Hall Sensors, Encoders, Resolver

& Digit-pots
 Hall effect Sensor
• Transducer measures the magnitude of magnetic field and its direction – produces hall voltage
when it detects magnetic field – detects proximity/distance, position, speed
• TYPES: linear & threshold – Bipolar & Unipolar – Head –on & sideway detection
• Sensor – piece of thin p-type semiconductor – gallium arsenide (GaAs) or Indium arsenide
(InAs) – working: Lorentz Force law
• Output voltage will be in the range of few µV
Rotary Encoder
• Rotary / Shaft Encoder – an electro-mechanical device, converts angular
position/motion into Analog /digital output signals – TYPES: Absolute & Incremental;
• Encoder technologies:
• Conductive - circumferential copper tracks etched onto a PCB is used to encode the information.
Contact brushes sense the conductive areas
• Optical - light shining onto a photodiode through slits in a metal or glass disc. Reflective versions also
exist – sensitive to dust
• On-Axis /off Axis Magnetic – change in magnetic flux is observed – 0.09 resolution (4000 count/rev.)
• Capacitive – asymmetric disc rotated with shaft position
Absolute Encoder
• Absolute encoder – measures the fraction of revolution – many
pulse track on transducer disk – no. of pulses = no. of track –
outputs unique code for each position
• Position is saved even the power goes off
• Complex & costlier
• Resolution - Standard Binary Encoding
Sector Contact 1 Contact 2 Contact 3 Angle
0 off off off 0° to 45°
1 off off ON 45° to 90°
2 off ON off 90° to 135°
3 off ON ON 135° to 180°
4 ON off off 180° to 225°
5 ON off ON 225° to 270°
6 ON ON off 270° to 315°
7 ON ON ON 315° to 360°
Incremental Encoder
• Encoder measures relative movement of shaft/slider – creates information about
position, angle, and rotation count by means of optical disc
• Needs power supply to detect movement – each time pulses were counted from
ZERO
• Measures speed, velocity, displacement, & direction
• Resolution – up to 10k Pulse Per Revolution (PPR) – depends on No. of windows,
sampling period T, clock frequency, speed, gear ratio
• Error in shaft encoders were due to:
• Quantization error (limitation in digital word size)
• Assembly error – eccentricity
• Coupling error – slip, loose fit,..
• Structural limitation – deformation of disc, shaft due to loading
• Manufacturing tolerance – imprint code pattern, irregular signal patterns..
• Ambient effect – vibration, temperature, noise, dust, humidity,..
Absolute Incremental
High cost and more complex compared to incremental Simple and inexpensive
type
When the power is switched off, the information of When the power is switched off, the system shows an
position is saved. error and needs a reference point.

For use in different applications such as diagnostic An ideal solution for use in applications where velocity
imaging, surgical robotics, etc., where controlling,
monitoring is required and direction information is required

It is used to report changes in the angular position of

Need power while using this device Need power throughout the operation
Resolver
• Resolver is a electro-mechanical device used in wide variety of position & velocity
feedback applications
• Its an Analog device provides continuous electrical o/p through one complete
revolution – robust, high resolution, and performance without on-board processors
• Suitable for high temperature, high shock, vibration and harsh environments
• TYPES: Resolver Control Transmitter & Resolver Control Transformer
• Resolver Control Transmitter types:
• Classical type
• Variable reluctance type
• Computing type
• Synchro type
• Applns. – military, packing machines, ..
 Resolver Working
• Resolver is a rotary transformer in which magnitude of stator voltage
varies sinusoidally as the shaft rotates – contains cylindrical stator &
rotor
• Rotor – 1 primary/reference winding – attached to shaft moves with
load
• Stator – 2 winding displaced 90° mechanically – designated as sine &
cosine windings
• Working – resolves a vector into sine & cosine components – an AC
signal is applied to primary windings – inductively couples with sine
& cosine wdgs. – generates an o/p voltage with varying magnitudes
of sine & cosine
 Digital Potentiometer (Digi-pot)
• Digital variable resistor – can vary its resistance with respect to digital command signal input
• Working – in a series of resistive ladder, tapping's were taken at each node through a
electronic switch – at any instant only one is closed – closed switch defines wiper position &
ratio of resistance
• No. of resistors in the string defines the resolution or step size of potentiometer – ranges from
5 bits (32 steps) – 10 bits (1024 steps) – tolerance <1%
Bits 10 9 8 7 6 5
Number
1024 512 256 128 64 32
of Steps
Digi-pot – Functional Block Diagram
• Functional blocks of Digi-pots : Series of resistor, Memory Unit, and Control & Interface Units
• Memory Unit – Volatile Memory – used only during operation and not to store any prior
information once they shut down – few cases these memory were interfaced with
microcontrollers to store past positions – few devices with Non-Volatile Memory units were
available
• Control & Interface – synchronous /asynchronous series bus were used as an interface for control
unit
AD5243/5248 Digi-pot Features