The sensing mechanism in an incremental optical rotary encoder consists primarily of a light source, code wheel, and optical detector. As the code wheel turns, a ring of alternating opaque and ...

Shaft motion can be tracked by incremental encoders for analysis and use by system controls downstream. Rotational direction is monitored with an encoder Shaft motion can be tracked by incremental ...

The human ear is very good at detecting noise or missing cycles in a waveform, and since we have two ears, we can monitor two signals at once. I recently repaired an older lab instrument containing a ...

This Design Idea utilizes an optical computer mouse's sensor for measuring rotation of a disk which can be mechanically connected to any sort of rotating apparatus. One feature is to allow adjustment ...

This article is part of the Ideas for Design Series: Vol. 3, No. 8. In many applications, accurately sensing the position of an electrically controlled mechanical device such as a motor is critical.

Last year, Automation World examined the differences between accuracy, resolution, and precision in the encoder world. And while understanding the differences among these terms is important to ...