................................................................................ 100
1 Introduction
In all areas of technology production and test processes are automated to
an increasing extent. If only end stops or reference points are to be
monitored, inductive or capacitive proximity switches or photoelectric
sensors are the preferred choice.
incremental encoders
absolute encoders
Both the absolute and the incremental shaft encoders have advantages
when compared with each other. They can also be combined in one unit.
3.1.1 Potentiometers
Potentiometers consist of a slide made of resistance material and a wiper
contact.
The wiper is only ever in contact with a small area of the resistance coil or
surface. The position of the wiper contact results in a variable resistance
value.
Areas of application: Level measurement, measurement of valve positions,
temperature measurement by means of a bimetal spring.
Figure 6, Potentiometer
3.1.2 Resolvers
Resolvers are synchro generators which precisely indicate the current
position of the rotor. They belong to the group of absolute encoders. The
design of the unit is similar to an electric motor or generator.
Applications are robots and the military area (aeroplanes, tanks).
S4
sine
S2
R4
rotor
S1
R2 cosine
S3
Figure 7, Resolver
A
M
U1 U2
Figure 8, Inductive principle (Novotechnik)
A: reference element
M: measuring element
N
S
Very good contour sharpness of the lines. This results in a very high
accuracy.
The glass disc is largely resistant to chemical and mechanical influences.
The system accuracy is approx. ± 1/20 grating mark for coded discs
with up to 5,000 increments and ± 12 seconds of an angle for coded
discs with more than 5,000 increments.
RA, incr., hollow shaft RB, incr., solid shaft RC, incr., solid shaft
RM, abs. SSI, hollow shaft RM, abs., Profibus DP, solid shaft RM, abs., SSI, solid shaft
RN, abs., parallel, solid shaft R=, incr., hollow shaft RP, incr., hollow shaft
AG: detection rid; PE: photo elements; TS: coded disc; ES: electrical signals;
RM: reference mark; KL: ball bearing; MF: mounting flange; WL: shaft; KD:
condensor
KD: condensor; AG: detection grid; TS: coded disc; PE: photo elements; RM:
reference mark.
0° 90°
180° 270°
Figure 17, Scanning plate, without reference mark grating
Grating period The four graduations of the sc anning plate are shifted against each other by
one-fourth of the grating period.
One grating period = 360 degrees / resolution.
The segments are adapted to the circle of the coded disc and therefore they
are slightly curved.
5.1.4.4 Condenser
All fields are penetrated by a parallel-orientated light beam which is emitted
by a light unit consisting of an LED and a convex lens (condenser).
Lichtquelle
With one rotation of the coded disc the light is interrupted periodically by
the light and dark fields and its intensity is detected by silicon photo diodes.
A photo element is assigned to each segment of the scanning plate.
5.1.4.5 Signal generation of the photo elements
Sine wave If a coded disc is rotated the photo elements for the incremental track
generate four sinusoidal current signals , each of which is electrically phase-
shifted by 90 degrees.
180° 270° 180° 270° 180° 270° 180° 270° 180° 270°
a b c d e
I3
I1
I2
I4
3 4
1 2
I3-I4
Ie1
I1-I2
Ie2
I1 -I2
Ie2
90° 180°
90-degree-shift Due to the interaction of sc anning plate and coded disc the electrical 90-
degree shift from channel A to channel B has a mechanical origin. This
ensures that this shift remains the same for all rotational speeds of the
coded disc.
For simple counting operations it would be sufficient to only evaluate one
output channel, but only by means of the second signal output which is
shifted by 90 degrees it is possible to determine the direction of rotation or
counting (see 5.1.7).
5.1.5.2 Signal evaluation
As a standard an incremental shaft encoder provides three signal outputs:
Channel A, channel B and channel 0 (zero index).
C D
E0 V0 T0
AS0 0
0
G
EA VA TA A
ASA
A
EB VB TB B
ASB
B
F
The mark-to-space ratio of both output signals from channel A and channel
B is 1 : 1 at all times.
Signal sequence The sequence of voltage levels of the output channels of an incremental
shaft encoder is as follows:
90°
NI
90°
As can be seen in figure 24 the relative duration of the HIGH level of the
zero index is only half as long as that of channels A and B. Therefore the
input circuitry must have an input frequency for the evaluation of the zero
index which is four times higher than for the evaluation of channels A and
B. With a high number of revolutions of the encoder the length of the zero
index is shortened. The distance between the edges becomes shorter. In
case of "slow" evaluation electronics/plcs this can lead to the signal not
being detected even if the other channels can still be properly read.
