What is a Magnetic Rotary Encoder?
Well, an encoder is basically what it sounds like. It’s a device that takes in some signal and translates (encodes) it into codes. A rotary encoder takes angular position and encodes into either an analog or digital set of codes. Basically it translates the angle of rotation of something into a useful number, either represented as an analog voltage or a binary number for digital encoders. Typically, rotary encoders are somehow affixed to a rotating object, like a rotating shaft, and are used for counting revolutions, or for measuring angular velocity. There are some instances where attaching something directly to the shaft is for some reason undesirable, hence the creation of the magnetic rotary encoder. By affixing a magnet to the rotating shaft, and measuring the changing magnetic field due to the rotation of the magnet, we can determine the position of the shaft without disturbing the shaft (sans the addition of the magnet). This project arose out of the Force Controlled Actuator pr
