What causes an encoder fault and what can I do to prevent it from happening?

Encoder faults are the result of the controller not receiving the signals from the encoder correctly.  They can result from the following conditions;

• Motor stalling due to high fastening torque beyond tool capacity
• Broken Motor cable
• Broken Encoder cable
• Broken Encoder
• "Crashing" of motor from high speed (FRN) to torque speed (TQ) during fastening on "hard" (low fastening angle) joint applications

If you experience broken cables, it is most likely due to wear or stress placed upon the cable at the break point.  Alleviate any binding or pinching of cable.  The cables should be free from stress & hang freely allowing free movement.  Cable ties should be eliminated where possible.

On "hard" joint applications, the encoder is susceptible to high inertial G-force & shock at high speeds as it tries to slow down to torque speed. In time, this shock can damage the encoder disk causing an encoder failure.  It is recommended on these applications, that Free Run Speed (FRN) be set at no more than 80% of maximum rated speed. 

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