The zero index can be used to define a switch point, to count the
revolutions or to synchronise a connected electronic counter.
In addition to the mechanical position of the zero index on the coded disc
the signal periods of channels A and B are used as reference values.
The standard zero index is 90° long see figure 24.For the ifm type RB for
the voltage range of 10 to 30 V DC the length of the index is 360°.
B
45°
NI
360°
Figure 25, Zero index 360 degrees long (NI), type RB, 10 30 V
Reference mark outside To facilitate the determination of the zero index its approximate position is
marked by a reference mark on the outside of some encoder types. For this
purpose there is an indentation on the flange near the shaft. The same
indentation is also on the front of the shaft.
If both indentations are matched, the signal for the zero index is present on
the output. For high resolutions the zero index is short and therefore
manual positioning is difficult.
5.1.5.5 Inverted output signals
For different encoders the three standard output signals (channels A, B and
zero index)are additionally provided in the inverted state.
The encoder then has six signal outputs in total: channel A and channel A-
negated1; channel B and channel B-negated as well as zero index and zero
index negated.
NI
NI
Figure 26, Pulse diagram with inverted channels (NI: Zero index)
Suppress interference Due to the inverted signals it is possible to evaluate the voltage difference.
Thus parasitic signals on long connect ion cables have almost no negative
effect.
Except for types RA and RB all HTL 2 shaft encoders provide the inverted
signals.
1
An expression like 'A-negated' is represented as an individual character or word by a line above the
character or word (see Figure 26).
2
HTL stands for high transistor logic. These are units with an operating voltage higher than 5 V DC.
y 1Vss
x
Figure 27, Sinusoidal output signals (Vss = Vpp)
The reference mark signal for the zero index is also available in analogue
form. The voltage step has a nearly triangular shape of approx. 0.5 V.
1 Volt peak-peak (Vpp) If sinusoidal voltage signals are provided the voltage level is 1 Volt from
peak to peak.
Cable lengths of up to 150 m are possible.
The sinusoidal output signals can be digitised in an input circuitry
(comparator). They are specially suitable for pulse multiplication see
below. They can also be used with digital drives to monitor the rotational
speed even with very slow movements.
brown channel A
green channel A inverted (A-negated)
grey channel B
pink channel B inverted (B-negated)
redzero index
black zero index inverted (zero index negated)
blue L+ (sensor)
white 0 V (sensor)
brown/green +U b (L+)
white/green U n (0 V)
lilac interference signal (inverted)
screen housing
B
Figure 28, Signal change
Phase discriminator The direction of rotation can easily be detected by means of a phase
discriminator in evaluation electronics by evaluating the phase position of
signal A to signal B.
A
B &
_
>1
A
&
B
X1
X2
X3
X4
In the limit ranges wrong pulses may occur. The phase position of the
channels must be observed exactly. The pulse length after the multiplication
is to be set in such a way that with maximum rotational speed the newly
generated pulses are about half as long as the original pulses of the output
channels. The short signal duration resulting from this causes higher
requirements as regards the electronics of the evaluation unit (plc or
counter).
Multiplication from sinusoidal signals For shaft encoders which generate sinusoidal signals of 1 V pp , a multiple
number of the mechanical resolution can be achieved (factor 10 and more)
by means of linear interpolation.
Pulse multiplication with sinusoidal signals as a basis has the advantage of
the electrical 90-degree shift between the output channels A and B being
maintained.
Many tracks In contrast to incremental shaft encoders the coded disc of absolute shaft
encoders has considerably more tracks (see figure 31).
The graduation carrier of absolute shaft encoders consists of a coded disc
made of glass with several code tra cks. Each individual track corresponds to
one bit within the binary output value see above.
These absolute shaft encoders also work according to the principle of the
photoelectric detection of graduations.
Transparent and non-transparent zones are distributed in concentric circles
(= tracks)on the coded disc. On a fixed radial reading zone (photoelectric
sensors detect the tracks)an exactly determined sequence of light dark
fields results from each position of the disc.
One or several scanning plates are arranged at a short distance to the
rotatable coded disc. They have scanning fields which are assigned to the
coded tracks.
