SSCNET™ Interface System:

Uncomplicated Reliability and Intelligent Motion Control

Overview SSCNET Features

Soft Servo Systems offers a variety of PC-based CNC and • Highly reliable system with reduced networking
general motion control (GMC) products for OEM machine
builders. Each product is available with a choice of several
• Plug ’N’ Play — just plug in the cable to start communicating
with servo drives
servo and I/O communications hardware platforms, including
the Mitsubishi SSCNET™ interface system. • High speed networking with cycle times as low as 0.88 ms
The SSCNET interface system is built for SSCNET™ (3.5 ms • Ideal for synchronous operation such as performance-
cycle time) and SSCNET™ II (0.88 ms cycle time) synchronous demanding machine tool applications
serial communications from Mitsubishi Electric Automation. • Direct bus access results in better access to data. All data from
This market-proven, all-digital, minimal-hardware control the servo drives is returned to the controller via SSCNET,
architecture works with the Mitsubishi family of MR-J2 Super eliminating hand-shaking routines often needed to acquire
AC servo drives. Users can also take advantage of Soft Servo data because all data appears in pre-defined data register areas.
System’s optional and affordable fiber-optic VersioBus I/O
network as part of their SSCNET interface system. • Simple wiring (a single SSNET cable) and only one interface card —
no additional proprietary hardware components are required

SSCNET Specifications • Daisy-chainable servo drives offer distributed control with a

total network length of up to 30 meters, allowing distance
• SSCNET and SSCNET II: data transfer rate of 5.6 Mbps between the PC, machine and peripherals
(synchronises the servo axes close to real time)
• Quick, simple installation results in reduced wiring faults
• SSCNET: command cycle time of 3.5 ms, range of 8 axes
• Reduced maintenance costs and damages caused by operator error
• SSCNET II: command cycle time of 0.88 ms, range of 6 axes
IM-300 IM-300
• Noise problems are eliminated: all signals (including position
data) are sent as serial data, not position pulses
INPUT INPUT
Up to 4 IM-300
modules (256
max. I/O points)
OUTPUT OUTPUT • Supports absolute encoders
Host CPU
VersioBus fiber-optic cable

HMI/CNC operation
Handwheel TB37BD G code processing FSC-200 Mitsubishi
pulse Operator’s panel Interpolation SSCNET
SSCNET PCI MR-J2 Super
generator Position control
Adapter Card AC Servo Drives
(HW-100) Smoothing
Compensations
VersioBus ISA, PCI or PC104
Soft PLC
adapter board – optional

Industrial SSCNET Communications

panel PC
or regular PC Mitsubishi Electric’s Servo System Controller NETwork (SSCNET)
is a dedicated motion controller network ensuring maximum
FSC-200 SSCNET
adapter board (PCI) control and flexibility. Up to 8 or 6 axes (SSCNET and
SSCNET II, respectively) can be integrated into one network,
SSCNET cable using only a single, SSCNET interface cable and SSCNET PC
Up to 8 axes board, with no hardware interface modules required.
(SSCNET) or 6 axes
Mitsubishi (SSCNET II)
MR-J2 Super SSCNET is a bus system in which the servo drives are daisy-chained
AC servo drives together with one connection to the SSCNET adapter board. Cyclic
speeds are inherent in the SSCNET network and independent of the
Axis 1

Axis 2

Axis 3

Ax Ax
is is types of controllers or amplifiers used in the system. This flexibility
is possible because the SSCNET has a degree of inherent intelligence,
Servo motors
which causes the controllers and amplifiers to default automatically
Hardware Connections in the SSCNET Interface System to the highest speed applicable to all connected devices.
Part No. Description Specification Photo
SSCNET • For insertion in a host PC PCI slot
FSC-200 adapter board
(PCI) • Provides SSCNET connector for the SSCNET servo network

VersioBus • For insertion in a host PC (FP-80: ISA slot, FP-95: PCI slot, FP-104:
FP-80, adapter PC104 stacking connector)
FP-95 or boards (PCI, • Provides a connector for an optional VersioBus I/O network of IM-300s
FP-104 ISA or • Provides 32 points of on-board general I/O
PC104) FP-95
• Provides an encoder and digital I/O connector for a handwheel
• Provides built-in wire-entry screw terminals, LEDs and DIN rail mounting
64-point • Up to 4 IM-300s can be daisy-chained for up to 256 points of
IM-300 general I/O additional I/O, with distributed control and multiple nodes
module • 32 optically isolated output points (N-Ch MOSFET), and 32 optically
isolated input points

• Provides screw terminal blocks for making connections between the

37–pin
VersioBus adapter board and local I/O
TB37BD breakout
box • 37-pin screw terminal module with a single terminal block for wire
entry screw terminals
• A handheld manual pulse generator for manual jog operation of the
machine or machine tool
HW-100 handwheel • Emergency Stop button
• 5 axes available for single-axis control
• 4 multipliers: X1, X10, X100 or X1000

VersioBus fiber-optic • For connecting VersioBus hardware components

cable • 4.5 meters per IM-300 is included — more cable can be ordered

Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. Spindles

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, a global manufacturer of motors, Mitsubishi offers SSCNET-compatible spindle drives, but they
motion controllers, servo drives and variable frequency drives are not compatible with the FSC-200 adapter board, and
(VFD), founded in 1921, is known for its maximum performance. therefore cannot be controlled directly by the SSCNET
network. However, a general inverter spindle with a digital
Mitsubishi Electric Automation (MEAU), a U.S. subsidiary of interface can be connected through a general I/O interface and
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan, supplies motion controlled by S codes and PLC programming.
controllers, CNC controllers, servo drives and VFDs. MEAU
has sales and service facilities throughout North America that
support presale application support and post sale service Home and Limit Switches
requirements.
Some models of the Mitsubishi MR-J2 Super AC servo drives
For more information, visit www.meau.com. have committed (digital) home and limit switches; others do not.
Currently, there are no hard-coded limit switch functions for
the SSCNET interface system for ServoWorks CNC or SMP
products, whether or not the servo drive has direct inputs for
home and limit switches. Simulated limit switch functions
MR-J2S Servo Drives for using general I/O and PLC should be used instead.
SSCNET and SSCNET II

Soft Servo Systems, Inc.

Control the Future Send inquiries to: info_usa@softservo.com Revised October 22, 2008
39 Whitcomb Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA Tel: 1.781.891.9555 Fax: 1.781.891.3853 www.softservo.com