A deflection angle detection device includes an input shaft encoder, a disk attached to an output shaft of a speed reducer, an output shaft encoder having detection elements disposed at mutually different positions with respect to the disk to detect angular positions of the disk. A basic angular position of the output shaft is calculated based on an angular position of the input shaft detected by the input shaft encoder, a first, a second, and a third angular positions of the output shaft are calculated based on the angular positions of the disk detected by a plurality of detecting elements, and the deflection angle of the output shaft is calculated based on a first, a second, and a third differences, which are differences between the basic angular position and the first, the second, and the third angular positions, respectively, and positions of the detection elements with respect to the disk.

A motor system includes a motor, and a multi-turn absolute encoder that detects a rotation number and an absolute angular position of a rotation shaft of the motor. The multi-turn absolute encoder includes: an absolute angular position detection device that detects the absolute angular position within one rotation period of the rotation shaft; and a storage element that stores the rotation number of the motor. Even if the driving of the multi-turn absolute encoder is stopped while the motor is stopped, the multi-turn absolute encoder detects the multi-turn position of the rotation shaft after startup. Further, the motor has a brake mechanism including: a gear-type brake wheel that rotates integrally with the rotation shaft; an engagement member capable of engaging with the teeth of the gear-type brake wheel; and an actuator which causes the teeth and the engagement member to engage with each other during braking.

An apparatus for rotary encoding includes a knob configured to be rotated. The apparatus also includes multiple switches each configured to selectively form or not form a connection based on a current rotational position of the knob. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to generate or use a digital value associated with the current rotational position of the knob. The digital value is defined by which switches have or have not formed connections. Locations where the switches form the connections are selected such that the digital values uniquely identify different rotational positions of the knob and are non-sequential as the knob is rotated.

An exemplary encoder assembly includes a substrate, a first encoder, and a second encoder. The substrate has two or more position sensors, each position sensor being configured for detecting a rotary position of a shaft or other rotating element of a machine. The first encoder includes at least one first position sensor of the two or more position sensors. The at least one first position sensor is disposed on the substrate for off-axis alignment with the shaft or other rotating element of the machine. The second encoder includes a second position sensor of the two or more position sensors, the second position sensor being disposed on the substrate for on-axis or off-axis alignment with the shaft or other rotating element of the machine. Each position sensor is configured to detect different or common signal types, and a signal type of the second position sensor excludes optical signals.

A displacement measuring system is disclosed. The system may implement a code carrier formed from a data storage medium which includes a relative displacement measurement code channel which is an arrangement of pit lines and bump lines. A composite subsystem may include an optical laser assembly, a signal processing unit, and a power driver, and can scan and decode the code carrier by focusing a laser beam on the code carrier and obtaining a group of radio frequency electric signals from the reflection of the laser beam which represents the bumps and pits of the code carrier. A central control and signal output unit can process the electric signals produced by multiple composite subsystems and output information representing incremental and absolute displacement.

A rotary element is equipped with a pattern representing a reflected binary code on at least three bits. A detection circuit is configured to sense the pattern and deliver an incident signal encoded in reflected binary code on at least three bits. The incident signal is converted by a transcoding circuit into an intermediate signal encoded in reflected binary code on two bits. A decoding stage decodes the intermediate signal and outputs at least one clock signal representing the amount of rotation of the rotary element and a direction signal representing the direction of rotation. A processing circuit determines the movement of the rotary element, and has at least one general purpose timer designed to receive the at least one clock signal and direction signal.

A rotation detecting device includes a magnet, a first magnetic sensing assembly and a second magnetic sensing assembly. The magnet is rotatable about a rotation axis. As the magnet is rotated for one turn, a magnetic characteristic of the magnet is correspondingly changed for a cycle. The first magnetic sensing assembly is located over the magnet, wherein the rotation axis of the magnet passes through the first magnetic sensing assembly. A first lengthwise direction of the first magnetic sensing assembly is in parallel with a rotation radius direction of the magnet. The second magnetic sensing assembly is arranged beside the first magnetic sensing assembly. A second lengthwise direction of the second magnetic sensing assembly is in parallel with a rotation tangential direction of the magnet. An included angle between the second lengthwise direction and the first lengthwise direction is (90+) degrees, wherein 3030.

A method and system to measure a parameter associated with a component, device, or system with a specified accuracy, including: providing one or more sensors operably disposed to detect the parameter; obtaining a coarse measurement of the parameter within a first range using the one or more sensors, wherein the first range includes minimum and maximum values for the parameter; obtaining a fine measurement of the parameter within a second range using the one or more sensors, wherein the second range is smaller than the first range and has a specified ratio to the first range that provides the specified accuracy; determining a current value of the parameter by combining the coarse and fine measurements; and providing the current value of the parameter to a communications interface, a storage device, a display, a control panel, a processor, a programmable logic controller, or an external device.

At a time that a position detecting device is initiated, an arithmetic processing unit calculates the absolute position of a rotating shaft at the time of initiation, on the basis of first to third analog signals corresponding to first to third angles of rotation, which are detected respectively by first to third rotational angle detectors. During rotation of the rotating shaft, a current position counter detects a current absolute position of the rotating shaft by counting a number of pulses of forward rotation pulses or reverse rotation pulses, corresponding to the first angle of rotation detected by the first rotational angle detector, taking as a standard a total number of pulses corresponding to the absolute position of the rotating shaft at the time of initiation.

A position sensor includes a detector and a signal processor. The detector includes a magnet generating a bias magnetic field and a detection element configured to be applied by the bias magnetic field, and generates plural detection signals including distinct phase difference and corresponding to plural ranges aligned in one direction along a movement direction of a detection target, based on a change in a magnetic field received by the detection element from the detection target with a movement of the detection target having a magnetic body. The signal processor acquires the detection signals from the detector, compares the detection signals with a threshold value, and specifies a position of the detection target as a position at one of the ranges based on a combination of magnitude relation between the detection signals and the threshold value.