Position Sensors Position sensors measure linear or angular position in reference to a fixed point or arbitrary reference. They can be used to measure distance or displacement (change in position) or simply to detect the presence or absence of an object (proximity sensors).
The position information can then be processed with an external circuit to count events, monitor physical conditions, control processes, and many other applications. If the position or proximity information is combined with time measurements, then speed, velocity, and acceleration can be calculated for motion control.
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Non-Contacting
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Contacting
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Dev Tools/Eval Boards
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Product Training
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Non-Contacting
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Non-contacting position sensors measure the linear or angular position of an object without physical contact. The main advantage is high reliability and long functional life because of the absence of mechanical parts and lack of physical contact.
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 Photoelectric sensors use a light transmitter and photoelectric receiver to detect the presence or absence of an object. Photoelectric sensors can be divided into three basic sensing modes: opposed, retroreflective, and proximity.
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 Magnetic sensors use the Hall effect, anisotropic magnetoresistive effect, or a magnetically actuated reed switch to detect magnetic fields generated by a reference magnet to determine position, angle, or displacement.
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 Capacitive sensors detect changes in the capacitance between an object and a sensor. The amount of capacitance varies, depending on the size and distance of the object. Capacitive sensors can be used to detect metallic and non-metallic objects such as liquids and plastics.
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 Inductive sensors use a coil to generate a high frequency oscillating magnetic field to detect metallic objects. When a metal target enters the sensing field, eddy currents are induced in the target, which reduces the signal amplitude and triggers a change of state in the sensor output.
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 Ultrasonic sensors emit pulses of high frequency sound energy. A portion of this energy is reflected off a target and travels back to the sensor. The sensor measures the total time required for the pulse to return and calculates the distance from the sensor to the target.
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Contacting
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Contacting position sensors measure linear or angular position through a mechanical connection.
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 A limit switch is a mechanical switch that is actuated by very little physical force through the use of a tipping-point mechanism. Limit switches are most commonly used in industrial environments to detect the movements of parts or control the movement of a mechanical part. They are very common due to their low cost and durability.
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 A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) is a type of electrical transformer used for measuring linear displacement. LVDTs are commonly used for position feedback in servomechanisms as well as for automated measurement in machine tools and many other industrial and scientific applications.
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 An Encoder is an electromechanical device that converts the angular position of a shaft to a digital code. There are two main types: absolute and incremental. Absolute encoders produce a unique digital code for each distinct angle of the shaft. An incremental rotary encoder, also known as a quadrature encoder, generates a pulse for each incremental step. These pulses need to be counted by an external circuit to determine the displacement.
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