ETEL DSCDL Dual Axis Controller Hardware Integration Guide

Complete guide for on-site hardware deployment and integration of ETEL DSCDL dual axis digital position controller

In the field of precision motion control, the demand for dual axis synchronous drive is increasing, such as gantry platforms, dual drive laser processing, synchronous scanning systems, etc. The ETEL DSCDL series dual axis digital position controller is designed specifically for such applications, integrating two independent servo control channels on a 6U rack board, supporting the simultaneous driving of two single-phase or two-phase linear/rotary motors, with a peak current of up to 3.6 Arms (per axis), and coupled with analog sine and cosine (including EnDat 2.1 absolute value) or TTL encoders, it can achieve sub micron positioning accuracy. However, the hardware integration complexity of dual axis systems is much higher than that of single axis systems - from rack heat dissipation planning, dual encoder wiring isolation, axis DIP switch setting to EMC shielding treatment, any negligence in any link can lead to mutual interference between the two axes or system failure to start. This article is based on the core content of the DSCDL hardware manual (version D), and systematically outlines the key points of on-site deployment of dual axis controllers, providing engineers with a practical hardware integration guide.

Model selection and physical form

The DSCDL series offers two rack sizes, depending on power requirements and chassis slot selection:

1.1 DSCDL331 (10F wide, approximately 50.8mm)

Continuous current of 1.2 Arms per axis, overload current of 2.8 Arms (1 second)

Suitable for medium power dual axis applications, such as small linear platforms or light load rotating tables

Adopting a flat heat sink

1.2 DSCDL332 (14F wide, approximately 71.1mm)

Continuous current per axis 2.4 Arms, overload current 3.6 Arms (1 second)

Suitable for higher power requirements, such as dual drive gantry or heavy-duty linear motors

Adopting extruded heat dissipation fins, with a larger heat dissipation area

Both models support ± 36VDC DC power supply (provided by an external power source), and the auxiliary power supply requires+15~+36VDC (for control circuits). When placing an order, it is necessary to confirm whether UL certification is included (with 2 being standard and 1 being non UL certification).

Selection points: If there is a significant difference in load between the two axes, priority should be given to leaving sufficient margin for DSCDL332; If the rack slots are tight and the power demand is low, DSCDL331 is more space saving.

Mechanical installation and heat dissipation requirements

2.1 Rack Installation

DSCDL adopts a 6U standard rack format (approximately 262mm in height) and a depth of 240mm (excluding handles). The rack backplane needs to provide openings and guide rails corresponding to the J1~J5 connectors of the board.

Key safety requirements:

The chassis must meet pollution level 2 (refer to UL 508C and EN 50178 standards) and have a protection level of at least IP20 (EN 60529).

False panels must be installed in empty slots, otherwise IP20 protection will fail and affect the air duct.

The chassis must be installed inside a closed cabinet to prevent liquid splashing and dust intrusion.

2.2 Heat dissipation air volume and fan selection

DSCDL itself does not have a built-in fan and relies entirely on forced air cooling from the cabinet. The manual clearly requires:

Minimum air flow rate: 2m/s (400 LFM), which is a necessary condition to ensure the normal operation of the controller at an ambient temperature of+30 ℃.

ETEL recommends using cabinet fans with an air volume of no less than 94.2 CFM (such as DSO-RAC2 chassis matching fans).

Maintain a minimum distance of 100mm (A=100mm) between the fan and the cabinet to ensure smooth airflow.

Special attention: Some models of fans may generate electromagnetic interference, affecting the current measurement accuracy of DSCDL. If there is an abnormal current sampling, the fan model should be replaced or the distance between the fan and the chassis should be increased (while ensuring air volume).

Dual axis encoder interface wiring (JC5/JC6)

DSCDL provides independent encoder interfaces for each axis (JC5 corresponds to motor 1, JC6 corresponds to motor 2), both using 15 pin high-density D-Sub female sockets and supporting three types of encoders.

3.1 Incremental Analog Encoder (1Vpp)

Pin definition:

6: COS - (cosine signal negative terminal)

7: SIN - (Negative Terminal of Sinusoidal Signal)

8: IDX - (Zero Position Signal Negative Terminal)

13: COS+(cosine signal positive terminal)

14: SIN+(sine signal positive terminal)

15: IDX+(positive terminal of zero position signal)

4: +5V (protected by F2 1A fuse)

5/12：GND

10: EHO (Encoder Zeroing Switch Input), TTL）

11: ELS (Encoder Limit Switch Input), TTL）

EHO/ELS application: These two TTL signals come from the encoder reading head and can be used for zeroing and limit protection without the need for external sensors. The manual states that the usage of EHO and ELS can be found in the operation and software manual. To connect the hardware, simply connect the corresponding signal line of the encoder.

