technical bulletin

TB-109: Specifying Output Types

Choosing the correct number of channels and the correct output type for an encoder can be the determining factor in whether or not a feedback system
functions properly. There are four common output types to select from, and most of EPC’s encoder models can be ordered with any of these four types.
There are also some speciality output types, available on select models.

Determining What Output Type Your Application Needs

The receiving device determines the correct configuration of the encoder’s outputs. One type of output is not necessarily better than another; it depends on the
individual application and the controller being used with the encoder. For instance, if the controller calls for “compatible NPN” output circuitry, a simple open-collector
output type is the right choice. The circuit will be current sinking, and the load on the controller side will pull up the encoder output to the desired voltage. In another
example, if the controller is set up to receive differential signals, for better noise immunity (especially at higher voltages), use an encoder with an HV differential line
driver output. Reference your controller’s manual for specific information on its requirements, and of course, EPC Technical Services is here to help if you still have
REVISIONS

questions. LTR
INITIAL RELEASE
DESCRIPTION DATE
REVISIONS

LTR DESCRIPTION DATE

INITIAL RELEASE
e Driver Hook-up

Common Output Types CONTROLLER OR

COUNTER
Typical Differential Line Driver Hook-up
Controller or
Counter
Encoder +VDC
1. “OC” NPN Open-Collector is a current sinking output and is useful for doing what isREVISIONS
+VDC
A called level shifting. This isTypical
when the Electrical
Push-Pull encoder
+VDC
is powered
Hook-up Controller or
LTR DESCRIPTION DATE Encoder Counter

with one voltage level, and the output is pulled up externally to a different voltage level. For example, the encoder can be powered with 5
A’ +VDC
+VDC
Common INITIAL RELEASE
A

voltsHook-up
pical Differential Line Driver DC and the output can be pulled up to a 24 volt DC level. Common

CONTROLLER OR REVISIONS
COUNTER
+VDC +VDC LTR +VDC
DESCRIPTION DATE
+VDC
Typical Open Collector Hook-up
INITIAL RELEASE
OUTPUT Controller or
Encoder Counter OUTPUT
+VDC Line Driver Hook-up OUTPUT
or Hook-up Typical Differential +VDC
A OUTPUT Controller or
CONTROLLER
Encoder OR Counter +VDC +VDC +VD
COUNTER +VDC COMMON +VDC COMMON
Common Pull-up Resistor Typical Push-PullCOMMON
Electrical
OUTPUT Hook-up
+VDC
A 500-2.2K OHM Controller or OUT
OUTPUT
Line Driver Push Pull Encoder
or equivalent Counter
A’ +VDC
Open CollectorOUTPUT +VDC
Common +VDC +VDC COMMON +VDC COMMON
A
Pull-Up Resistor Push Pull COM
500-2.2K OHM NPN Electrical Hook-Up OUTPUT OCLine Driver
Output Circuit Open Collector
Common
or equivalent OUTPUT OUTPUT
Typical Open Collector Hook-up Typical Pull-Up Resistor Hook-up
Controller or
OUTPUT
2. “PU” Pull-Up is the same as the open-collector,
CONTROLLER
COUNTER
OR Encoder
but, as the nameCOMMON
+VDC
implies, it also contains an COMMON
internal pull-up resistor to the positive supply
Counter
+VDC +VDC
2.2K OHM
+VDC
1.5K OHM
Typical Open Collector Hook-up
voltage supplied to the encoder. (Not to be confused with
Encoder +VDC
+VDC A
LineaDriver
“sourcing” type output.)+VDC
The
Push amount
Pull of current that
Controller or
Counter can be sourced with the output
COMMON
+VDC Open Collector
OUTPUT OUT

+VDC
tor Hook-up
transistor in the off state is limited
A
by the
Pull-Up Resistor
supply voltage
Common
and the value of the internal
2.2K OHM pull-up resistor. Common
1.5K OHM values for the internal pull-up
+VDC +VDC COMMON +VDC COM
CONTROLLER OR OUTPUT OUTPUT
resistor used COUNTER
in encoder is or equivalent1,500 and 2,200 Ω. This type of output is used when the counter, or PLC does not have built-in provisions
between
500-2.2K OHM Pull Up Resistor 2 Pull Up Resistor 1
Common Pull-up Resistor OUTPUT
+VDC 500-2.2K OHM OUTPUT OUTPUT

to pull up the input circuitry. COMMON

or equivalent

COMMON
OUTPUT

COMMON COMMON
ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE Push Pull COMMON
Line Driver
Pull Up Resistor2 Pull Up Resistor1ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY Open Collector
+VDC +VDC
Typical Pull-Up Resistor Hook-up
ypical Pull Up Resistor Hook-up NEXT ASSEMBLY DECIMAL INITIAL NAME AND TITLE 1.5K OHM
Controller or 2.2K OHM DATE
Encoder +VDC Counter
CONTROLLER OR TYPICAL HOOK-UPS
+VDC OUTPUT +VDC OUTPUT +VDC
COUNTER PREV ASSEMBLY DECIMAL CK 2.2K OHM 1.5K OHM
A
+VDC QC
DWG NUMBEROUTPUT OUTPUT