A light beam aligned in parallel illuminates each scanning plate. This light
beam is generated by an LED and a capacitor like in the case of the
incremental shaft encoder.
With the rotation of the coded disc the light beam is modulated and its
intensity is detected by the silicon photo elements.
Incremental signals For absolute shaft encoders which additionally provide incremental signals
four scanning fields are assigned to the finest track.
The four graduations of the scanning fi elds are shifted against each other by
one fourth of the grating period like in the case of the incremental shaft
encoders.
LQ: light source; KD: condensor; TS: coded disc; PE: photo elements; AG:
scanning plate.
If voltage is applied to the absolute shaft encoder, the binary value which is
caused by the current position of the coded disc is immediately provided at
the output channels in the form of HIGH/LOW levels.
The number of tracks depends on the requested resolution, the distribution
of the light and dark segments on the type of coding selected.
Absolute shaft encoders are differentiated as follows:
5.2.1 Resolution
The resolution of absolute shaft encoders depends on the number of tracks.
Singleturn shaft encoders are available with resolutions of 256 (8 bits), 360,
512 (9 bits), 1,024 (10 bits), 2,048 (11 bits), 4,096 (12 bits), and 8,192 (13
bits). See also chapter 5.2.4 Coding.
Multiturn shaft encoders have up to 13 tracks and thus a resolution of
8,192 steps per revolution with 4,096 (12 bits) countable revolutions.
The signal outputs are assigned to two release channels see figure 33.The
number of tracks for the respective release channel is as follows:
LSB and MSB Track 1 is the least significant bit (LSB), the last track with the highest index
number (e.g. bit 12) is the most significant bit (MSB).
If bit 1 (LSB) is not transmitted, the transmission error is smallest; if the last
bit (MSB) is not transmitted, the error is largest.
The designation of the connections as regards the core colours varies
depending on the number of bits.
Connection of a 10-bit shaft encoder:
Figure 34, Gear box with coded discs and Hall elements
y
15
0
15
Singleturn
0
0 - 15 15
0
15
0
15
0
15
0 0
15 15
0 0
15 15
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 x
Multiturn 0 - 7
Figure 35, Multiturn encoder, 4 bits singleturn, 3 bits multiturn
Bit 1 (LSB)
Bit 2
Bit 3
Bit 4 (MSB)
Value 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Figure 36, Dual code
3 6 0 0
0011 0110 0000 0000
Thus at least 14 bits are required beca use the two preceding zeros of the bit
combination are not required for the three.
The genuine binary code as well as th e Gray code only need 12 bits for the
same figure. 212 = 4,096 (211 = 2,048).
5.2.4.3 Gray code
Absolute shaft encoders often use the Gray code. The advantage is its
simple design: It is mirror symmetric and proceeds by one step, i.e. when
going from one position (number) to the next only one single bit changes.
This minimises the risk of possible reading errors during transmission and
further processing.
Bit 1 (LSB)
Bit 2
Bit 3
Bit 4 (MSB)
Value 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Figure 37, Gray code
Bit 1 (LSB)
Bit 2
Bit 3
Bit 4 (MSB)
Value 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Bit 1 (LSB)
Bit 2
Bit 3
Bit 4 (MSB)
Value 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Figure 38, Gray excess code
For the evaluation half of the differenc e between the original resolution and
the reduced resolution is deducted from the generated binary value.
Calculation for determining the start value for example with the value 360:
The range of numbers starts at 76 and ends at 435. This range from 76 to
435 is shown on the coded disc. The value 76 is converted internally and
provided as zero. Accordingly, the internal value 435 is provided as 359.
435 76
256
With the Gray code or cut Gray code the individual bits have no value, like
for example with the dual code where each bit combination is directly
assigned a decimal number by the power of 2.
5.2.4.5 Decadic Gray excess-3-code
This is a combination of the BCD code and the Gray code.
Each individual decade is coded in the Gray code in such a way that it
counts up to the number 13 starting with the number 3. Following that the
second decade starts with the number 3 and the first decade counts down
etc.
The decimal Gray excess-3-code is a code proceeding by one step and it is
mirror-symmetric.
A disadvantage is that the conversion is very complex from the point of view
of the hardware as well as from the point of view of the software.
