A motor control device includes: a polarity sensor configured to detect whether a magnetic pole position in a synchronous motor resides on a positive polarity side or a negative polarity side with reference to a reference position; a motor control unit configured to turn the synchronous motor from the polarity side detected by the polarity sensor toward an opposite polarity side through the reference position; and a magnetic pole position determination unit configured to determine, as the magnetic pole position, a position of the synchronous motor at the moment when the polarity changes, based on a detection result of the polarity sensor.

The present disclosure concerns a modulation unit for an encoder. The modulation unit is configured to be movably supported between a receiver for converting the detection of electromagnetic radiation into an output signal and an emitter for emitting electromagnetic radiation in the direction of the receiver, and comprises a code section comprising alternating opaque and transparent segments, the opaque segments being configured, in use, to interrupt emitted electromagnetic radiation between the emitter and receiver and the transparent segments being configured, in use, to permit emitted electromagnetic radiation to impinge on the receiver according to the position of the modulation unit. The modulation unit further comprises a plurality of index segments, wherein each index segment is uniquely identifiable in dependence on the output signal so as to serve as a starting point from which to begin monitoring the position of the unit.

In implementations of a linear encoder force transducer, an encoder component generates light that enters a light input window of an encoder strip, and reflective surfaces disperse the light internally within the encoder strip. The encoder strip has etched lines formed cross-width of the encoder strip for emitted light that exits the encoder strip. The encoder component has gradated slots through which the emitted light from the encoder strip is detected by an array of photo transistors, each of the gradated slots corresponding to one of the photo transistors in the array of photo transistors. An encoder module can determine a linear displacement, such as representative of a force applied to a pen tip of a computer input pen, based on one or more of the photo transistors detecting the emitted light as the etched lines of the encoder strip move relative to the gradated slots of the encoder component.

A position measuring device includes: a first graduation carrier having a measuring graduation; a scanning unit, which is arranged so as to allow movement in a measuring direction relative to the measuring graduation in order to generate position-dependent scanning signals by scanning the measuring graduation; a signal processing unit for processing the scanning signals into positional signals; and a signal interface via which the positional signals are able to be output to subsequent electronics. At least one correction unit is provided in the signal processing unit by which at least one signal error of at least one scanning signal is able to be corrected. A monitoring unit is arranged to detect the reaching of a limit value of the signal error, and a correction unit triggering the event is able to be deactivated subsequently.

A robot includes a base, a robot arm provided to be turnable around a turning axis with respect to the base, and an encoder including a mark configured to turn around the turning axis according to the turning of the robot arm and an imaging element configured to image the mark, the encoder detecting a state of the turning of the robot arm using a signal output from the imaging element. The encoder includes a telecentric optical system disposed between the imaging element and the mark.

A method for determining the angular position of an engine by a crankshaft sensor and a camshaft sensor. The method includes production by the crankshaft sensor of a revolution event, determination of the angular position of the camshaft by identifying the start-of-tooth and end-of-tooth events following the revolution event, in rapid mode, over at most one revolution of the crankshaft, if a no tooth event occurs after the revolution event and if the determination of the angular position of the camshaft fails, the method continues with a step of determining the angular position of the camshaft by identification, in slow mode, over at least two crankshaft revolutions.

A position detection apparatus detects a position of an object, and the position detection apparatus includes a detector, a scale having a periodic pattern, the scale and the detector being movable relatively to each other, and a signal processor configured to generate a reference signal indicating a reference position of the scale, and the signal processor is configured to generate the reference signal based on a ratio of a first phase signal and a second phase signal from the detector.

The current disclosure relates to an angular sensor. The angular sensor includes a sensing module, a digital processor and an incremental interface. The sensing module is configured to generate a sensing signal containing measurements of rotation activities of a rotating physical entity. The digital processor is configured to process and store the sensing signal. The incremental interface is coupled to the digital processor and includes an incremental pulse generator and a status data encoder. The incremental pulse generator is configured to convert and transmit the sensing signal as incremental square pulses through a unidirectional signal line, which are processed to generate rotary angle and direction of the physical entity. The status data encoder is configured to convert and transmit the sensing signal as a reference pulse and a status signal through a bidirectional signal line, which can be to request an absolute angle position or other sensor data.

A system includes detecting devices secured respectively on wheels of a vehicle at different angular positions, sensors assigned respectively to the wheels and a control unit. Each detecting device emits a detecting signal when disposed at a first position and a second position different from the first position by a first angle . The first position where each detecting device emits the detecting signal during a current rotation cycle of the respective wheel differs from that during a next rotation cycle of the respective wheel by a second angle. The control device analyzes the detecting signals and tooth number signals from the sensors to associate the detecting devices respectively with the sensors.

Disclosed is a method for determining the angular position of a shaft by a sensor including a toothed wheel including p teeth distributed at equal angles and an additional tooth and a sensitive element that is able to detect a tooth, including the following steps: receiving a tooth signal and the date thereof; shifting the preceding time intervals: Tn?3?Tn?2, Tn?2?Tn?1, Tn?1?Tn; determining the current time interval according to the formula Tn=tn?tn?1; calculating a ratio according to the formula Rn=(Tn*Tn?3)/(Tn?1*Tn?2); and comparing the ratio with a threshold, if the ratio is greater than the threshold, the current tooth signal corresponds to the second tooth immediately following the first tooth, itself immediately following the additional tooth.