Analog Devices Optical Encoders 3

Optical encoders are electronic devices that convert rotary or linear motion into digital signals. They are commonly used in a wide range of applications, including industrial automation, robotics, and computer peripherals.

Optical encoders consist of a light source, a sensing element, and a rotating or linear scale. The light source, typically an LED or laser, emits light onto the scale, and the sensing element, typically a photodiode or phototransistor, detects the light reflected back from the scale. The sensing element generates a signal based on the amount of light detected, which is then processed by an electronic circuit to produce a digital output signal.

Optical encoders can be categorized into two types based on their operating principle: incremental and absolute. Incremental encoders generate a series of digital pulses that correspond to the relative position of the encoder, while absolute encoders generate a unique digital code that corresponds to the absolute position of the encoder.