E D C B A E D C B A
0 0
1 D C B A 1
2 0 2
3 1 3
4 2 4
5 3 5
6 4 6
7 5 7
8 6 8
9 7 9
10 8 10
11 9 11
12 12
Decadic Gray-
13 excess-3-Code 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 D C B A 17
18 0 18
19 1 19
20 2 20
21 3 21
22 4 22
23 5 23
24 6 24
25 7 25
26 8 26
27 9 27
28 28
BCD- Code
29 29
30 30
31 31
The table shows that only the Gray code and the dual code fully use all
possibilities, i.e. there are 2 n combinations. With the Gray excess code there
are bit combinations which cannot be used.
Few cores Therefore serial data transmission is offered for multiturn shaft encoders.
For this purpose the unit has an SSI interface (synchronous-serial interface
EIA RS422A or RS485). Only four data cores are required for the data
transmission.
In contrast to the parallel interface this one requires fewer components and
it is less susceptible to interference. Considerably fewer wires than with the
parallel interface are needed for the transmission. Furthermore considerably
longer cables are possible.
These shaft encoders have the following connections in addition to the
voltage supply and sensor monitoring:
Independent of the unit the data are transmitted either in the dual code or
in the Gray code.
The times for T, t1 and t2 shown in the diagrams above must be observed.
They are:
Clock T: 0.9 µs to 11 µs
t1: greater than 0.45 µs
t2: max. 0.4 µs.
Function In quiescent condition the clock and data wires are HIGH. The clock is
generated by the evaluation electronics (e.g. SSI controller). The first falling
clock edge signals the start of the data transmission the current measured
value is stored.
Data transfer is carried out with the first rising clock edge. With the
following rising clock edges the data ar e transmitted bit by bit, starting with
the MSB. The transmission of a complete data word requires n + 1 rising
clock edges (n = resolution in bits). Thus 25 clock edges are required for a
24-bit shaft encoder.
After the transmission of a complete data word the data output remains
LOW and the clock output remains HIGH until the shaft encoder is ready to
transmit the next measured value (t3 see figure 43).
If during this time there is a new request for data output (clock) the data
which have already been provided are provided again.
In this case the data output is LOW between the LSB of the first data
transmission and the MSB of the second data transmission.
A
360° el.
B
A 0
B 0
90° el. C
Figure 44, SSI interface, incremental signal shape
serial parallel
multiturn SSI plc
RM controller
24 V DC
+ –
power supply
Figure 45, SSI interface, block diagram
The data are updated synchronously with the readout cycle. Thus the data
are as current as the time distance between two readouts. Therefore a
periodic readout of the shaft encoder is recommended.
After a longer readout break and simultaneous rotation of the encoder
shaft the data content of the first readout may be obsolete and should be
ignored.
Connection of a multiturn shaft encoder with SSI interface:
The pulse frequency for absolute shaft encoders is 100 kHz. The data
frequency for binary coded data is 1 kHz, 0.6 kHz in the BCD code.
D 00 D 01 D 02 D 03 D 04 D 05 D 06 D 07 D 08 D 09 D 10 D 11 D 12 D 13 D 14 D 15 D 16 D 17 D 18 D 19 D 20 D 21 D 22
STR (strobe) input for the signal to call the current encoder value. With a
HIGH-LOW edge to STR the last complete encoder value in the
output buffer is provided to the plc.
RST (reset) input for external setting of the zero position.
OEN (output enable) input for external switching signal which releases or
blocks the data outputs (for the use of several controllers on one
plc). HIGH releases the data outputs, LOW blocks them. If this input
is not connected to the plc the data outputs are permanently free.
DAV (Data-valid) If the strobe signal calls the data, these data are valid if
the output DAV is HIGH. In case of a LOW signal the following
errors might have occurred:
Transmission error of the SSI module
Measured values above the programmed resolution
PYB (output for the internal parity information) The parity is formed
from singleturn and multiturn by means of the complete data word.
In case of an even sum of all HIGH outputs including the parity
output this output is HIGH.
24 V DC
+ –
power
supply
B A B A
5 5
0 0
PROFIBUS- DP
+Up B/A
-0 V BUS
B/A
BUS
The data are transmitted in the dual code. The programming interface has a
transmission rate of max. 12 MBaud 3.
The programming possibilities according to the Profibus profile for shaft
encoders class 2 are for example:
3
MBaud = megabaud
dividing error
mark to space ratio
phase difference
360°
A
Figure 54, Mark-to-space ratio
360°
A
90°
The shaft at the end of which the coded disc is mounted inside the shaft
encoder, is guided by two ball bearings.