Common PART NUMBER MFG

COMMON COMMON
DWG SIZE SCALE NONE SHEET
COMMON COMMON
Pull Up Resistor2 Pull Up Resistor1
Pull Up Resistor 2 Pull Up Resistor 1
ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE
PU Electrical Hook-Up ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY PU Output Circuit

NEXT ASSEMBLY DECIMAL INITIAL DATE NAME AND TITLE

ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE
ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY
3. PREV
“PP”ASSEMBLY
Push-Pull isDECIMAL
sometimes referred
CK
DR GMA 4/08/04
to as a “totem-pole” type of output
TYPICAL circuit. For our discussion here, we will treat them equally. This is a
HOOK-UPS
NEXT ASSEMBLY DECIMAL INITIAL DATE NAME AND TITLE

combination of sinking and sourcing QC outputs. When the output is in the logic high state, current is sourced to the load. When
DWG NUMBER REV. the output is in TYPICAL HOOK-UPS

ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE PREV ASSEMBLY DECIMAL CK

the NUMBER
PART logic low state,ANGULAR
current is sinked
MFGfrom the load. It suffers from lack of noise immunity, however, because when the output is high (sourcing)
ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY QC
DWG NUMBER REV.

DWG SIZE
PART NUMBER B MFG
SCALE NONE SHEET 1 OF 1
NEXT ASSEMBLY DECIMAL INITIAL DATE NAME AND TITLE DWG SIZE SCALE NONE
page 1 of 2
SHEET 1 OF 1
DR GMA 4/08/04
TYPICAL HOOK-UPS
1-800-366-5412 | www.encoder.com
PREV ASSEMBLY | DECIMAL
sales@encoder.comCK
DWG NUMBER REV.
QC
PART NUMBER ANGULAR MFG

DWG SIZE B SCALE NONE SHEET 1 OF 1

 REVISIONS

LTR DESCRIPTION DATE

technical bulletin INITIAL RELEASE

Typical Differential Line Driver Hook-up

tb-109: Specifying Output Types CONTROLLER OR

COUNTER
+VDC
REVISIONS

LTR DESCRIPTION DATE

whatever noise, ripple, etc., that is on the DC supply

INITIAL RELEASElines to the encoder is directly dumped into the input circuitry of the counter, PLC, or
N
ver Hook-up whatever the load. When the output is sinking (low state), the noise immunity is the same as if the open-collector was used.
Controller or
Counter
+VDC
Typical Push-Pull Electrical Hook-up +VDC
Controller or +VDC +VDC
Encoder Counter
+VDC
OUTPUT
+VDC
OUTPUT OUTPU
Typical Open Collector Hook-up A
OUTPUT
CONTROLLER
Common OR
COUNTER COMMON COMMON
+VDC COMMO
Line Driver Push Pull
Open Collector
Hook-up
Controller or
PP Electrical Hook-up PP Output Circuit REVISIONS
Counter
Pull-Up Resistor
N +VDC 500-2.2K OHM LTR DESCRIPTION
or equivalent
4. “HV” Differential Line Driver provides +VDC differential outputs, or complementary
+VDC
signals for noise immunity. ItINITIAL
+VDC
meetsRELEASE
RS-422 standards when
operated at 5 voltsTypical
Pull-up Resistor
500-2.2K OHM
DC. This typeLine
Differential of Driver
output should be selected if the load device is set up toOUTPUT
Hook-up
OUTPUT receive differential signals. The output lines are
OUTPUT

