Posital releases IXARC SIL 2-certified rotary encoders for safety-critical systems

Jun. 1, 2016 – Posital has expanded its family of IXARC absolute rotary encoders to include models designed for use in safety-critical motion control systems.

The new encoders feature redundant measurement elements and are certified to Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL 2) and Performance Level d (PL d). They feature a ROFINET communications interface and support the PROFIsafe protocol for use in critical applications such as industrial robots or material handling equipment, where loss of control could result in hazardous situations. With no direct contact between sensing elements, IXARC magnetic encoders promise to retain their accuracy and reliability over long lifetimes. Versions with multi-turn capabilities have a 12 bit (4096 rotation) measurement range. According to the company, the measurement system is backed up by advanced signal processing and interface software that supports a full range of PROFINET and PROFIsafe capabilities, including prioritized startup, media redundancy and the possibility of firmware updates through the PROFINET communications network.