Ball bearing Depending of the flange size the shafts are in most cases designed in such a
way that the same ball bearings can be used for different shaft diameters.
The diameter of the shaft in the ball bearing is 10 mm, but outside the shaft
only has a diameter of 6 mm.
The shaft encoder has two ball bearings positioned behind each other on
the shaft in the flange. The ball bearings are closed in order to meet the
respective protection rating, i.e. the balls cannot be seen from outside.
There is an additional seal in front of the ball bearing.
If the mounting tolerances and the maximum rotational speed are observed
the ball bearings have an average lifetime of between 25,000 and 120,000
operating hours.
The ball bearings are particularly important because their mechanical design
is decisive for the smooth running of the shaft.
This is especially interesting in cases where the drive for the encoder shaft
does not have a high torque or if a high protection rating is required for the
shaft encoder. For this reason the starting torque is indicated in the data
sheet.
Starting torque It is the minimum impact on the shaft required to start a rotational
movement of the shaft from standstill.
The value of the starting torque is smaller than 1 Ncm (Newton centimetre)
and it is indicated for room temperature.
The flange is for the mechanical fixing of solid shaft encoders.
1. Clamp flange
2. Synchro flange
3. Round flange
The diameter of the flange and the position of the mounting threads are
standardised.
With an angular acceleration of the shaft the stator coupling must only
withstand the torque resulting from the bearing friction. The special stator
coupling is the basis for a high natural frequency of the coupling and
enables relatively high amplification in the control circuit. The coupling at
the stator side allows axial movements of the driving shaft.
The maximum permissible axial movement is for types
RO ± 1 mm
RA ± 0.5 mm
RP ± 1.5 mm.
6 mm (6 mm to 6.012 mm)
20 mm (20 mm to 20.021 mm)
50 mm (50 mm to 50.025 mm)
The mounting of the hollow shaft on the shaft of the drive is carried out by
means of one or two set screws (n) or a clamping ring.
Depending on the type the driving shaft must protrude far enough into the
hollow shaft (indication in the data sheet).
The shaft of hollow shaft encoders is also only for the transmission of the
rotational movement.
The use of hollow shaft encoders is cheaper in comparison with solid shaft
encoders because additional couplings , mounting devices and other fixing
components are not needed. The required mounting space is smaller than
for encoders with solid shaft.
r 20 mm if flexed once,
r 75 mm if flexed continuously.
Screening All connection cables of the shaft encoders are screened (metal mesh
screening). The screen of the connection cable is fixed internally to the
housing cap. The individual connection cores are not screened.
Temperature ranges Depending on the cable version the encoder cables can be used in the
following temperature ranges:
The cable entry of a small encoder, like shown in figure 68, allows axial as
well as radial connection.
Some shaft encoders have a connection cable with cable plug. These units
have a cable with a plug mounted at the end.
7.2 Connector
The size of the connector on the unit, the number of pins and their
connection depend on the unit version.
9
1 8
10 12
2 7
3 6
4 5
11
Figure 68, Pin connection of a plug
The pin connection of the plug at the unit is described in detail in the data
sheet.
7.2.1 Sockets/coupling
Suitable sockets for the connection of connector units are offered as
accessories.
The data sheets of the shaft encoders with connector specify the type of
connector so that the suitable sockets (coupling with cable) or the suitable
couplings for wiring can be selected from the ifm range of accessories.
A typical designation for a connector is for example ifm 1001.2.
The couplings are rated for operation with DC voltage and have a voltage
range of 4.5 V DC to 30 V DC. The temperature range is 40 degrees
Celsius to +140 degrees Celsius. The couplings have the protection rating IP
67. In many cases the housing material is brass with a plastic sheathing.
The screen connected at the encoder should be led directly to the evaluation
electronics and be earthed there. This ensures the best possible screening
against interference from outside.
250
1000 pulses/rev.
200
150
500 pulses/rev.
100
50 250 pulses/rev.
axial 10 N (Newton), 20 N, 40 N
radial 20 N, 60 N.
After the transient condition of the supply voltage the tolerances indicated
have to be observed.
Ub
Upp
5.25 V
5.0 V
4.75 V
typ. 500 ms
Uss = Upp
Figure 73 shows that it can take up to 500 ms until the supply voltage is
within the tolerances.
The voltage level of the output pulses depends on the supply voltage.
