E1701C Modular 5-Axis CNC Controller

Beside common laser scanner controller cards BeamConstruct also supports the only modular, 5-axis CNC controller card worldwide*: the E1701C. This is a low-cost CNC controller card with the smallest ground-size out there* and it is the only one which can be extended by additional boards* providing different signals and outputs. So it is not necessary to buy one fully featured card and to pay for functions that are not needed. Via its extension boards only these functions and I/Os can be added, that are really required.

Due to its future-proof design and its extensive interfaces and software options, it is not limited to laser applications, but it is also able to control mechanical tools such as mills. Our BeamConstruct control application fully supports such machinery, beside the common laser parameters it is also able to handle the E1701C and the specialities of such mechanical tools.

These extension boards are plugged onto baseboard. Several of them can be combined freely according to required functionality.

E1701C Baseboard is a 5-axis CNC controller card which can control lasers as well as other tools with suitable hardware interfaces. It can be extended by options described below and provides following features:

  • Support for up to 5 stepper motor axes which can be controlled via step/direction signals
  • Can be used with any XY-table/-gantry, XYZ-stage or similar 2..5-axis, motor-driven CNC devices
  • Fully synchronous movements of all axes for real 2D/3D/... operations
  • 100 Mbit Ethernet connection
  • USB 2.0 connection
  • Command execution time down to 0,5 microseconds
  • Realtime processing of laser and motion signals
  • CMOS level on/off output to toggle laser or tool
  • Can control nearly every laser type (this may require extension boards as described below)
  • Power ramping output to modulate laser power or tool speed during movements
  • CMOS level inputs to start or stop operations by hardware signal
  • 5 optionally opto-insulated reference-switch inputs which can be operated with up to 24 V external power
  • 512 MByte DDR3 RAM
  • 4-core system with 1 GHz clock on main CPU core
  • Extremely low power consumption of about 1,8 W (Baseboard without any Extension Boards)
  • Internal command and vector data list with more than 17 million entries
  • Continuous list concept, no need to swap between lists
  • BeamConstruct PRO license included
  • Very small size of about 87 mm x 55 mm
  • Hardware/firmware is quality made in Germany

LP8 Extension Board requires the E1701C baseboard as described above and provides additional signals for controlling lasers and external equipment. It offers the following features and functions:

  • LP8 8 bit CMOS level parallel digital output e.g. for controlling laser power
  • LP8 latch CMOS level digital output for usage with IPG™ and compatible laser types
  • Master Oscillator CMOS level digital output for usage with IPG™ and compatible laser
    types
  • 8 bit 0..5V analogue output e.g. for controlling laser power
  • Two laser CMOS level digital outputs for usage with YAG, CO2, IPG™ and compatible
    laser types (outputs can provide PWM frequency, Q-Switch, FPK-pulse, continuously running frequency, stand-by frequency), running with frequencies up to 20 MHz
  • Hardware is quality made in EU

The Digi I/O Extension Board requires a baseboard as described above and provides additional I/Os for controlling external equipment. It offers following features and functions:

  • 8 digital inputs which can be switched to opto-insulated mode with external power supply of up to 24 V
  • 8 digital outputs which can be switched to opto-insulated mode with external power supply of up to 24 V
  • Hardware is quality made in Germany

Resources

E1701C English manual containing hardware description for base- and all available extensionboards as well as programming interface specification:e1701c_manual.pdf

Development files (Windows and Linux, no driver required for Linux): GIT Repository

* As per 12/2018 we do not know of any other 5-axis CNC controller card that is fully modular and comes with a smaller size for such a low price.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, A QUOTATION OR
TO ORDER E1701D SCANNER CARD, PLEASE

CONTACT US

E1701C™ hardware and design is © by HALaser Systems