General - Smart Encoder vs Absolute Encoder

Smart Encoder Q option Feedback option (or 3E option on MPP/MPJ motors) was designed for use with Aries Series Encoder Amplifiers. This encoder will allow the Aries to know what type of motor it is without having to connect serial cable to the Aries with the dongle and the Aries Support Tool software.

The Smart Encoder option (Q) for the SM/SE, BE, NeoMetric/J series motors and the 3E option for the MPP/MPJ were only designed to work with the Aries drive. The Smart Encoder uses the Hall output lines as means of communication with the Aries drive to tell it all the pertinent motor settings. This means that the Hall outputs of the Smart Encoder are not used in the traditional fashion and therefore not compatible with any other drives*.

Note: The transfer of motor settings from the Smart Encoder to the Aries drive takes about 3 seconds every time the drive powers up.

This encoder will work with other drives as a standard encoder; however there is no hall-effect feedback. Note that the encoder feedback is the standard 2000line (8000 ppr post-quad) TTL quadrature output. Since the halls are not used, these motors could be used with any drive capable of hall-less startup (Pseries, Aries with OHALL4, Compax3 F12 with sensorless startup, Gemini with a custom operating system, etc).  Hall-less commutation cannot be used with motors that have a brake!

The Heidenhain Endat absolute encoders are available as standard option for the MPP/MPJ series servo motors. The multiturn is currently the 8D option and the single-turn 9D. Previous multiturn options were the 7D and 6D options but were discontinued by Heidenhain long ago. The EnDat option in addition to be a high resolution absolute encoder (8D is 19bit resolution over 1turn and 4096 multiturn) is also a smart encoder. On power-up, it sends motor information to the Aries Series Encoder Amplifiers like the above Smart Encoder. The EnDat though with the 8D used a different feedback cable with more robust shield.

P Series Drives

The newer P series can be used with hall-less commutation with the Smart Encoder feedback with the F-4A1 cable:

P SERIES DRIVES - HALL-LESS COMMUTATION

Compax3 with F12 encoder option

For the Compax3 F12, the feedback cable would need to be changed to the F-2C1.  A custom motor file will need to be created using the Compax3 Motor Manager software. Here's a link to the videos that step you through this. On the last screen of the Motor Manager, change the standard motor file under Commutation: Digital hall sensor  to Automatic commutation with movement.

Note the video shows Commutation angle for a resolver motor but for an encoder it'd be a pull-down selection:

COMPAX3 TRAINING - C3SERVOMANAGER - HOW TO CREATE CUSTOM ROTARY MOTOR FILE (VIDEO)

This is shown in the 3rd video of that series at this point in the video:

Convert Motor via Repair RMA

Motors can be converted to standard incremental encoder via a repair RMA. Contact your ATC distributor for price quote.