Internal operating voltage The internal operating volt age of the shaft encoder is ensured by built-in
voltage regulators. The output pulses are not concerned by this.
This means that operation of the shaft encoder is maintained even with a
poor supply voltage (voltage dips, high residual ripple). The signal outputs,
however, depend on the voltage characteristic of the supply voltage.
The shape of the output pulses in case of poor supply voltage can lead to
the subsequent evaluation electronics not detecting all pulses.
Residual ripple The figure below shows that pulse 2 is below the HIGH level of the
controller and can therefore not be detected/counted.
1 2 3
Figure 74, Residual ripple of the signal outputs
Ub Ub
D N A
- + - +
A B B A
The output voltage of the power supply (N) should have the same level as
the sensor supply of the evaluation unit (A) and it should be within the
operating voltage range of the shaft encoder.
For hollow shaft encoders there may be the exception that the HTL output
stage can only be rated with 20 mA.
Y
160 kHz 300 kHz
12000
10000
5000
2000
50 kHz
1000
500 1000 2000 5000 10000 X
Figure 76, Resolution and rotational speed
The x-axis in figure 76 shows the resolution, the y-axis the rotational
speed.The designations of the three graphs show the maximum possible
output frequency of the output stage of the shaft encoder.
y
300
250
200
150
100
80
60
50
40
30
x
The x-axis in figure 77 shows the output frequency in kHz; the y-axis shows
the cable length in metres.
y
300
200
120 Up= 15 V
100
80
60
50 Up= 24 V
30
20 Up= 30 V
12
10
x
The x-axis in Figure 78 also shows the output frequency in kHz; the y-axis
shows the cable length in metres.
With decreasing supply voltage (U p) for the shaft encoder the maximum
output frequency decreases as well.
256 4,096
HTL / Gray no 10,000 yes
parallel
RN 10 30 S / 58 V / 10
1,024 8,192
SSI / Gray 1 Vpp / 512 12,000 yes
serial
8,192 x 4,096
10 30 S / 58 V / 6 / 10 SSI / Gray 1 Vpp / 512 12,000 yes
serial
While in the case of torsion-proof but flexible shaft couplings axial shaft
displacement only generates static forces in the coupling, radial and angular
displacement results in alternating stress, restoring forces and torques which
can strain the shaft bearing of the encoder.
There are three different alignment errors when mounting the couplings:
These values are valid for 23°C room temperature. The values for radial,
angular and axial displacement are maximum values which must not all be
reached at the same time during operation.
The life of a coupling depends on to what extent the permissible tolerances
are used.
Grub screw Couplings can be fixed by means of clamping screws or grub screws (set
screw with hexagon socket or slot).
For clamping, the front faces of the coupling are slotted. The slot is pressed
together on the shaft by means of a through bolt.
The grub screws clamp directly onto the shaft. Depending on the material of
the screw and the tightening torque indentations on the shaft may occur.
Therefore couplings with grub screws for fixing are mainly used on shafts
with a flat.
Different axle diameters Often the hub bore holes in both front faces of the couplings have the same
size, e.g. 6 mm.
There are also versions with different bore holes for a better adaptation to
the machine or to the drive. On one side of the coupling there is e.g. a 10-
mm bore hole, on the other side a 6-mm bore hole.
The bearing block has two different sha fts. The smaller shaft with a flat on
the right in figure 87 has a diameter of 10 mm.The shaft on the left has a
diameter of 12 mm.
High resistance The maximum permissible rotational speed is 6,000 min -1. The shaft can be
loaded with 200 N axial and 200 N radial. Thus the shaft load is many times
higher than for shaft encoders.
A matching angle flange is offered as a further accessory.
The cap has a diameter of 63 mm. The diameter of the flange is 82 mm.
The depth is 38 mm.
A B
B
C
The diameter is only 12 mm. They are 5.5 mm thick. The bore hole has a
diameter of 4.2 mm. The lip is 3 mm thick.
Depending on the version of the pulse divider the division ratio of the input
to the output can be freely selected between 1 and 255 (E80102) or it is
fixed to 10:1 (E80100).
The input pulse (IN) length of the pulse stretcher must be at least 0.2 ms.
The pulse length on the output (OUT) is 25 ms. There must be at least 28
ms between the input pulses.
B A
C D
Figure 98, Figure 98: Mounting with coupling
Not the cap Solid shaft encoders must never be fixed outside the flange. The housing
cap is made of aluminium and can be deformed relatively easily. It provides
no secure hold.
