MicroE Systems' announced major new product initiatives at Semicon West: Attendees were scrutinizing the new Mercury™ 1800, the Mercury Absolute, and the company's SmartPrecision™ software for their high performance applications.
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Mercury 1800-
The World's Smallest 100 or 50 Nanometer
Digital-in-the-Sensor-Head Encoder System

A number of motion systems engineers reported that the Mercury 1800's impressive resolution and tiny form factor would be the ideal answer to their space constrained designs. A marvel of miniaturization, the M1800 integrates a laser source, detector, signal conditioning and interpolation electronics into a sensor that is just 8.9mm tall. The new Mercury 1800 can be ordered with either of two factory-set resolutions: 50 or 100 nanometers, linear or 6.6 or 3.3 million CPR, rotary. The M1800 is the smallest encoder in the world to deliver this performance directly from the sensor head. A number of engineers also reported interest in the repeatability of the M1800, a critical parameter in wafer processing applications. The Mercury 1800 has a bi-directional high-resolution index pulse good to 1 LSB for optimal position repeatability. It all adds up to the new Mercury 1800 being the best digital output encoder in its class. And from what we've seen, the market seems to agree.

Mercury Absolute Encoder-
Making Next Generation Direct Drive
Robotic Designs Possible

MicroE Systems' new Mercury Absolute encoder was the cause for some excitement at the show. Robot designers discovered that the promise of dramatic space and cost savings resulting from direct drive might finally be achievable. And this new absolute encoder could make it a reality.

The new Mercury Absolute encoder sets a number of critical performance benchmarks. Starting with the basics, this encoder has a 24 bit single turn resolution which insures tight position control at the end effector. Should power be interrupted during a critical operation, such as loading a wafer into a cassette, the Mercury Absolute will allow the robot to wake up and resume operation with sufficient accuracy to avoid any wafer collision.

Implicit in this claim is true absolute performance- meaning the Mercury Absolute needs no battery or startup move upon power up. This feature, combined with its 24-bit resolution had engineers asking how soon the system would be available for prototype design. The answer is early 2005.

Many designers also homed in on the encoder's small size as a way to reduce the "moment arm" and increase the stiffness of the joint. As a kit encoder, the system has an installed height of just 15mm. That's half the height of other absolute encoders. And, it can be ordered with large through-hole code wheels, from 3 to 5 1/2 inches in diameter.

When it comes to next generation direct drive robot design, it looks like a bright future for the Mercury Absolute encoder.

SmartPrecision Software-
The Leading Encoder Software

Engineers continue to tell us how valuable SmartPrecision software is to system setup and optimization. And this year was no exception. MicroE Systems' exclusive encoder software makes all other encoder setup and monitoring methods obsolete. The Windows-based SmartPrecision encoder software eliminates the need for oscilloscopes and bench test equipment.

Many show attendees saw how SmartPrecision would not only enable programmable resolution and other functions, but that it could be used during manufacturing setup, during system operation, and in field service.

Check Mercury Encoder Alignment and Index setup
While Mercury encoders do not require oscilloscopes for sensor alignment and index setup, SmartPrecision software lets users confirm proper setup by viewing the sensor output signal directly using the Lissajous plot function. Engineers particularly liked how it can capture Lissajous data to document proper encoder setup. Used this way SmartPrecision software can be a very effective manufacturing quality assurance tool.

• Align sensor using Signal Level display and Lissajous data plot
• Locate index and see when sensor is over the scale's index mark
• Verify sensor output over length of scale using the Signal Strength plot

Monitor Mercury Encoder Operation
It is often beneficial to monitor the encoder while the system operates. SmartPrecision gives you several ways to do this. The digital readout displays the encoder's position in engineering units. You can also monitor the output signal over the length of the scale. Low signal alarms can be captured in a log file, including the date and time of the alarm. The software will show when the sensor passes over the index, and you can read position relative to the index. You can even monitor hours of operation to coordinate with system preventive maintenance programs.

Above is a plot of the signal strength over
the length of the scale.


Above is a plot of encoder position over time
and velocity over time.

• Read encoder output signal over the length of the scale
• Read encoder position in engineering units of your choice
• Read the encoder's hour meter to monitor system usage
• Capture alarms while system operates unattended

Diagnose Mercury Encoder Performance
When a problem occurs in the motion platform, it's important to be able to quickly close in on the problem. SmartPrecision software gives users the tools to get to the heart of the problem. The position readout, displayed in engineering units, confirms the actual position. Signal data can be recorded, emailed and analyzed by MicroE System's Rapid Customer Response group to determine whether the encoder is experiencing a problem. Alternatively, you can use multiple display plots with data capture and the alarm history log to rapidly diagnose the motion system. From the feedback we received at the show, engineers felt Mercury encoders and SmartPrecision software represent the best value in the industry.