[cnctiger]

I have a RSF Elektronik MSA654 linear encoder. It has 5 wires that are black, white, green, red, and brown. Does anyone know which signals these wire colors represent?

[Al_The_Man]

From their web site http://www.rsf.net/downloads it would appear these scales are low signal sinusoidal, not 5v differntial
For the actual function of the 5 connections, you could contact their support link.
They don't appear to show connections on the site.
The fact that there is 5 connections seems to bear out the sinusoidal type.
Al.

[One of Many]

I'd email or phone RSF and request the info. These come in either sine or square wave versions and may be defined as MSA654.xxx or by serial number.

I thought they used to include the connection diagrams in their PDF's. Not any more darndit!

5 wires sounds fine to me. +5v,GND,A,B,Z would be typical. If there were a way to view the reader head board and assertain the power connections, then view the signal type on an O-scope, out the remaining lines while moving slowly,.....good nuff?

The Z signal will either be centered on the scale or 35mm from each end.

DC

[cnctiger]

Al,
Thanks. I sent a request to RSF for more information but have not received a reply.

DC,
Thanks. I was also thinking of putting a scope on it to determine the signals but did not want to put 5V to the wrong pins.

[One of Many]

I wouldn't do it without knowledge of what is on the circuit board that can clue you in to further research in the details. Like IC numbers, capacitor and diode connection points. Looking for hints will certainly reduce the risk if RSF doesn't come through or now wants you to pay dearly for that kind of information. Not likely but it is odd they have cleansed it from their PDF's.

Maybe you have more patience than I do. The old saying is curiosity killed the cat. I say, but it has nine lives! With good information and an ounce of confidence, at least one of those lives is in good hands?

DC

[cnctiger]

DC,

I doubt that I have more patience. Just not enough time during the week to play. Curiosity did win over patience and I pull the read head apart. After trying to follow the traces and looking up IC info I came up with the following guess:
Black = V+
White = Gnd
Brown - Green - Pink = Signals

So I hooked up the scope and applied 5V. It Worked!!!

Final analysis:
Black = V+
White = Gnd
Pink = A
Green = B
Brown = Z

Thanks for the thoughts and the inspiration. I was wondering whether I was the only one curious (crazy?) enough to take apart a perfectly good glass scale just to find out what makes it work.

[One of Many]

DC,

I doubt that I have more patience. Just not enough time during the week to play. Curiosity did win over patience and I pull the read head apart. After trying to follow the traces and looking up IC info I came up with the following guess:
Black = V+
White = Gnd
Brown - Green - Pink = Signals

So I hooked up the scope and applied 5V. It Worked!!!

Final analysis:
Black = V+
White = Gnd
Pink = A
Green = B
Brown = Z

Thanks for the thoughts and the inspiration. I was wondering whether I was the only one curious (crazy?) enough to take apart a perfectly good glass scale just to find out what makes it work.

See, there ya go! Glad to hear it all worked out for you. So, I take it the signals showed up as square wave quadrature?

When you get ready to mount it, be sure and place a .06-075 spacer between the reader head gap and the scale spar to set its alignment. Many are shipped with special alingment clips that are removed after the scale and head are all mounted. This keeps the read head from tilt, strain and lifting off the glass scale, losing the output signals at the head sensor. You also want the spar within .01 parallel over its length in 2 planes to the axis it runs with.

DC