Using motor encoder with VESC

Question

I want to use this BLDC motor on a project. In its datasheet, the encoder pin sequence is shown as follows.

encoder pins

I want to control this motor with a VESC. There is an overview of the board here. In it, the encoder connector is described as below

enter image description here

Can someone please tell me if I can connect the motor encoders to this connector? (Presumably the ABI) I want to measure the distance traveled at the end of the day.

• Marko Buršič: You have a spec. for supported encoders, if it matches then you can connect it.
• doca: I do. But I don't know if ABI in the VESC is the one I am supposed to connect A+ B+ wires of the motor. I could't find any reference for that.

Answer 1

From your pictures, I have an opininon that this VESC can connect different type of encoders:

• Hall type (HALL)
• Quadrature incremental with zero index (ABI)
• SPI encoder (AS5047)

Your encoder has embedded two types: quadrature AB no index, and hall. AB are quadrature incremental encoder output, while U,V,W are hall encoder outputs. From your pic, the U,V,W are going to H1, H2, H3. To not be confused with U,V,W motor power output.

Hall encoders are absolute type each sensor is placed at 120 degrees electrical angle. Quadrature can be arbitrary resolution, so you should somewhere configure the pulses per revolution and look in the manual if it can work without index (zero) signal (IMO no).

You have to watch out the specified voltage range of the encoders.

• doca: I was confused about the UVW in the encoder. So that means If I connect those to encoder H1, H2 and H3 it will work right? No need to connect ABI (Even if I did I'll have to manually give the index so the hall sensor will be easier)?
• Marko Buršič: I suppose, yes. But you still have to somewhere configure the type of the encoder being used. With hall sensors, you probably won't be able to use FOC algorithm, rather BLDC.
• b264: No, it cannot work without the index signal.