ADLINK CPCI-8168 8-Axis Motion Control Card and HSL Network Integration Solution

13 Home Return modes: including automatic search for origin, indexing signal (EZ) capture, etc., suitable for different types of limit sensors and origin switch configurations.

5. Feedback from high-resolution encoder

Each axis is equipped with a 28 bit incremental encoder counter, which can count a range of ± 134217727 pulses, covering almost all industrial applications' position travel. The input frequency of the encoder can reach up to 6.55MHz (1-meter cable) at 4 times the frequency (AB phase), and accurate position closed-loop compensation can be achieved even at high speeds. The differential encoder signal input effectively suppresses common mode noise during long-distance transmission, ensuring the reliability of position feedback.

Integrated HSL Network: A Bridge for Distributed I/O and Motion Control

One of the most distinctive innovations of cPCI-8168 is its built-in single port high-speed serial link (HSL) network interface (with RJ45 connectors at the physical layer and shielded Ethernet cables). The introduction of this interface marks that the card is no longer just a motion control card, but a control network master station that can connect to remote distributed I/O modules.

HSL network core parameters:

Transmission medium: Standard shielded 100Base/TX Ethernet cable.

Maximum wiring distance: 200 meters, far exceeding traditional flat cables or parallel buses, allowing control cabinets to be far away from actuators, especially suitable for large production lines or clean room applications.

Communication speed: 6Mbps, using multi drop full duplex RS-485 physical layer, with transformer isolation, strong anti-interference ability.

I/O refresh rate: Scanning a slave ID only takes about 30.4 microseconds, and the system can manage up to 63 slave I/O indexes, meeting high-speed I/O response requirements.

LED status indication: The onboard LED can display the busy status of the motion chipset and HSL communication errors, facilitating on-site diagnosis.

Engineering value:

In traditional solutions, the I/O points of motion control cards are usually limited to a small number of general-purpose I/Os on the board itself. To expand a large number of I/Os, additional PLCs or remote I/O modules need to be added and communication protocols need to be written separately. And cPCI-8168 can directly connect to ADLINK's HSL series remote I/O modules (such as digital input/output, analog input/output, etc.) through the HSL network, unifying motion control logic and I/O scanning on the same time basis, avoiding delay jitter between different buses, and enabling efficient implementation of tasks with high real-time requirements such as high-speed position comparison triggering, output, and safety interlocking.

Rich onboard I/O and signal isolation protection

In harsh industrial environments, signal integrity and equipment safety are crucial. CPCI-8168 has designed a comprehensive interface and protection mechanism for this purpose:

1. Dedicated motion control I/O (per axis)

Mechanical limit switch: positive and negative direction limit (± EL) and origin signal (ORG), used to protect the travel boundary of the mechanism.

Servo drive interface: includes signals such as INP (positioning complete), ALM (alarm), ERC (deviation counter reset), SVON (servo enable), RDY (servo ready), etc., which can be seamlessly connected to mainstream drives directly.

Position Comparison Output (CMP): Each axis has 5 comparators, and multiple comparison positions can be preset. When the encoder count matches, the hardware automatically triggers the CMP signal output, which is used to trigger precise actions such as camera photography and laser marking, with a delay as low as microseconds.

2. Universal digital I/O

8-channel isolated digital input: input voltage range 0~24V, input impedance 2.4k Ω (0.5W), compatible with NPN/PNP sensors.

8-channel isolated digital output: using NPN open collector electrode Darlington transistor, with a maximum output voltage of 35V and a current capability of 90mA, it can directly drive relays, indicator lights, or low-power solenoid valves.

All I/O provide 2500Vrms optoelectronic isolation, effectively blocking the interference of motor drivers and power surges on the controller, ensuring long-term stable operation of the system.

3. Analog I/O (data acquisition function)

4-channel 12 bit analog input (A/D): input range ± 10V, maximum sampling rate of 110kS/s, conversion time of 8 μ s, overvoltage protection up to ± 35V, can be used to monitor sensor signals such as pressure and temperature.

4-channel 16 bit analog output (D/A): with an output range of ± 10V and a setup time of only 2 μ s, it can be directly output as speed/torque commands to analog servo drives or used to control devices such as frequency converters.

This highly integrated analog/digital hybrid I/O design enables cPCI-8168 to achieve multi-sensor fusion control without the need for additional data acquisition cards, reducing system costs and complexity.

Software development and debugging support: rapidly moving towards productization

ADLINK provides a comprehensive software ecosystem for this card, helping engineers shorten development cycles: