How incremental encoders work

An incremental encoder is a common type of position sensor that measures the position and speed of rotary or linear motion. It consists of a shaft for rotary or linear motion and a fixed encoder. The encoder consists of a photoelectric sensor and a grating disk with a number of equally spaced transparent and opaque stripes. When the shaft rotates or moves, the photoelectric sensor detects the stripes on the encoder disk and generates a pulse signal. These pulse signals can be read by a counter or microprocessor to determine the position and speed of the shaft.

The operating principle of an incremental encoder can be divided into two parts: position measurement and speed measurement. In position measurement, the encoder generates a pulse signal, each representing a fixed angle or distance of shaft rotation or movement. These pulse signals can be read by a counter or microprocessor to determine the position of the shaft. In speed measurement, the encoder generates a series of pulse signals whose frequency is proportional to the speed of rotation or movement of the shaft. These pulse signals can be read by a counter or microprocessor to determine the speed of the shaft.

The advantages of incremental encoders are high accuracy, reliability and low cost. It can be used in a variety of applications such as robotics, automated production lines, medical devices, aerospace, and more. However, incremental encoders cannot determine the absolute position of the shaft and therefore require a starting position to determine the shaft position. In addition, the resolution of incremental encoders is limited by the number of stripes on the encoder disk and therefore has limited resolution.