#angle position sensor

[stevenssuperbsensors]

Quadrature Sensors Measure Speed and Position Providing a Complete Picture of Your System

There are currently a variety of angle position sensor models on the market with a range of different output types, sensing ranges, and supply currents. Finding the right sensor for your application is simply a matter of identifying what you need and doing a little research. Quadrature sensors are a type of angle sensor that provide both speed and position data. Read on to learn more about them.

What Are Quadrature Sensors?

They are a type of non-contact magnetic sensor that provides speed and position readouts. They use the Hall effect to identify an object’s position and rotational speed and direction in relation to another specified position. They can be used to measure the orientation of an object in relation to any other object in terms of degrees of rotation.

How Do They Work?

An angle position sensor uses the Hall effect to measure the proximity of magnetic fields, and vary their voltage output as readout to indicate speed and position of the target magnet. If the target is rotating clockwise, sensor #1 will be triggered before sensor #2, and vice versa if the target is rotating counterclockwise.

What Are They Used For?

Quadrature sensors can be used for a wide variety of applications, and are commonly found in industrial and automotive devices. They are used in many situations where a position sensor is needed. For example, power mirror and power seat position sensing, pedal and steering wheel position sensing, and throttle and valve position sensing all use quadrature sensors.

An angle position sensor like a quadrature sensor detects position and rotation information about a target magnet relative to a specified point and return output in the form of voltage changes. They use the Hall effect to measure the proximity of a magnet, and are often used in automotive applications to provide information about the position of various components.

[techytomas]

How To Use An Angle Position Sensor

An angle position sensor, also known as a rotary encoder, converts the angular setting of a shaft into an electrical signal for input.  One common use is to detect the settings of a knob on an electrical component, such as the station control on an FM radio.

The encoded signal can be either analog or digital.  The sensor itself can be either single turn or multiple-turn.  A single turn sensor will return a value according to the absolute position of the shaft.  In contrast, a multiple-turn sensor will return a value relative to the starting position, in other words, a distance.  In addition, by detecting the rotation time, the sensor can also provide a rotational speed.

These types of sensors see many uses including robotics, computer mice, industrial controls, stress rheometers, and rotating radar installations.

Angle Position Sensor Specifications

Sensors are generally buffered electrically, so that they act like either switches for digital outputs, or variable resistors, for analog outputs.  Circuit designers can interface to the sensors by providing a voltage source and a voltage level detector.  The electronic properties of each type of transducer are standardized, so specifying the electrical portion of the sensor is generally straightforward.  It is simply chosen to match the input device, whether it be a microprocessor or a detector circuit.

Designers will generally choose a rotary encoder based mainly on the mechanical properties.  The shaft sizes are standard, but the other properties of the shaft can be chosen to present a range of interfaces to the user.  For instance, one type of shaft rotates smoothly while another type return clicks as it is spun.  The clicks do nothing electrically, but they do give the user tactile feedback to give a stronger impression to the user that he or she is actually doing something with their knob turn.  Another example is the use of the angular velocity measurement, which can be used to allow the user to accelerate the adjustment outputs when the knob is turned faster.

The application notes of each type of angle position sensor can help the designer with further details.