Hardware Comparison


Please note: Our annual end-of-year close-down takes place from 23.12.2024 until 03.01.2025.
There will be no support and no shipping during this time.

Following tables give a quick overview about all control hardware available from HALaser Systems. This includes an overview about all electronics and control boards:

Controller Cards | Motion Control | Scanner Protocols

The table below compares all controller cards that are available from HALaser Systems. To check out which other, 3rd party controller cards are supported by BeamConstruct laser marking software, please go to the overview-page which lists all supported hardware.

HALdrive
 E1803D
 E1702S
 E1701D
 E1701M
Type XY3-100 to analogue converter board All-In-One Digital XY2/100(E), XY2/200(E), XY3/100 Scanner and Laser Controller Modular Digital XY2/100(E), XY3/100 Scanner and Laser Controller Modular Digital XY2/100(E), XY3/100 Scanner and Laser Controller Motor Controller
Controllable Devices / Interfaces
  • Analog Scanhead
  • XY2-100 Scanhead
  • XY2-100E Scanhead
  • XY2-200 Scanhead
  • XY2-200E Scanhead
  • XY3-100 Scanhead
  • NX-02 Scanhead
  • Laser
  • Stepper Motors (requires power driver)
  • RS232/RS485
  • XY2-100 Scanhead
  • XY2-100E Scanhead


  • XY3-100 Scanhead
  • NX-02 Scanhead
  • Laser
  • Stepper Motors (requires Digi I/O Extension Board and power driver)
  • XY2-100 Scanhead
  • XY2-100E Scanhead


  • XY3-100 Scanhead

  • Laser (may require extensions)
  • Stepper Motors (requires Digi I/O Extension Board and power driver)
  • Stepper Motors (requires power driver)
Production state
Active, can be used for new designs
Active, can be used for new designs
Active, can be used for new designs
Active, can be used for new designs
Active, can be used for new designs
Interface to Scanhead
2-axis ±5..±10 V (analogue)
3-axis XY2-100/XY3-100 via D-SUB25 and 26 pin
2-axis XY2-100/2-axis XY3-100 via 26 pin
3-axis XY2-100/2-axis XY3-100 via 26 pin
3D support
(XY2-100(E) mode only)
Interface to control-PC depends on used scanner controller Ethernet, Micro-USB, serial port Ethernet, Micro-USB Ethernet, Mini-USB Ethernet, Mini-USB
Secondary Scanhead depends on used scanner controller
Up to three via Secondary Head Extension Board
Up to three via Secondary Head Extension Board
Interface to Laser
may require extension boards
Motion Axes
up to four independent axes via integrated digital IOs
up to four independent axes via Digi I/O Extension Board
up to four independent axes via Digi I/O Extension Board
up to four independent axes
Expandable by Extension Boards
Supports stand-alone operation depends on used scanner controller
manual jog-mode
Supports marking on-the-fly depends on used scanner controller
requires Digi I/O Extension Board
requires Digi I/O Extension Board
BeamConstruct PRO License included
Power Supply ±15V ±12..±24 V or USB +9..30 V or USB +5 V or USB +5 V or USB
SLS/3D Printing (Rapid Prototyping) depends on used scanner controller
Laser via scanhead
Laser via scanhead
Laser via scanhead
Detailed Information Click here! Click here! Click here! Click here! Click here!


The table below gives an overview about the possibilities to drive (stepper) motors, their advantages and features. This list contains only these solutions which are made by HALaser Systems, for other motion controllers which are available from within BeamConstruct please refer the hardware support page.

