Kit Encoders

Nine sizes. One sensing architecture.

A stator PCB with measurement electronics. A resonant-target PCB on the rotor. You choose the shaft, bearings, housing and motor.

No post-installation calibration procedure. The encoder calibrates itself during the first partial turn, then holds full accuracy at standstill and on every power-up.

Absolute encoder with 25mm through-hole. Electronics PCB

The Mini, Midi and Maxi ranges below are sized by stator outer diameter. Their rugged construction serves general industrial applications, commonly at a reduction gearbox output, away from the motor’s electromagnetic field. They do not include screening for in-motor mounting.

For applications requiring greater resistance to shock, vibration and electromagnetic interference, see our separate ruggedised builds for direct-drive motors, currently in development for 85 mm and 115 mm frames.

Mini

Specification ENC-70 ENC-75
Stator OD 70 mm 75 mm
Rotor ID 20 mm 25 mm
Installation height 12 mm 12 mm
Noise-free resolution 19-bit 19-bit
Accuracy ±18″ ±18″

Midi

More room through the axis for slip rings, cabling and optics. For direct-drive gimbals and rotary tables. The larger diameter accommodates more fine-scale periods, doubling resolution and accuracy compared with Mini.

Specification ENC 80 ENC 90 ENC 100
Stator OD 80 mm 90 mm 100 mm
Rotor ID 30 mm 40 mm 50 mm
Installation height 12 mm 12 mm 12 mm
Noise-free resolution 20-bit 20-bit 20-bit
Accuracy ±9″ ±9″ ±9″

Maxi

Clear bores up to 110 mm in a 6 mm installation height. For low-profile gearbox installation, robotic hubs and large-bore stages. Electronics sit beside the receive coils to halve installation height.

SpecificationENC  125ENC 150ENC 175ENC 200
Stator OD125 mm150 mm175 mm200 mm
Rotor ID35 mm60 mm85 mm110 mm
Installation height6 mm6 mm6 mm6 mm
Noise-free resolution20-bit20-bit21-bit21-bit
Accuracy±9″±9″±5″±5″

Contact us to discuss sample availability or to request technical drawings of the Kit Encoder that suits your application.

Sheet · Common specifications

Common electrical and mechanical specifications

SpecificationValue
Nominal axial gap1.4 mm
Axial gap tolerance±0.5 mm
Radial offset±0.15 mm
Post-installationSelf-calibrating. No post-installation calibration run.
Electrical accuracy±0.04°, referred to the fine-scale period
Internal position update rate120 kHz
Group delay and bandwidth40 µs fixed; −3 dB at 12 kHz
Maximum physical speed20,000 rpm
Long-term repeatability±2 counts
Thermal drift±4 counts within full temperature range
Multi-turn, optional12-bit
CommunicationsBiSS-C, fixed frame size; SPI compatible
Position latchFirst falling edge of the BiSS-C clock
Maximum clock rate10 MHz
Data output physical interfaceRS422, ±30 V tolerant
Power supply4.4 to 32 VDC; optional to 60 V
Current consumption< 120 mA at 5 V
Reverse polarity protectionTo maximum supply voltage
Direction and zero settingVia integral cable
Operating temperature−40 °C to +115 °C

Relaxed target and stator radial and axial misalignment enable a screw-and-forget assembly sequence, without precision gap setting and without a post-installation calibration run.

Specified within a fine-scale period. Mechanical position accuracy is electrical accuracy divided by the fine-scale period count, N. Mini: N = 8; Midi: N = 16; Maxi: N = 16 or 32, depending on model.

Asynchronous downsampling from the 120 kHz internal update to a nominal 30 kHz BiSS-C request introduces no variable latency. Position is recalculated to the first falling edge of the BiSS-C clock, and a four-sample average provides anti-aliasing ahead of the decimation.

The turn counter is held in non-volatile memory and does not change while the unit is unpowered. If the rotor moves more than 45 degrees in either direction with power removed, the encoder indicates a multi-turn error and continues to do so until reset. To reset the turn count to zero and clear the error, connect the Zero Set signals to 0 V and apply power for more than one second.

In development

Ruggedised Kit Encoders for direct-drive motors

The first ruggedised builds are for 85 mm and 115 mm motor frames: ±9 arcsec accuracy, 20-bit noise-free resolution, 34 mm clear bore and N = 16 fine-scale periods. Installation height is 15 mm on the 85 mm frame and 8 mm on the 115 mm frame.

This line is not simply the standard range in a different form factor.

Our ruggedised builds are designed for much higher shock and vibration and high electromagnetic interference. Specified by motor frame size, they mount inside the motor. Aluminium-backed PCBs shield the sensing structure from the motor’s field, with provision for routing the motor cable through the encoder stack.

Our standard Kit Encoders are ruggedised for general industrial use and specified by stator outer diameter. They commonly mount at the output of a reduction gearbox, away from the motor’s electromagnetic field. They are not screened for in-motor mounting.

The Kit Encoders for direct-drive motors are in development. The mechanical detail below is planned, and the shock and vibration figures are current qualification targets, not test results.

First builds

Detail85 mm motor frame115 mm motor frame
PCB arrangementThree PCBs, with separate encoder electronicsTwo PCBs, with encoder electronics beside the sensing coils on the stator
Stator PCB OD95 mm125 mm
Installation height15 mm8 mm
Clear bore34 mm34 mm
Stator PCB OD / ID95 / 47 mm125 / 47 mm
Separate electronics PCB OD / ID95 / 48 mmElectronics integrated on stator PCB
Aluminium substrate2 mm thick, attached to both stationary PCBs2 mm thick, attached to stator PCB
Target PCB OD / ID75 / 34 mm75 / 34 mm
Target mountingM2.5 fixings on a 39.5 mm pitch circleM2.5 fixings on a 39.5 mm pitch circle
Motor-cable passageProvision for grommets through both stationary PCBsProvision for grommets through stator PCB

The rugged construction includes underfill for critical components, corner bonding for larger ICs, strain relief, capacitors with flexible terminations and conformal coating.

Shock and vibration development targets

These are qualification targets for the forthcoming builds; verification testing remains to be completed.

TestTarget
ShockIEC 60068-2-27: 100 g, 11 ms, axial and radial. MIL-STD-810H, Method 516.8, Procedure I: 40 g, 11 ms, terminal-peak sawtooth waveform. Three shocks in each direction along three orthogonal axes, with the encoder operational.
VibrationIEC 60068-2-6: 20 g, 10–2000 Hz, axial and radial. MIL-STD-810H, Method 514.8, Procedure I, Category 20: ground-mobile vehicles, including tracked vehicles, axial and radial.

Send the frame size, and we can discuss a suitable build. Clear bore, expected volumes and timing can follow. Our designers can join your technical review and answer your team’s questions directly.

We are choosing the next builds now. Customer programmes help set our development priorities.