HEIDENHAIN AE-LB-381C Scanning Head

Technical Specifications

Model： AE-LB-381C

Brand： HEIDENHAIN

Product Type: Optical scanning head for LB381C large cross-section sealed incremental linear encoder

Module Feature:

Function: HEIDENHAIN AE-LB-381C optical scanning unit. It scans the steel measuring tape of LB381C long travel linear encoder, outputs 1Vpp sine/cosine incremental signals. Designed for closed-loop position detection of long stroke axes on heavy horizontal boring mills and large gantry machining centers.

Measuring principle: Incremental single-field scanning Output Signal: 1 Vpp sinusoidal signal Grating period: 40 μm Onboard components: Optical emitter and receiver, pre-amplifier circuit, metal housing, 14-pin M23 flange connector

LED indicators: POWER, SIG, FAULT diagnostic lights

Hardware self-diagnosis: Scanning signal amplitude monitoring, optical signal integrity inspection

Programming software: HEIDENHAIN proprietary diagnostic software for signal amplitude verification

Electrical Parameters

Supply voltage: 5VDC ±5%

Power consumption: Max 2.8W

Mechanical & Structure:

Mounting: Scale rail fixed to machine bed, scanning head installed on slide carriage Protection class: IP64 (read head assembly)

Environmental:

Operating temperature: 0℃ ~ +70℃

Ambient humidity: 5~85% non-condensing

Certification: CE

Status: Manufacturer legacy scanning head for LB381C linear encoder

System compatibility

Compatibility description: AE-LB-381C belongs to HEIDENHAIN LB series linear encoder family. Matched exclusively with LB381C large-length sealed steel tape linear scale. 1Vpp signal compatible with HEIDENHAIN EXE interpolation units and Fives Giddings & Lewis PIC900 CNC system, widely applied on heavy boring mills and gantry machine tools.

Function

Function description: AE-LB-381C is optical read head manufactured by HEIDENHAIN. It reads incremental grating on LB381C steel measuring tape and converts optical signals to sine/cosine analog signals. Suitable for ultra-long machine axis travel. Metal housing protects internal optical components against vibration, cutting chips and coolant mist. Reference mark required for axis homing after power cycle. It is legacy linear position measuring spare for heavy CNC boring mills.

Installation

Installation steps: Follow lockout/tagout safety procedure before installation. Cut off encoder 5VDC power. Mount LB381C scale rail parallel to travel axis, install AE-LB-381C scanning head on slide. Adjust air gap and parallelism between read head and steel scale. Connect shielded encoder cable to EXE interpolation unit or CNC axis control board. Restore power, verify POWER and SIG LED indicators, run encoder diagnostic and check position reading.

Interface

Interface list: 14-pin M23 flange connector, 5VDC power terminal,on-board POWER / SIG / FAULT LED indicators for HEIDENHAIN AE-LB-381C.

Diagnostic

Troubleshooting: No position counting: Check 5VDC power supply, internal wire breakage or connector pin damage. FAULT LED lit: Low signal amplitude, scale surface contamination or scanning head misalignment. Intermittent position jump: Coolant and chip contamination, shielding damage or optical component aging.

Product Brief

Brief description: AE-LB-381C is HEIDENHAIN legacy scanning head for LB381C long-travel incremental linear encoder,outputs 1Vpp sine/cosine signals for heavy CNC boring mill long axis closed-loop control,linear scale read head spare.