Engineering Resources for Motion Control Systems

Newsletter Menu   |  return to News . Motion Control Round-up In This Issue Engineering Challenge Notable Nobleman Can You Solve This? Really Green Energy Join Our Mailing List! Quick Links 1. Last month's newsletter 2. Technical Assistance 3. Product Information   Dear Reader, As you are receiving this newsletter, we are also closing out the first decade of the new millennium. I know it's only 2009, not 2010, but since the century starts on 1/1/00, then 12/31/09 completes the 10th year in this century.   However you measure it, the last ten years have definitely seen some highs and lows.  It has been called the bubble decade by some with spectacular boom/bust cycles in technology, real estate and most recently the financial markets.   Amidst the chaos be sure to take time to enjoy some holiday cheer with your loved ones.  At BEI we'll be doing the same and we'll be ready to serve your needs as we start the new decade in 2010. Engineering Challenge First of all, I'd like to say thanks to all of you who participated in our survey last month.  Based on a random drawing of the participants I'm pleased to announce that our winner of the IPOD Nano was Dan Gillham of Dynamic Mounts International in the UK (http://www.mega3.tv/) - makers of 3-Axis stabilized & non-stabilized camera mounts for movie cameras.   Like a lot of engineering-intensive companies, we often solve customer problems with solutions that don't end up in our standard catalog. One such solution was developed to accommodate a regulated 5 volt data output on our H25 encoder, that also required a high drive capability all without tripping an internal thermal override.   These types of challenges allow us to improve our designs over time and result in better products for everyone.  So whether you need a regulated high-drive output from an H25 encoder, or some other improved performance parameter, contact our applications group at the link below and see what we can do for you.   Link to Applications Support   Notable Nobleman My present to our readers is a little quiz. This month's featured "person of note" is so well known to all that I thought I'd select some bits of trivia from his life and see how many clues it takes you to figure out who it is.   He was born on December 25th, Christmas day in the year 1642 in Woolsthrope, Lincolnshire.   As a child he enjoyed building and flying paper kites, which he would sometimes set on fire as he flew them at night, upsetting and confounding the locals in his village.   At the age of 27 he became the Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge University.   His most widely influential work, the "Principa Mathematica" was published with financing from Edmund Halley (of Halley's comet fame).   In 1696 he moved to London to become "Warden of the Mint" to assist in the monumental task of recalling all of England's old coinage and issuing new coinage in it's stead. He eventually became "Master of the Mint" and also a Justice of the Peace, so that he could prosecute counterfeiters.   He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and he was never married.   Take your guess as to who this person might be and then click on the link below to see if you were right.   December's Mystery Guest Can You Solve This? As long as I'm in a quizzical mood, how about a test of your encoder IQ?  I'll pose three questions to you about encoder installation and operation and you see if you can supply the answers.  I'm sure that virtually all of you will have no problems with the answers but just in case, I've included the answers below.  Good luck.    Question #1)  Optical encoders work by rotation of a code disk past an optical sensor.  The code disc rotates relative to a fixed reference, usually the body of the encoder itself, and it is controlled by a dual row bearing. If the encoder body is attached to a machine or fixed bracket, what must be included in the mounting of the rotary part of the encoder?   Question #2)  OK are you all warmed up and ready for question 2?  You have an encoder with a cable gland termination coming out of the side of the cover. When installing the encoder should the cable gland point up, sideways, down or some other direction?   Question #3)  Last one. Still feeling confident? Here goes. You have an encoder in which you are using only the A and B channels along with their complimentary data pairs into a differential line receiver.  Since you are not using the index, what should you do with those wires?   Answer #1)  There must be some sort of compliant member in the attachment of the rotary part.  Otherwise the mechanical eccentricities in the machinery will cause it to "fight against" the encoder bearings causing premature wear.  For a more detailed discussion of this issue, follow this link.  Mechanical Installation of Encoders    Answer #2)  A cable gland is designed to seal against moisture by virtue of a compressible ring that is squeezed against the jacket of the cable bundle.  Such glands are often rated at IP65 or IP66.  Installing with the gland pointing up can mean that the unsupported cable weight will cause uneven stress on the compressible ring and could also create an opportunity for moisture to pool around the cable junction with the gland.  Both are undesirable.  The best installation method is to point the gland generally downward with a generous service loop in the cable.  This ensures the compressible ring is able to do it's job and also provides a "drip loop" for moisture so it doesn't pool around the top of the gland.   Answer #3)  You should just let them float.  Though you might be tempted to tie them to a nearby ground for "housekeeping" purposes, that would be a mistake.  Grounding these active data lines will create a short to ground on the output drivers for the index channel which could cause the encoder to fail.   How did you do?  Should you get your encoder Ph.D.?  Don't worry if you didn't get it all right, that's why we are here to help.  You can also request our handy "Diagnostic and Installation Guide" and then you too can become a troubleshooting expert. Really Green Energy The quest for ever more efficient and sustainable energy sources is not just something for the 21st century.  People have been searching literally for hundreds, if not thousands, of years for ways to get more energy from natural sources.  Early records start around the 1200's and continue even today to fulfill this search for limitless free energy through perpetual motion machines.  Yes - overbalanced wheels, self-powered pumping devices, variable buoyancy schemes, magnetically powered devices and so forth are a testament to the limitless energy of the human mind to design clever mechanisms. Of course the fact that it would require a violation of the laws of physics has never deterred the really innovative soul. For an in-depth look at the breadth of such endeavors just click on the picture and you will be whooshed (effortlessly and with very little energy expenditure) directly to the web site for the Museum of Unworkable Devices.  It's a monument to a host of inventors who missed their moment of fame by just the merest little bit of friction.  Enjoy.   We appreciate you inviting us into your work space for 2009 and giving us a chance to help you solve your motion control problems.  Have a safe holiday season and we'll see you again in 2010. Thanks for reading, Scott Orlosky     email: Scott Orlosky     voice: 805-968-0782      web: http://www.beiied.com Join the BEI IED mailing list  Email:

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