Compact and high-resolution position sensor technology can operate stand-alone, without external interpolation
More precise, smaller and safer requirements for future encoders should be met. With the iC-RB, iC-Haus is enhancing its product line with a refined optical twin-scan encoder IC with an outstanding absolute resolution of 24 bits in the control channel and 15 bits in the safety channel. Thus, it now can operate stand-alone, meaning without external interpolation for high-resolution safety encoders.
The absolute encoder IC consists of two separate and independent channels to meet the high redundancy requirements of functional safety concepts up to SIL3 or PLe for position detection.
The main benefits of this single-chip solution include a compact design (38-pins optoQFN, 7x5x1 mm), easy adjustment due to high tolerances and accelerated development and certification of safety encoders.
iC-RB is especially suited for SIL encoders as well as for motor feedback systems with single or multiturn functions. The iC-RB Series supports code discs with diameters of 26.5 mm to 42.5 mm. The iC-RB scans a 10-bit pseudo-random code (PRC) track on a code disc via two autonomous channels. Additionally, two high-resolution phased array photosensors read an incremental track with 1,024 cycles per revolution. The sin/cos signals generated are used for on-chip interpolation increasing the resolution. This provides a resolution of 24 bits in the control channel. The repeatability is a maximum of 18 bits—without any complex adjustment simplifying commissioning considerably. Due to the 5-bit real-time interpolator, the safety channel reliably provides 15-bit position words.
Both control channel and safety channel provide a BiSS slave interface compatible with the BiSS Safety protocol as well as an SSI master multiturn interface to connect two independent external multiturn counters.
For even higher requirements concerning resolution, repeatability, configurability and diagnostics, iC-Haus also offers the 15-bit twin scan encoder IC iC-RZ and the external 13-bit sin/cos interpolator iC-MR3 as perfectly matching modular chipset for advanced safety encoders. Also, in addition to the 24-bit high resolution, the 2-chip combination can also output sin/cos signals with, for example, 2,048 CPR.
The new iC-RB family expands iC-Haus’ optical IC portfolio for users to implement cost-optimised 24-bit absolute encoders with minimal effort and highly integrated safety.