3.2 EnDat 2.1 Absolute Value Encoder

Supporting EnDat 2.1 absolute value encoders from brands such as Heidenhain, adding serial communication on the basis of simulating sine and cosine signals:

1: EDT+(Serial Data I/O+, RS485)

2: ECL+(clock output+, RS485）

3: ECL - (Clock Output -, RS485）

9: EDT - (Serial Data I/O -, RS485)

Advantages: Absolute position upon power on, no need to perform an IND operation, suitable for devices that require quick startup or can still remember position after power off.

Wiring Attention: EnDat communication cables must use twisted pair shielded wires, and the power cord (+5V/GND) diameter must be sufficient to ensure that the encoder terminal voltage is not lower than 4.75V (refer to the encoder data manual).

3.3 TTL Encoder

Supports differential TTL (RS422) encoder, but the upper limit of input frequency is 400kHz (limited by analog front-end circuit). Pin correspondence:

6: UA2- (TTL signal 2 negative terminal)

7: UA1- (TTL signal 1 negative terminal)

8: UA0- (TTL zero negative terminal)

13：UA2+

14：UA1+

15：UA0+

Applicable scenarios: Upgrading existing equipment or cost sensitive projects, but if high-speed motion (>2m/s with high-resolution grating) is required, it is recommended to use an analog encoder to obtain higher interpolation resolution.

Dual axis I/O interface wiring (JC12/JC13)

DSCDL provides independent I/O interfaces for each motor (JC12 corresponds to motor 1, JC13 corresponds to motor 2), including 4 digital inputs, 2 digital outputs, and 1 analog input.

4.1 Digital Input (9-Pin D-Sub Male Head)

Pin 1: DIN1+

Pin 2: DIN2+(high-speed input, response 100ns)

Pin 3: DIN9+(default negative limit)

Pin 4: DIN10+(default forward limit)

Pin 5: GNDext (external power supply ground)

Function allocation (configured by software, hardware manual only specifies interfaces):

DIN10 is usually connected to a forward limit switch (PEL)

DIN9 connection negative limit switch (MEL)

DIN2 is connected to the home switch and is a high-speed optocoupler (100ns response), suitable for capturing origin signals during rapid motion

Power supply method: External+12~+28V power supply, connected to pin 6 (+Text) and pin 5 (GNDext). The logic of each digital input is "1" when it is+12~+28V, and "0" when it is 0V.

4.2 Digital Output

Pin 7: DOUT1+

Pin 8: DOUT2+

Pin 6:+Text (output load power input)

The output is in the form of an optocoupler isolated collector open circuit, which requires an external pull-up or load power supply (+Text). The total output current shall not exceed 500mA (limited by F1 fuse). Typical application: Output "servo ready" or "fault" signals to the upper PLC.

4.3 Analog Input (JC7, 5-pin Phoenix Terminal)

Pin 1: GND

Pin 2: AIN+(M1)/Pin 3: AIN - (M1)

Pin 4: AIN+(M2)/Pin 5: AIN - (M2)

Specification: 16 bit ADC, input range ± 10VDC. Corresponding relationship:+10V → M51=-32767, -10V → M51=+32768. Can be used for external speed/torque command input or pressure sensor feedback.

Communication interface wiring (JC1~JC4)

5.1 Turbo TEL Bus (JC1 input/JC2 output)

Based on 100Mbps Ethernet physical layer, but incompatible with standard Ethernet - it is strictly prohibited to connect TEB ports to PC network cards! CAT5 shielded twisted pair (1:1 direct connection) is required to connect the controller daisy chain, supporting up to 15 DSCDL (30 axis) and 1 DSMAX/DSTEB master station.

5.2 ETEL-Bus-Lite2（JC3，RJ45）

Used for PC debugging communication (ETEL Tools), supporting RS232 and RS422:

RS232 mode: Pin 6 (TXD), 7 (RXD), 8 (GND)

RS422 mode: pins 2/3 (RXD ±), 4/5 (TXD ±)

Pin 1 (EBL2_delect_422/232): Suspended=RS422 (default), connected to GND=RS232

5.3 Download button (JC4, RJ45)

Used for firmware upgrade, insert a dedicated download button (5-6 pins short circuited), and enter the "Wait for Program" mode after the controller is powered on.

Additional features (can be measured without a download button):

Pin 1: SIN M1 (motor 1 sine signal zero crossing indication)

Pin 2: COS M1 (zero crossing indication for cosine signal of motor 1)

Pin 3: SIN M2 (motor 2 sine signal zero crossing indication)

Pin 4: COS M2 (zero crossing indication for cosine signal of motor 2)

Pin 7: STI (slow interrupt, 2kHz)

Pin 8: FTI (Fast Interrupt, 18kHz)

These TTL signals can be used for oscilloscope debugging and observing encoder signal quality.

