Q.The AZ Series is equipped with a battery-free mechanical multi-rotation absolute encoder (ABZO sensor), but how does it detect the position?
The mechanism is similar to an analog clock.
In general, a clock has 3 hands: a second hand, a long hand, and a short hand.
The role of each hand is as follows.
Second Hand: Indicates the number of seconds.
Long hand: Indicates how many rotations the second hand has made.
Short Hand: Indicates how many rotations the long hand has made.
The combination of the second hand, long hand, and short hand can be used to calculate how many seconds have passed since 0:00.
For example, if we convert 9:27:10 to seconds, as shown in the figure on the right,
[9 (hours) × 60 (minutes) × 60 (seconds)] + [27 (minutes) × 60 (seconds)] + 10 (seconds) = 34,030 seconds.
The ABZO sensor is composed of multiple gears, just like an analog clock.
The gears have magnets embedded in them, and the direction of the magnets on each gear acts like the hands of an analog clock. By detecting the direction of the magnet, the position of the motor is detected.
The mechanical sensor has the advantage of not requiring a battery compared to the electrical absolute system.
The mechanism of the ABZO sensor is explained in more detail in the Technical Report RENGA.
Development of a Battery-Free Multi-Rotation Absolute Encoder
Product Category: αSTEP, electric actuators
Model and Series: AZ Series, electric actuators AZ Series equipped
Description: Technical Knowledge, Materials, and Terminology
FAQ No.: 294
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