textile and printing applicationsâor any other application with fast machines that could be ... environments. ⢠Ther
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Improve Encoder Performance With EtherNet/IP This popular industrial Ethernet standard boosts the position sensing capabilities of optical encoders As industrial automation networks go, EtherNet/IP has more than its share of advantages. It’s fast. It’s flexible. It’s easy to set up. It’s robust. Those advantages, however, come at a price. Users have to invest in infrastructure and devices certified to work with the EtherNet/IP standard. In the early days of this 15-year-old industrial Ethernet standard, the need for compliant devices could sometimes limit your choices in devices and vendors. Today, though, EtherNet/IP is among the most popular industrial networks, and there’s no shortage of compliant devices. Consider motion control applications, for example. There are hundreds of EtherNet/ IP actuators, drives, controllers and sensors on the market today. One persistent exception to the wide availability of EtherNet/IP devices has been optical encoders. Although just about every piece of moving machinery needs an encoder, there have been only a few EtherNet/IP compliant models available. That lack of choice has started to change recently with the introduction of new EtherNet/IP absolute optical encoders. From a networking standpoint, the benefits of EtherNet/ IP may apply to all compliant encoders. But from a performance standpoint, compliant encoders are not all created equal. Here’s an overview of the benefits that EtherNet/IP brings to encoders in general, as well as some of the design specifics you should look for when you select a compliant encoder.
Compliant Encoders Like many other automation devices, rotary encoders can benefit from running as part of an EtherNet/IP network. The most obvious benefits relate to improvements in data transmission. Our EtherNet/IP-certified Sendix F58 encoders support a requested packet interval (RPI) time of just 1 ms, which translates to a fivefold improvement in position data transfer speed compared to conventional optical encoders. The data transfer speed increase makes the encoder suitable for many time critical applications.
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Safety-Lock Bearing
Another benefit relates to the ease of commissioning new or replacement encoders. As an EtherNet/IP device, the encoder essentially becomes a plug-and-play device: Plug the encoder into the network, set the IP address using the DIP switches, search for it by IP address setting and configure it via software. Other advantages that EtherNet/ IP brings to the encoder include: •
Support for the Device Level Ring network topology. It offers redundant signal paths, allowing the encoder to keep sending data in the event of a cable break or other signal interruption.
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Network implementation flexibility. EtherNet/ IP encoders provide users with choices of different network interface speeds and flexible network architectures based on available Ethernet installation options such as copper, fiber, fiber ring and wireless. Support for Common Industrial Protocol. EtherNet/IP CIP extensions allow the encoder to function seamlessly integrate into motion control and safety systems. From a cost standpoint, encoders can be connected to these systems over standard Ethernet infrastructure.
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Our Safety-Lock™ interlocked bearings help Kuebler encoders overcome two common threats to encoder lifecycle—heavy vibration loads and misalignment due to installation errors. This robust bearing design features strengthened outer bearings as well as large bearing span relative to the size of the encoder
New EtherNet/IP Series of Optical Encoders Our newest series of encoders combines certified EtherNet/IP support with patented mechanical and electro-optic technologies that ensure accuracy and reliability. Called the Sendix F58 Series, these optical encoders come in four different models: •
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Sendix F5858 and F5878 are single-turn encoders with up to 19 bits of total resolution. F5858 offers integrated shafts up to 10 mm while the F5878 has a blind shaft receptacle that can accommodate shafts up 15 mm.
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Sendix F5868 and F5888 are multiturn optical encoders. These units make use of our patented Intelligent Scan Technology, which incorporates all encoder functions on a single Opto-ASIC. Intelligent Scan provides a high resolution up to 32 bits and corrects for any magnetic field errors. The resulting encoders are completely insensitive to the effects of magnetic fields.
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As EtherNet/IP-certified devices, Sendix F58 encoders have some performance advantages related to how quickly they can transmit position data. These encoders have a RPI time as low as 1 ms, which allows them to transmit position data about 5 times faster than many conventional encoders. This speed advantage makes the F58 encoders particularly well-suited to packaging, textile and printing applications—or any other application with fast machines that could be even faster with a position sensing upgrade. EtherNet/IP also makes the encoders easy to commission. Simply plug them into the network, look for their IP address settings and configure them via software. Thanks to the network connection, they start up instantly as soon as they receive power. And because they can use EtherNet/IP’s Device Level Ring topology, the F58 encoders can keep running in the event of a cable break or signal interruption. Together, the fast commissioning and resistance to interruption all but eliminate the most common causes of encoderrelated downtime. What’s more, the Sendix models also have features to ensure mechanical reliability. All four models use Kuebler’s Safety-Lock bearing design, a mechanical
design feature that protects bearings from wear or damage due to shock, vibration or misalignment. Other mechanical characteristics include: •
Size and weight: 58 mm housing diameter and 0.45 kg.
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Maximum speed: Up to 8,000 rpm in shafted versions and 6,000 rpm in hollow shaft versions.
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Load capacity of shaft: 80 N radial and 40 N axial.
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Starting torque: less than 0.01 Nm at 20ºC.
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Standard enclosure: IP 65
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Temperature range: - 40 to 80°C.
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Shock: 2500 m/s² at 6 ms.
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Vibration: 100 m/s² up to 2000 Hz.
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Interfaces: Support for all standard mechanical and power interfaces. Custom interfaces are available.
For more information about the Sendix F58 encoders, download the data sheets at: http://bit.ly/1UmdYW2
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Beyond The Network While EtherNet/IP offers compelling benefits, it won’t significantly improve the performance of a poorly designed encoder. In fact, EtherNet/IP puts encoder performance in the spotlight—because this networking standard tends to be found on high-performance machines with demanding positioning and reliability requirements. So it’s especially important to look for encoders designed for accuracy and reliability. Our Sendix F58 EtherNet/ IP single- and multiturn encoders, for instance, feature a number of mechanical, optical and electrical innovations related to long-term performance. These include: •
A bearing protection system to guard against shock, vibration and misalignment.
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Resolution up to 32 bits.
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Wear-free internal FRAM storage.
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Magnetic field insensitivity, thanks to patented Opto-ASIC technology.
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IP 65 protection for use in harsh operating environments.
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Thermal resistance.
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Simple live configuration.
By combining these proven accuracy and reliability design features with EtherNet/IP, a new generation of advanced encoders is gaining significant performance edge over older models with less sophisticated networking technologies. You can learn more about EtherNet/IP encoders at: http://bit.ly/1UmdYW2
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