Dual axis motor connection (JC8/JC9)

DSCDL supports single-phase or two-phase motors (not three-phase), with each axis connected independently:

JC8: Motor 1

JC9: Motor 2

Each 5-pin Phoenix Terminal (MC 1.5-5-STF-3.81):

Pin 1: PE (protective ground)

Pin 2: P1- (first negative terminal)

Pin 3: P1+(positive terminal of the first phase)

Pin 4: P2- (Second phase negative terminal, not connected when single-phase)

Pin 5: P2+(second phase positive terminal, not connected when single-phase)

Dual phase motor wiring: The current phase difference between the two windings is 90 °, which can provide a smoother torque output. If using ETEL standard motors, the correspondence between cable numbers and pins should refer to Section 3.7 of the manual.

Power Connection (JC10)

DSCDL requires three DC inputs (5-pin Phoenix terminal):

Pin 1: PE (protective ground, must be connected first! ）

Pin 2: GND (power ground)

Pin 3: V - (-36VDC, protected by F5 8A fuse)

Pin 4: V+(+36VDC, protected by F4 8A fuse)

Pin 5: VAUX (auxiliary power supply+15~+36VDC, protected by F3 1A fuse)

Main power requirements: ± 36VDC symmetrical power supply, with current requirements for each axis at full load as shown in the specification table. DSCDL331 has a maximum of 5A per axis, while DSCDL332 has a maximum of 10A per axis.

Auxiliary power requirements:+15~+36VDC, typical current of 1.5A (@ 15V) to 0.75A (@ 36V), used for controlling circuit power supply. Key: Even if the main power supply is disconnected, if the auxiliary power supply is maintained, DSCDL can still maintain encoder position counting and communication, achieving "hot standby".

Power outage safety: The manual emphasizes that after disconnecting the power supply, wait for 2 minutes for the internal DC bus capacitor to discharge before touching the connector. This time is shorter than high-power servo (usually 10 minutes), but it is still necessary to comply.

EMC Cable Shielding Specification

DSCDL has strict requirements for electromagnetic compatibility, and the following cables must use shielded wires:

Encoder cable (JC5/JC6)

I/O cable (JC12/JC13)

Communication cables (JC1~JC4)

Motor cables (JC8/JC9)

Power cable (JC10)

Shielding rules:

Use copper braided shielding (coverage ≥ 85%), and prohibit the use of cables with only aluminum foil shielding.

Connect both ends of the shielding layer 360 ° to the metal casing of the connector (using metal cable clamps).

Prohibit the use of "pig tail" (short lead) to connect the shielding layer - completely ineffective at high frequencies.

The connector must be a fully metal conductive shell.

The manual provides a schematic diagram of a good shielding connection: the shielding layer is clamped between the metal cable clamp and the connector housing after unfolding, ensuring 360 ° contact.

Axis number DIP switch setting

The axis number of the DSCDL dual axis controller is set through DIP switches (4 bits) according to the following rules:

Axis number=DIP switch binary value x 2

The first axis is the value multiplied by 2, and the second axis automatically increases by 1

Example: DIP switch 3 (binary 0011) → first axis=6, second axis=7.

Special case: When all switches are turned to "1" (high position), the controller reads the axis number previously saved through the AXI command (if not saved, it defaults to axis 1 and 2).

When multiple DSCDLs share TEB, the axis number of each controller must be unique and continuous (such as axis 0/1, 2/3, 4/5...), otherwise "BAD NOTE TEB ERR" will appear.

LED status indicator diagnosis

DSCDL provides multiple sets of LEDs for quick on-site status assessment:

Meaning of LED status

Green "TEB OK" is always on, and TEB communication is normal

Turn off TEB communication interruption (check cables or main station)

The green "SERVO ON" constant light controller has no errors

The controller has an error or is not turned on when extinguishing

The red (universal) constant light controller has an error (check M64)

Red "ERROR M1" constantly on, motor 1 has an error

Green "POWER ON M1" constantly on, motor 1 has been powered on

Attention: ERROR and the corresponding axis's POWER ON LED cannot be lit simultaneously (except during the startup phase). If they are lit simultaneously, it is considered abnormal.

Quick troubleshooting table for on-site hardware failures

Possible causes of malfunction, inspection methods, and solutions

SERVO ON does not light up after power on. Auxiliary power supply is missing. Measure the voltage at pin 5 of JC10 and check the auxiliary power supply and F3 fuse

TEB OK does not light up. If the TEB cable is disconnected or the main station is not running, check the CAT5 cable and DSMAX and unplug them again. Check the status of the main station

Single axis unable to power on, corresponding motor not connected or F4/F5 blown. Check JC8/JC9 connections, replace fuses, and inspect motor cables

Abnormal encoder reading, poor shielding or long cable. Check the shielding layer connection and reprocess the 360 ° shielding grounding

Two axes interfere with each other. The encoder cable runs parallel and is too long. Check the wiring layout and separate the power and signal lines

Zero return failure DIN2 (Home) signal not connected or level incorrect. Measure the voltage at pin 2 of JC12/JC13 and check the external switch and power supply

Analog input invalid AIN ± wiring reverse measurement JC7 pin 2/3 or 4/5 polarity calibration

Inappropriate positioning error encoder interpolation parameters K77 or K69. Check M241 value and adjust K77 (analog) or K69 (TTL)