What Are the Types of Encoders?

I thought it was "absolute" rather than "obsolete", but what would I know?

--Editor Crankshaft

LOL, obsolete. I suppose everything becomes obsolete at one point.

As Tornado said, it's Absolute and Incremental. That's a kind of binary description, it either knows where it is and where it's going, or it doesn't. But there is a quasi-absolute version. Absolute means 2 things: it know where it is (was) after a power failure and it knows which way you are going as soon as you move. A quasi-absolute only knows the direction. Many magnetic encoders are like that.

A limit switch can be used as an encoder to indicate the absolute zero or maximum position.

A second limit switch at a slight offset can be used to indicate when the tool is approaching the max limit. Most controllers can accommodate and program extra switches.

There are also laser or diode beam distance measurement devices that can give an indication of the absolute position.

There is another type this is called

Synchro Resolver

They encrypt via BCD encoding

TTYL T L.

I understand what you meant, and I understand they are very similar, but at the risk of being pedantic the question was "types of encoders". A resolver is an alternate position / speed sensing technology to an encoder, not a type of encoder. If we were to include all other alternate technologies, we would have to start including tachometers as well...

Still, it was worth posting that for him. I'm just being a grump...

Well they are encoders ,

They encode me a position of a gearbox, spindle or

whatever needs to rotate into a specific position.

Even on a basis of a 0.01 mm. they encode it into a PLC or if you want a DMC.

We use them to make PRECISE steel for your automobiles.

So if you feel yourself pedantic , you got now confirmation on it.

TTYL ciao...T L