WCS3B-LS710S EtherCAT Read Head

The WCS position encoding system consists of two main components:

Code Rail

The code rail carries information for the absolute code. The code rail is routed parallel to the track for the material handling equipment and thus assigns a unique position to every point on the track. It is possible to route the code rail at points only where positioning is required. The system allows the code rail to be routed along curves and allows branches to be created. The code rail is built to order and delivered in a bundle. Unless otherwise ordered, the code rail always starts with position value 0 and ends with a maximum position according to the ordered length in meters. The length of a code rail segment ranges from 0 to a maximum total length of 314.573 m (WCS3) or from 0 to a maximum total length of 327 m (WCS2).
Spacers can also be ordered for repair purposes or specific applications, stating the start or end position of the desired section and the desired length in meters.
For identification applications ID-pads are available as short code rail sections, with a length of between 250 mm and 264 mm and a unique identification number.

Read Head

The U-shaped read head scans the code rail photoelectronically without touching it. The read head detects a new position value every 0.8 mm (WCS3) or 0.833 mm (WCS2).

This results in the following data:

After insertion into the code rail, the read head determines a highly accurate position value without reference or delay. The code rail can be scanned at very high speeds. The scanning can be reproduced, is reliable, and is independent of temperature fluctuations.
The position value, movement speed, and error codes such as the contamination detection or the “OUT” message can be transmitted directly from the read head to the control panel via a communication interface. There are a number of types of interfaces available in the WCS3 read head to achieve this, such as RS-485, SSI, CANopen, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP.

There is a wide range of interface modules available for connecting to other interfaces:

• PROFINET
• PROFIBUS DP
• EtherNet/IP
• EtherCAT
• DeviceNet
• CANopen

Each interface module can simultaneously accommodate up to four read heads with an RS-485 interface and address each separately. This makes it easy to extend your plant at a later stage.

In addition to automatic contamination detection, there are other optional extensions for the WCS read head. The options are indicated in the type code with the corresponding letter:

Technical data

General specifications

Functional safety related parameters

Indicators/operating means

Electrical specifications

Interface

Output

Standard conformity

Approvals and certificates

Ambient conditions

Mechanical specifications

General information