Fiber Optic Interface

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carbuthn
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Fiber Optic Interface

Post by carbuthn »

After reading some of the posts talking about future Plasma Cutter use with Acorn I have been thinking about a fiber optic interface to provide encoder input into the Acorn board.

In a past life (Reactor Operator in a nuclear power plant) we used a fiber optic cable to send signals from the reactor coolant pump power monitors (9000 hp, 6.9 kv motors) to the reactor protection cabinets in the control room. The system had to work in spite of welding, switchgear operation, turbine generator operations (22 kv 860 MW) and transmission lines (500 kv and 230 kv). Point is fiber optics are mostly immune to electrical noise.

It should be easy to setup transmitter from the encoder to receivers at next to the Acorn board, this would eliminate noise from vfds etc.

Does anyone know a source for cheap fiber optics components? Anyone worked on any fiber optic projects? Maybe even surplus equipment.
Chuck
DrLocke
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Re: Fiber Optic Interface

Post by DrLocke »

Would be fun but probably not practical. Would require a minimum of 3 fibers (A,B,Z) plus power & ground to the encoder end and then decoder on the acorn end to create +A,+B,+Z,-A,-B,-Z. Another approach would be to sample the encoder signals and serialize them on one fiber, this would probably require a small programmable processor on both ends. Fun but not practical considering the low cost of current technology (my opinion ).
carbuthn
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:40 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: Yes
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Re: Fiber Optic Interface

Post by carbuthn »

Thanks for the reply, I was thinking something similar to a fiber to ethernet converter. I will need to see how many pairs are actually transferred.
61O04ql3eWL._AC_SL1000_.jpg
about $27 from Amazon.
May get one or two to play with.
Chuck
cnckeith
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Re: Fiber Optic Interface

Post by cnckeith »

Need support? READ THIS POST first. http://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=1043
All Acorn Documentation is located here: viewtopic.php?f=60&t=3397
Answers to common questions: viewforum.php?f=63
and here viewforum.php?f=61
Gear we use but don't sell. https://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_di ... _gear.html
carbuthn
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:40 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: Yes
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Oak CNC controller: No
CNC Control System Serial Number: none
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No

Re: Fiber Optic Interface

Post by carbuthn »

Thanks Keith, it looks great. Hope that I can afford it when it is released.
Chuck
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