Enhanced Support for TMC8100 Stepper Motor Driver with SSI Absolute Encoder Protocol

The TMC8100, a software reference implementation developed by Trinamic in 2011, offers a versatile solution for servo motor drives, focusing on absolute position encoder with synchronous serial interface (SSI). This application note highlights the features and capabilities of the TMC8100, particularly when used with the Ri360P0-QR14-ESG25X2 encoder from Turck.

The TMC8100 supports a data rate of 1Mbps, as supported by the SSI encoder. It generates a clock signal with specific frequency, number of pulses, and polarity, with example uses employing a 1MHz clock frequency. The six wires used are for encoder power supply, ground connection, and differential RS-422 signals for data and clock transmission.

One of the key features of the TMC8100 is its programmable microcontroller, optimized for serial synchronous and asynchronous absolute encoder protocols up to 16Mbit/s. It includes an input filter and supports in-system updates for different encoder capabilities or for switching to other encoder protocols.

The TMC8100 also offers gray to binary code conversion and features the SSI Implementation, which is used with the encoder in this example. The reference implementation, available as source code for users to modify as needed for their application, packs and unpacks data, and converts 16-bit encoder position data from gray code to binary code.

The software has been tested with the Ri360P0-QR14-ESG25X2 encoder, and the TMC8100 can replace dedicated encoder protocol interface ICs and FPGA implementations. SSI clock frequencies up to 16MHz are possible with the TMC8100.

A significant application of the TMC8100 is motor position feedback in servo motor drives. By utilising the TMC8100-EVAL-KIT and the Ri360P0-QR14-ESG25X2 encoder, users can effectively monitor and control the position of their servo motors, enhancing the precision and efficiency of their systems.

In summary, the TMC8100 offers a robust and versatile solution for servo motor drives, providing a comprehensive set of features and capabilities that cater to a wide range of applications. Whether you're looking for a reliable encoder interface or a microcontroller optimized for high-speed serial communication, the TMC8100 is a valuable tool for your servo motor drive projects.