May 7, 2020
An INDEX PULSE is a digital signal generated from an incremental encoder on an individual output channel, once per revolution. This unique pulse may be used for several purposes: In conjunction with a counter, it can be used to track the total number of shaft rotations. It may be used...
April 18, 2016
As the resolution of optical encoders increases, the distance from sensor to disk decreases. In the incremental encoder industry, this distance is called the “Air Gap”. In the side view photo of an optical encoder above, the two red lines indicate the air gap between the sensor and disk in...
March 29, 2016
I have been working on a project to automate a manual lathing operation for our incremental encoder/optical encoder line. To keep things simple, thumb switches allow the set point, along with some offsets for fine-tuning, to be entered. I am not completely finished with project, but in the video below...
February 3, 2016
We have always been able to come up with a suitable replacement for Renco encoders, but our customers are making us aware that we need to point that out. For those who don’t know, Renco, after being absorbed by Heidenhain, made the decision to eliminate much of their encoder product...
March 18, 2015
Encoder Resolution, RPM & Frequency Calculator We just added an online calculator that provides a way to calculate RPM, Frequency, or line count (optical encoder resolution) by entering in the other two variables. Leave the third field empty (do not enter zero). Use to solve for Frequency, Line Count or...
October 1, 2014
The index pulse, often also called “Z” or “Marker pulse”, of an optical incremental encoder is a once per revolution digital pulse that is used for homing or count verification of incremental signals. In the QD145 and QD200 series of encoders, the index pulse fires when the mark on the...
August 2, 2014
What’s with this Black-White Wire? Quantum devices QR145 and QR200 optical encoders feature an extra black & white striped wire that serves as an alternate grounding connection for the encoder. This wire is intended to be used in situations where the encoder flex mount is not case grounded. The Black/White...
July 19, 2014
O. Another Way to Mount an Optical Encoder Instead of using an end bell, a lot of our motor manufacturer customers recess the QD145 optical encoder into an extended motor housing and then seal the motor with an endplate. This has the advantage of being a lower cost item to...
June 29, 2014
Which Encoder Wires Should I Use to Begin Understanding Incremental Encoder Signals? Channels A & B (Incremental Channels) Use only A (or only B) for an RPM or counting applications where the rotation is either unidirectional, or where you don’t need to know direction. Use A and B together to...
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