• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Motion Control Tips

Automation • Motion Control • Power Transmission

  • News
    • Industry News
    • Editor Blogs
    • Video
  • Controls
    • HMIs
    • PC-Based Controllers
    • PLCs + PACs
    • Stand-Alone Controllers
    • Software
  • Drives
    • Servo Drives
    • Stepper Drives
  • Encoders
    • Absolute Encoders
    • Incremental Encoders
    • Rotary Encoders
  • Mechanical
    • Bearings
    • Brakes + Clutches
    • Belt + chain
    • Couplings
    • Gears + Gearing
    • Lubrication
    • Shock + Vibration Mitigation
    • Springs + Rings + Seals
  • Linear
    • Actuators
    • Linear Motors
    • Linear Encoders
  • Motors
    • AC Motors
    • DC Motors
    • Brushless Motors
    • Gearmotors
    • Piezo Motors
    • Servo Motors
    • Stepper Motors
  • Systems
    • Conveyors + linear transport systems
    • Gantries + Stages
    • Rotary Tables
    • Grippers + End Effectors
    • Robotics
  • Networks
    • Connections + Sliprings
    • Fieldbuses
    • I/O
    • Sensors + Vision
  • FAQs
    • Motion Casebook
    • Motion Selection Guides
  • Suppliers
You are here: Home / FAQs + basics / What are Hiperface and Hiperface DSL?

What are Hiperface and Hiperface DSL?

June 15, 2020 By Danielle Collins Leave a Comment

Position feedback is core to any servo application, and most rotary servo motors employ an integrated feedback device with a physical link back to the servo drive, allowing the drive to read the motor’s position and correct any errors between the commanded and actual positions. Two interfaces that facilitate the communication between the motor feedback device and the servo drive are Hiperface and Hiperface DSL.


Hiperface: The hybrid solution for absolute and incremental feedback

Hiperface (an amalgamation of HIgh PERformance InterFACE) is a motor feedback protocol developed specifically for digital drives and introduced in 1996 by Sick Stegmann. Its key benefit is its simplicity, combining a digital channel (according to the RS-485 standard) for absolute position information with an analog channel for incremental position and speed feedback, all in one, eight-wire cable (two wires for the digital RS-485 communication, four for the differential sine/cosine signals, and two for power). The hybrid design allows the transmission of absolute position information at startup and incremental positioning for normal operation.

Hiperface
Hiperface is sometimes referred to as a “hybrid” feedback protocol because it combines a digital channel for absolute position information with an analog channel for incremental position and speed feedback.
Image credit: Kollmorgen

Hiperface DSL: The all-digital, single cable feedback protocol

In 2011, Sick introduced a new protocol under the Hiperface name: Hiperface DSL (Digital Servo Link) — an all-digital feedback protocol that uses just two wires for bi-directional digital communication and encoder power. These two digital feedback wires are bundled with the motor power into a single cable, which decreases cable cost and complexity, especially for applications with multiple servo drives. The use of just one cable, and therefore, one connector on the motor, is also ideal for very small servo motors, where space for electrical connections is extremely limited.

Like the original protocol, Hiperface DSL complies with the RS-485 standard and allows cable lengths up to 100 meters. Data can be transmitted cyclically at 9.375 Mbaud, or synchronously with the controller clock, with cycle times as low as 12 μs. Hiperface DSL can provide up to 23 bits of resolution per revolution for single-turn encoders and up to 12 bits for multi-turn encoders.

Hiperface
Hiperface DSL is a digital protocol for motor feedback systems based on a single cable.
Image credit: Sick

The Hiperface DSL architecture also establishes channels for the transfer of motor parameter data, condition monitoring, and integrated safe motion, transmitting the necessary data over the two digital communication wires. The parameter channel transmits information such as electronic “type plate” data, while the process data channel transmits position and speed information. Two safety channels transmit absolute safe position information as well as encoder status. This redundancy and error-checking make the Hiperface DSL interface compliant with SIL2 (PLd) and SIL3 (PLe) safety standards, per IEC 61508 and EN/ISO 13849-1.

Finally, a SensorHub channel transmits data from other sensors located within the motor — temperature, vibration, acceleration, or humidity, for example — to enable condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and diagnostics. These capabilities make Hiperface DSL a key component for Industry 4.0 applications and the IIoT.

Hiperface
Hiperface DSL includes channels for position feedback, parameter exchange, safe position (1 and 2), and SensorHub data such as motor temperature or vibration.
Image credit: Sick

In 2016, Sick opened the Hiperface DSL interface, providing a licensing model for any drive or motor manufacturer to integrate the technology into their product offering.


You may also like:


  • Part 3: Trends in Ethernet, PoE, IO-Link, HIPERFACE, and single-cable…
  • sine encoder
    What is a sine encoder (aka sine-cosine encoder)?
  • multi-turn encoder
    What happens when a multi-turn encoder reaches 4096 turns?
  • encoder speed
    How are encoders used for speed measurement?

  • What is TTL output for incremental encoders?

Filed Under: Encoders, FAQs + basics, Featured, Networking + IoT, Sensors + Vision

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

POWER TRANSMISSION REFERENCE GUIDE

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion
Subscribe Today

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Specifying electric rodless actuators: Ten tips for maximizing actuator life and system performance
  • The truth about actuator life: Screw drive survival
  • Top Ten Tips: How to specify electric rod-style actuators for optimal performance, reliability and efficiency

Footer

Motion Control Tips

DESIGN WORLD NETWORK

Design World Online
The Robot Report
Coupling Tips
Linear Motion Tips
Bearing Tips
Fastener Engineering.

MOTION CONTROL TIPS

Subscribe to our newsletter
Advertise with us
Contact us
About us
Follow us on TwitterAdd us on FacebookAdd us on LinkedInAdd us on YouTubeAdd us on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy | RSS