UC400ETH encoder inputs

[CyclopsNC]

How many encoder inputs can the UC400ETH accept and does it have any frequency limit?
Does the UC300ETH support more encoder inputs? If so how much?
Does the UC400ETH or UC300ETH close the loop or does it expect the servo drives to do the closed loop control?

[ger21]

I don't know the frequency, but there are 6 available, in both the UC300ETH and UC400ETH.
UCCNC is open loop. The loop is closed in the drives.

See page 25 of the manual (section 3.3)

[CyclopsNC]

I don't know the frequency, but there are 6 available, in both the UC300ETH and UC400ETH.
UCCNC is open loop. The loop is closed in the drives.

See page 25 of the manual (section 3.3)

I see that the manual have is only 21 pages are you referring the UC400ETH manual?
Also if the drives close the loop (means encoder only connected to drives) how is the encoder information relayed to UCCNC? Or do we need to connect the encoder to both the drive and also UC400ETH and UCCNC only acts like a DRO? Is this correct?

[ger21]

The UCCNC manual.

UCCNC does not do anything with encoder data. It will just display it.
If you want to use it for something, it's up to you to determine how to get it in to UCCNC, and to write a macro or plugin to read it and do something with it.

[Robertspark]

When you install uccnc, if you navigate to where you installed it

Normally c:\uccnc\documentation

You'll find all the current information on uccnc including the users manual

[CyclopsNC]

Thanks for the clarifications so if I have to get encoder data into UCCNC the encoder would have to be wired both to the drive and to UC400ETH right? Also if the encoder is spitting out pulses at high frequency 100Khz or so. Laying long cables would be a problem no?

[cncdrive]

A positioning drive with closed loop needs a position feedback signal which is usually an encoder, so yes, you will need to wire the signal to the closed loop drive.
For the UCCNC if you want the software to read the encoder then you will have to wire the encoder also to inputs of the motion controller.
Then you have to configure those input pins as Encoder A and B channels.

And for the UCCNC you need a motor and drive with incremental encoder. Absolute encoders and resolvers will not work, because they using complex communication protocols and different drives using different ones.

Once you have the encoder connected and the inputs configured in the software then the software will count the encoder pulses and will display the position in a DRO.
You can do things with the value of the DRO, for example verify the position with comparing it with position DRO.
To do things like that you will have to write macro or macroloop or plugin.

If the encoder wires are long and are running in noisy environment (e.g. together with high voltage cables) then it is the best to use differential line driver to run the signal into a twisted wire pair and on the receiver end terminate it with terminating resistor and/or snubber and convert the signal back to single ended signal with a differential line receiver.
A good example for such devices is the 26LS31 and 26LS32 line driver and receiver pair.

[CyclopsNC]

Thank you for the information, that was very useful, I am currently at the stage of wiring the UC400ETH and HDBB2 breakout board.
I like the idea of a macro / plugin etc. So how do I write that, do I need to write them in a programming language like C#.
Does UCCNC provide an API/SDK for plugins etc. or for extending UCCNC?

[cncdrive]

Take a look at the UCCNC/Plugins folder. And the UCCNC/Documentation folder too.