Speed Encoder - Matthews Marking Systems I-Mark SX-32e Technical Manual

I N S TA L L A T I O N
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Speed Encoder

For connecting a speed encoder to the control unit, see "Connecting a Printout
Activator and Speed Encoder" on page 18.
Note that the standard Matthews warranty is void if any other than a Matthews
approved speed encoder is connected to this control unit.
What is a Speed Encoder?
A speed encoder is a device which converts the motion of, for example, a conveyor
line into electrical pulses which are then used, by the control unit, as a reference
when automatically adjusting the horizontal gap between dots to suit the conveyor
line speed.
This means that even if the print target should change speed during a printout the
resulting text would not be affected.
As the print target moves the speed encoder shaft rotates causing the speed encoder
to emit pulses.
1
After a group of pulses has been received by the control unit a single column of the
selected message will be printed, and after the next group of pulses the next column
is printed, and so on until the complete message has been printed.
14 groups of pulses have been received from the speed encoder
causing 14 columns (including spaces) to be printed.
The distance that the print target moves between pulse groups is equal to the distance
between the printed columns (x).
Usually the speed encoder is installed so that the distance between the printed
columns (x) is equal to the vertical distance between the print head nozzles (y). This
arrangement will produce printouts with equally spaced dots (both vertically and
horizontally).
x
Print head
y
nozzles
Factors Which Affect Column Spacing
• Number of pulses per revolution from the speed encoder.
• Number of speed encoder shaft revolutions per distance unit travelled by the print
target.
1. The number of pulses in a group depends on the Spacing setting.
Printed dots 0
I•Mark SX-32e Technical Manual Version: 8 Issue: 1
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