Interferometric laser encoder accessories
Expand the capabilities of your laser encoder systems with a range of accessories designed to support accurate installation, alignment, and measurement. These complementary products help optimise performance, improve usability, and enable a broader range of applications including multi-axis configurations and multiple degrees of freedom measurement.
Cables
Quadrature output cables
Quadrature output cables connect RLE laser encoder systems to external motion control equipment, interpolators and parallel interfaces. They transmit the quadrature signal outputs from the RLU laser unit, enabling integration with a wide range of position feedback and control systems.
Specific cable variants are available for analogue quadrature or digital quadrature signals.
All quadrature output cables feature a DH40-27S Hirose connector at the RLU end and a 15-way D-sub male connector at the equipment end. Each cable is supplied in a standard 1.5 m length.
Diagnostic cables
Diagnostic cables provide access to the RLE laser encoder diagnostic interface. They enable direct communication between the RLU laser unit and a host computer, allowing engineers, machine builders and system integrators to configure and monitor the laser encoder system during installation, commissioning and service activities.
Diagnostic cables feature a 4-way LEMO connector for connection to the RLU diagnostic port and an integrated FTDI USB interface for connection to a Windows-based laptop or PC. They are supplied in a standard 1.5 m length.
Beam layout adapters
We offer a range of beam layout adapters for the DI (differential interferometer) detector heads. These modify the beam footprints and can offer measurement solutions for multiple degrees of freedom.
Options such as the 15 mm DI periscope and the RMAP-3A multi-axis periscope (below) are available. Renishaw can also work directly with you to develop product variants and bespoke accessories to suit your applications.
Please contact your local representative for more information.
15 mm DI periscope
The 15 mm DI periscope assembly contains two mirrors which increase the offset between measurement and reference beams of the DI differential interferometer detector head by 15 mm. This 15 mm offset produces a beam separation of 29 mm as opposed to the 14 mm beam separation provided by the differential interferometer alone.
Features and benefits
- Adapts the DI beam layout for applications requiring wider mirror spacing.
- Increases beam separation from 14 mm to 29 mm.
- Simple, fixed-offset design with no additional adjustment required.
- Easy to integrate, mounting directly to the machine structure using the three screws provided.
RMAP-3A Multi-axis DI periscope
The RMAP-3A multi-axis periscope is designed to enable six degrees of freedom measurements within XY stage applications by minimising the beam footprint from multiple interferometers. Utilising three DI detector heads, the multi-axis periscope can accurately measure pitch, yaw and linear position.
With an angular range of 30 arc seconds, the multi-axis periscope is compatible with most high-performance stages, further optimising their performance. A single mounting face enables the multi-axis periscope to be installed quickly and easily to the vacuum chamber or metrology frame.
Using the DI detector heads for angular measurements allows for errors generated from laser frequency variation and environmental changes to be common between the two paths. This improves the accuracy and repeatability compared to angular deviations calculated from two independent beams.
Features and benefits
- Compact beam footprint – reduced to 18 mm by 35 mm, to minimise the size and weight of target mirrors.
- Easy installation – designed to be mounted directly onto the exterior of the vacuum chamber and secured with four bolts.
- High performance – utilising independent DI detector heads improves accuracy and repeatability over conventional methods.
Downloads: datasheets and technical documents
Further information about the technical specifications of the Renishaw laser encoder products, such as datasheets and installation guides, are available from our technical downloads section.
Discover our range of interferometric laser encoders designed to meet your high-accuracy motion control needs.
Contact our sales team today
Get in contact with your local office to find out more information and speak to an expert.