Hollow shaft encoders are mounted directly on the driving part, the hollow
shaft being connected to the driving shaft.
3. SW 3
4x M4
Figure 103, Do not clamp into the vice, do not drill into the shaft
In this case multiturn shaft encoders are used to enable exact positioning of
the transport system and automatic loading and unloading.
To ensure safe data transmission via longer distances multiturn shaft
encoders with SSI interface are used.
Absolute shaft encoders are used for the precise control of the movement
of industrial robots and automatic handling systems. They guarantee further
processing e.g. after a power failure without any problems, thus making
complex returning to a reference point superfluous.
May 2004
A shaft encoder with the article number RU6071 has the type designation
RU-0100-I24/L2E.
If the type key is known this type designation provides the following
information:
Position: 1 2 3-7 8 9 10 - 11 12 13 14 15
R U - 0100 - I 24 / L 2 E
Another shaft encoder with the article number RM 1102 has the type
designation RM-8192-E05/R5B.
Position: 1 2 3-7 8 9 10 - 11 12 13 14 15
R M - 8192 - E 05 / R 5 B
9 E
90-degree-shift 22 Earthing 57
Electrical connection 54
A Electrical data 61
Enable signal 32
Absolute shaft encoders 29 external evaluation electronics 62
Acceleration 60
Accessories 70 F
Accuracy of the shaft encoder 47
Angle flanges 72 FAQ 10
angular displacement 71 Fastening clamp 76
Applikationen 82 Flange types 50
axial displacement 71
G
B Grating period 20
Ball bearing 49 Gray code 35
BCD code 35 Gray excess code 36
Bearing block 72 Grub screw 71
Binär-Code 34
H
C Hall-effect sensors 33
Calculation examples 80 Handling 81
Capacitive principle 13 Hollow shaft encoders 51
Clamp flange 51 Housing material 60
Code types 34 hro flange 51
Coded disc 18 HTL voltage range 61
Condenser 20
Connection 32 I
Connection cable 54
Connector 55 Incremental shaft encoders 17
counting 33 Increments 18
Couplings 70 Inductive principle 12
Current consumption 63 Inductive system 14
Current rating 63 input frequency 59
Interference signal 27
D Inverted output signals 25
Isolating adapter 73
Data sheet 68
Data transmission 39 L
DC component 21
Decadic Gray excess-3-code 37 Laying the cable 56
Detection of the direction 27 LED 63
DIADUR 18 Light-emitting diodes 63
DIADUR method 15 Limit frequency 58
Direction of rotation 33 Linear measurement 80
Dividing error 47 Linear movement 7
Dual-Code 34 LSB 32
Magnetic principle 12
mark-to-space 23
S
Mark-to-space ratio 48 Scanning plate 20
Measuring step 24 screening 57
Measuring wheel 74 Sensor cables 62
Mechanical data 58 Shaft encoders 17
Mechanical rotational speed 58 Shaft load 59
Mechanical shaft encoders 13 Shock resistance 60
Mounting 53 Signal evaluation 22
Mounting of shaft encoders 78 Signal frequency 64
MSB 32 Signal generation 19
Multiplex operation 33 Signal generation of the photo elements 20
Multiturn shaft encoders 33 Singleturn shaft encoders 31
Sinusoidal signals 26
O Sockets/coupling 56
Solid shaft encoders 49
Operating instructions 67 Square-wave pulse trains 22
Operating temperature 60 SSI controller 43
Oscillator sensors 14 SSI interface 39
Standard resolutions 19
P Starting torque 50
stator coupling 52
Phase difference 48 Storage temperature 60
Phase discriminator 27 system accuracy 15
Photo elements 21
Photoelectric shaft encoders 14
photoresist 15
T
Potentiometers 11 technical terms 85
Profibus-DP interface 45 Through-beam method 19
Protection rating 60 transducer 9
Pulse diagram 23 TTL voltage range 61
Pulse divider 76 Type key 88
Pulse multiplication 28
pulse stretcher 76
V
R Vibration 60
vibration resistance 60
rack 73 Voltage supply 61
radial displacement 71
Reference mark 20 W
Reference mark outside 25
Reflectible Gray code 35 Wiring 26
Residual ripple 61
Resilient base 74 Z
Resolution 19, 31
Resolvers 11 zero index 20
Rotational movement 7
THE END