Software driver
(DOutX via Digi-IO-Extension or on-board digital interface)		 E1701M
 E1803D Intelli-IO Extension
Type BeamConstruct plug-in, can be used with E1803D,
E1701D, E1702S and other scanner controller cards which provide real-time programmable digital IOs 		Separate Motor Controller Add-on board for E1803D scanner controller card in motion control mode
Acceleration modes
  • logarithmic
  • logarithmic
  • linear
  • s-shaped
  • linear
Acceleration one acceleration value for all situations, no stop acceleration separate values for acceleration, deceleration and stop one acceleration value for all situations, no stop acceleration
Motion mode sequential, only one axis at the same time all axes parallel and independent from each other combined, all axes parallel, starting and stopping at same time
Referencing modes simplified:
  • enter reference switch in one direction or enter and leave reference switch in different directions
  • two separate referencing speeds for entering and leaving the reference switch
  • positive or negative direction
complex:
  • up to four referencing steps combineable out of direction, entering and leaving reference switch
  • up to four separate referencing speeds for referencing steps
  • positive or negative direction
  • search for reference switch (automatic direction change)
predefined:
  • enter and leave reference switch
  • two different referencing speeds
  • positive or negative direction
Stop of running motion delayed, may be dropped in case of short movements immediate reaction (realtime operation) using configured stop acceleration value immediate reaction (realtime operation)
Hardware I/Os uses digital-IOs of scanner controller card (of Digi I/O extension board of E1701A/C/D or on-board IOs of E1803D) provides own, additional IOs provides own, additional IOs
Axes up to four up to four up to four
Maximum step frequency 100 kHz (jitter-free) 500 kHz (jitter-free) 38 kHz / 45 kHz (jitter-free/maximum)
Other encoder inputs for two axes,
motion controller is completely independent from any scanner controller cards 		uses own microcontroller, movements can take place fully parallel to main controller operations


The table below gives an overview about the different ways to connect a scanner controller card with a scanhead. It compares the different interfaces, their possibilities, their advantages and features. 1)

Analogue interface XY2-100 digital interface XY2-100E digital interface SL2-100™ digital interface 2) RL3-100™ digital interface 2) SDP™ Serial Data Protocol (Newson™) NX-02™ digital interface XY3-100 digital interface
Working Principle Analogue voltages specify mirror positions Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information Mirror positions are transmitted real-time as digital information
Accuracy limited by noise and resolution of the data source 16 bit
(64K digital steps)		 18 bit
(256K digital steps)		 20 bit
(1M digital steps)		 20 bit
(1M digital steps)		 16 or 20 bit
(64K or 1M digital steps)		 20 bit
(1M digital steps)		 16 .. 26 bit
(64K .. 64M digital steps)
Interoperability scanner and controller need to use same voltage range vendor-independent, all XY2-100 supporting devices can be combined vendor-independent, all XY2-100E and XY2-100 supporting devices can be combined unknown/limited (only few vendors available) unknown/limited (only one vendor available) SDP-scanheads manufactured by Newson™ only vendor-independent, all NX-02 supporting devices can be combined vendor-independent, all XY3-100 supporting devices can be combined
Acceptance widely accepted through the whole laser marking industry widely accepted through the whole laser marking industry used by some scanheads and control cards used by few vendors only used by one vendor only used by one vendor only can be licensed at HALaser Systems GmbH new standard, successor of XY2-100
Backwards Compatibility / / 100% compatible to XY2-100, different data format only incompatible in both, hardware and data format incompatible in both, hardware and data format incompatible in both, hardware and data format Backwards-compatible to SL2−100™ in 2D mode pin-compatible to XY2-100, can be added to existing hardware via firmware upgrade
Protocol bipolar, analogue voltages commonly known, open standard commonly known, open standard proprietary and closed unkown, proprietary and closed proprietary but documented can be licensed at HALaser Systems GmbH open and well-documented
Error Detection/Correction none parity bit parity bit parity bit unknown none parity bit parity counter / protocol data structure
Maximum number of axes 2 3 3 3 unknown, probably 5 3 3 5
Number of wires3) for 2D 4 8 8 2 unknown, probably 2 2 per axis 2 8
Number of wires3) for 3D 6 10 10 4 unknown, probably 4 10
Backchannel no synchronous, 20 fixed data bits synchronous, 20 fixed data bits synchronous, 20 bit data unknown proprietary synchronous, 20 bit data asynchronous, variable multi-purpose data
License fees none none none unknown / not licensed to 3rd parties unknown / not licensed to 3rd parties none Contact us for details none
Hardware E1701D or E1702S or E1803D each plus HALdrive E1701D or E1702S or E1803D E1701D or E1702S or E1803D E1702S or E1803D
(2D only)		 E1803D E1702S or E1803D E1701D or E1702S or E1803D
Further Information Contact us! Available at LasIA Available at LasIA n/a n/a Contact us for details Contact us for details Available at LasIA

1) Information shown as far as they are available, errors expected
2) As these are proprietary, non-open interfaces, specifications given here may be incomplete or inaccurate. Please let us know when there are mistakes or when you have additonal information!
3) Control signal wires without power supply and without feedback channel, one signal is typically transferred via two wires (+ and - or + and GND)