Introduction to Encoder

Sensor Technology

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 Introduction

The aim of this presentation is an

overview of the encoder technology
and the main definitions about encoder
signals and their characteristics
connected to sensors and media.

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 Encoders
Encoders provide the information of the
angular position or speed of a shaft
(rotary encoder) or the linear position or
speed (linear encoder). There are two
types of encoder:
• absolute encoder
• incremental encoder.

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 Absolute encoders

Absolute encoders provide the information

of the absolute angular position.
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 Incremental encoders

Incremental encoders measure only angular

displacements.
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 Examples of signals output from
incremental encoder

Analog sensor

Digital sensor

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 Sensor technologies
Transmissive
The encoder media (code-wheel or
code-strip) is between the light source
(infrared typically) and the photo
detector. The transparent windows and
the black bars split the photodiode flux to
the photo detector.

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 Transmissive encoder

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 Reflective encoder

The light source (infrared typically) and the

photo detector are on the same side (with
respect to the code wheel or code strip). The
reflective and the black bars reflect and stop
alternatively the photodiode flux to the photo
detector.

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 Reflective encoder

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 Transmissive vs. reflective technology

Transmissive:
- more space required (one opto component on each side).
- less sensitivity to the media flatness.
- lower sensitivity to the media position.
Reflective:
- smaller space required (the components are on the same
side).
- higher sensitivity to the encoder wheel flatness.
- higher sensitivity to the media position.

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 Code wheel definitions

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 CPR
Counts per revolution: number of
bar/window pairs on the code wheel.

Optical Radius
The distance from the code wheel
center of rotation to the center of the
encoder sensor.

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 Pitch
The distance between the corresponding
edges in two consecutive bars.

Bar/Window Ratio
The ratio between the widths of a bar and
a window.

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 Eccentricity
Distance between the center of the code
wheel (the hole) and the center of the
optical pattern.

Run-out
The total movement of the code wheel in
a rotation: it is two times the eccentricity

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 Run-out and Eccentricity

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 Encoder output signals

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 One cycle (C)
360 electrical degrees (°e), 1 bar/window pair
Pulse width (P)
The number of electrical degrees when output
is high during one cycle, nominally 180°or ½ a
cycle.
State width (S)
The number of electrical degrees between a
transition in the output of a channel A and the
neighboring transition of channel B.

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 Phase
The number of electrical degrees between the
center of the high state on channel A and the
center of the high state on channel B. This
value is nominally 90°.
Jitter
The jitter (%) measures the maximal deviation
of the cycle (period) from its nominal value and
it is defined as
Jitter(%)= [(Cmax-Cmin)/Cmedium] *100

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 Position error
Let imagine the following steps:
- collection of the pitch times Ci;
- CM the mean value of Ci;
- ∆Ci = [Ci-CM] deviation from CM for each i.
The position error in the position j (where j in
the range from 1 to CPR) is
• P.Err(j)= jΣi=1 ∆ci
(expressed in mechanical degrees 360°= 1
round).

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 Position error

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 Note about jitter
Jitter (deviation of the cycle from its
nominal value) is the sum of several
errors (and electrical noise too) due to:
· run-out (“quasi-deterministic” error)
· pitch error;
· bar/window ratio error;
· code wheel flatness;
· sensor electrical noise.

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 Encoder signal information
One output channel (ch A or ch B) gives
information about angular position or speed

Angular position: one cycle output transition

means a rotation of 360°/CPR

Angular speed: (output frequency)/CPR =

(angular rotations)/s

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 Phase delay between ch. A and ch. B
gives information about rotation direction,
CW or CCW.
Ch A leads ch B Ch B leads ch A

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 One cycle (C)
360 electrical degrees (°e), 1 bar and window
pair corresponding to the peak to peak time.
Phase
The number of electrical degrees between the
peak of the high state on ch A and the peak of
the high state on ch B. This value is nominally
90°.
Jitter
It measures the maximal deviation of the cycle
(period) from its nominal value:
Jitter(%) = [(Cmax-Cmin)/Cmedium]*100
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 Analog vs. digital encoder
Digital:
- more signal robustness against
electrical noise, dirtiness, any kind of
“disturbance”
Analog:
- low cost (@ low resolution)
- higher performances (interpolation)
- higher sensitivity to any “disturbance”
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