ENCODER
electrically balanced
or equivalent
and if the proper balance
OUTPUTbetween themCONTROLLER
is not maintained,
COUNTER
OR ringing and spurious oscillations can+VDC occur on the lines. At +VDC
higher frequencies it may cause false
Typical Pull Up Resistor Hook-up
+VDC
counting in the loadPushdevice.
Line Driver
COMMON
Pull Noise immunityOpenisCollector
COMMON
+VDC obtained by the nature of what
COMMON 2.2Kis called “common mode”
OHM 1.5K OHM
CONTROLLER OR
rejection. (For more information, see white paper WP-2005: Noise Suppression of Differential Signals.) Remember OUTPUT
that for each output OUTPU
A
Hook-up COUNTER
A’ Controller or +VDC
channel the encoder
Counter
COMMON +VDC has, one additional wire in the cable must be+VDC used for the complement +VDC
signal. Also, for applications
LTR
where there will be
REVISIONS
DESCRIPTION

long lengths of interconnecting cable, which can degrade the signal, 2.2K OHM
HV is the best optionOUTPUT
OUTPUT
1.5K OHM
to ensure a clear signal. COMMON
INITIAL RELEASE
COMMO
Pull Up Resistor2 Pull Up Resistor1
ON Typical Differential Line Driver Hook-up
Controller or
+VDC +VDC
Encoder COMMON Counter COMMON
+VDC OUTPUT
Pull Up Resistor 2 +VDC
Pull Up Resistor 1
Typical Push-Pull Electrical Hook-up
A
Typical Open Collector Hook-up OUTPUT
A’ Encoder OUTPUT
+VDC
CONTROLLER OR
ENCODER Common COUNTER ACOMMON COMMON
+VDC
ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE +VDC
ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY Line Driver Common
Push Pull
A
ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE
NEXT ASSEMBLY DECIMAL INITIAL DATE HV Electrical Hook-Up
NAME AND TITLE HV Output Circuit
Pull-Up Resistor ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY
TYPICAL HOOK-UPS
COMMON 500-2.2K OHM

Specialty Output Types

PREV ASSEMBLY DECIMAL

EncoderQC
CKNEXT ASSEMBLY

+VDC
TypicalDECIMAL
Open Collector Hook-up
DWG NUMBER
DR
or equivalent DATE
INITIAL
Controller or
Counter
GMA 4/08/04
NAME AND TITLE

+VDC
REV.

TYPICAL HOOK-UPS
PART NUMBER MFG
A ASSEMBLY
PREV DECIMAL CK
The following output types are available on select EPC encoder models:QC
DWG SIZE SCALE NONE SHEET
DWG NUMBER
1 OF 1 +VDC +VDC

Common Pull-up Resistor OUTPUT +VDC

Typical Pull Up Resistor Hook-up
“OD” Open Collector/Differential: an open collector
PART NUMBER output with complimentary
ANGULAR MFG channels similar to a line driver. 500-2.2K OHM
or equivalent OUTPUT
2.2KOUTPUT
OHM
CONTROLLER OR OUTPUT
ENCODER COUNTER DWG SIZE B SCALE NONE SHEET 1
“LO” Line
+VDCDriver on ABZ and Open Collector on UVW: Complimentary line+VDC drivers outputs for the clock channels
Line Driver A, B, and Z. Open collector
COMMON
Push Pull
COMMON

outputsAfor the commutation channels U, V, W. Typical Pull-Up Resistor Hook-up COMMON

Controller or

“H5” Line Driver at +5VDC:

COMMON Regardless
Encoder +VDC
of the input voltage, the outputs will be Counter
limited +VDC
to +5VDC complimentary line driver. Input voltage is +VDC
Pull Up Resistor2
2.2K OHM
limited to 8-28 VDC for Models 702, 725, 758, 802, and 755.
A
OUTPUT

Common
“P5” Push-Pull at +5VDC: Regardless of the input voltage, the outputs will be limited to +5VDC Push-Pull. COMMON
Pull Up Resistor 2

Other Common Industry Terminology ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE

ISSUE DATE TOLERANCE ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY
ENCODER PRODUCTS COMPANY

Output types are also referred ot in the industry as “HTL”, “TTL”, “PNP”, andNEXT
many others. Sometimes
ASSEMBLY
NEXT ASSEMBLY
DECIMAL the INITIAL
output ICDATE
(7272,NAME
4469,
DECIMAL8830, 7406, 3904,
AND TITLE
INITIAL DATE NAME AND TITLE
GMA 4/08/04
26LS31, etc.) is all that is used to define the output type. DR TYPICAL
TYPICAL HOOK-UPS
HOOK-UPS
PREV ASSEMBLY DECIMAL
PREV ASSEMBLY CK
DECIMAL CK
DWG NUMBER
QC DWG NUMBER
QC
PART NUMBER MFG
If the output type you need is not discussed here or is otherwise unclear, or ANGULAR
PART NUMBER if you have any additional
MFG questions ,please contact EPC Technical Service atSCALE
DWG SIZE NONE

800-366-5412 or email sales@encoder.com. DWG SIZE B SCALE N

page 2 of 2

1-800-366-5412 | www.encoder.com | sales@encoder.com Encoder Products Company TB-109, Rev. D, 10/2017