Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Exact Positioning Ensures Clear Images of The Universe

By Laura Carrabine | April 17, 2012

When the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) observatory is completed in 2013, it will have 66 high-precision antennas working together at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. Today, 25 of the 66 antenna are equipped with Heidenhain angle encoders.

schematic representation of a circular graduation

Here is a schematic representation of a circular graduation with distance coded reference marks. (ERA 4480 with 20,000 lines).

The antennas are interconnected to comprise a single telescope that is already capturing images from light years away. The exact positioning of the antennas is critical to obtaining clear images. The Heidenhain encoders are well suited for this application because of their precise instrumentation and ability to operate without contact at an altitude of 5,000 meters in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

ALMA

ALMA will use 66 antennas that are precisely controlled and interconnected to form a giant telescope. Angle encoders from Heidenhain ensure the antennas are positioned precisely. (Photo credit: Jose Francisco Salgado)

To align the horizontal angle, the ALMA antennas use the incremental ERA 7480C angle encoder with 247,800 scale lines and a diameter of 3,155 millimeters. This encoder was specifically developed for the observatory. The angle encoders consist of a scanning unit and a one-piece scale tape as a graduation carrier.

ERA 7480 encoder

The ERA 7480 encoder consists of a scanning unit and a one-piece steel scale tape as a graduation carrier. The ERA 4282C modular encoder consists of a scale drum and a compact scanning head.

The vertical angle was set by ALMA researchers who used the angle encoder. Its interface electronics adapt the encoder signals to other auxiliary electronics. The external EIB 749 interface box interpolates and compensates the output signals from the scanning head, and position values are output through Ethernet to the antenna’s control computer. HEIDENHAIN http://www.heidenhain.com/

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Aerospace + defense, Encoders • optical, ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
Tagged With: heidenhain
 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
  • Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable World
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. 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 | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more