HEIDENHAIN’s New Absolute Encoder Is Well Suited for Electric Motors

SCHAUMBURG, IL – (January 2011) – Continuing its tradition of high quality products and service, HEIDENHAIN has released a new absolute, inductive rotary encoder. Called the ECI 119, this encoder sets itself apart with a low profile (height of 19 mm, outside diameter 92 mm) and large through shaft (50, 38, or 30 mm), making it well suited for electric motors in many applications, including general automation, electronics and packaging industry, robotics, plastic injection molding machines, as well as on swivel and tilting axes.

Expanding on the established ExI 13xx and ExI 11xx series, the HEIDENHAIN ECI 119 is a singleturn, absolute encoder offering 524288 (19 bit) positions per revolution, and provides ±90” system accuracy.

A notable advantage of the ECI 119 is its bearingless design. Being a modular encoder, there is no need to worry about bearing wear or loading, and concerns of mechanical self heating of the encoder and shaft currents are eliminated. If all the mounting tolerances are met, the encoder requires virtually no maintenance outside of contamination protection.

The ECI 119 uses HEIDENHAIN’s EnDat serial data interface. Two types of output are offered: purely serial data (EnDat21) or serial data with 1 Vpp incremental signals (EnDat 01). The SSI interface can also be implemented, but this requires a minimum value order. Not only does EnDat allow the user to transfer incremental and absolute position data, it also enables online diagnostics.

A new version of the Adjusting and Testing Software is available with the ECI 119. This software allows diagnostic checks of the encoder position signals. And the new ExI Mounting Wizard allows the scanning gap and signal amplitude to be checked in order to assess mounting quality. This ensures reliable and repeatable mounting in the field.

More information about this new low profile encoder is available by clicking on HEIDENHAIN brochure “ECI 119 Absolute Rotary Encoder” or by contacting HEIDENHAIN at (847) 490-1191 or HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION, 333 E. State Parkway, Schaumburg, IL 60173. HEIDENHAIN can also be accessed directly via the Web at www.heidenhain.us.

HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION is the North American subsidiary of DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH, a leading international manufacturer of precision measurement and control equipment. Our product line includes linear scales, rotary and angular encoders, digital readouts, digital length gages, CNC controls and machine inspection equipment