Over 25 years after introducing the EnDat protocol, with the launch of EnDat 3, HEIDENHAIN continues to innovate, with a focus on digital manufacturing requirements.
Key developments are faster data transfer, high transmission reliability, and improved diagnostics, combined with additional sensor data (from encoders or external devices), which are becoming pre-requisites for reliable system design. All previous versions of EnDat communication have been point-to-point or master/slave. EnDat 3 now allows the possibility of bus topologies allowing multiple devices to be linked. EnDat 3 also features enhanced functional safety features to SIL 3 (Safety Integrity Level), a common international standard to measure reliability and risk reduction. In addition, EnDat 3 can be used with the new HEIDENHAIN HMC 2 hybrid cable solution to create a single, standardised cable from a drive to a servo motor to reduce system cabling and associated installation costs.
EnDat 3 is a universal protocol that can be applied to many devices, primarily position encoders, with a wide range of measuring and scanning methods such as absolute and incremental, photoelectric, inductive or magnetic.
