Robotics Workshop 13

Amrita University
Amritapuri Campus
January 19-20
Faith in God is to strengthen your faith in you, the faith in your own
Self. This is, in other words, called Self-confidence, confidence in your
own Self. If that is not there, you cannot succeed in life." - Amma
19/1/2013 2 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Rotary Encoders
Rotary encoders are used extensively anywhere
rotating devices exist (motors, shafts, etc..)
Industry Manufacturing, Process control, and more
Transportation Automobiles, Trains, Jet engines

What do they do?
Measure rotating speeds wheels, shafts
Angular position of a rotating object

Most linear speed/position is also
measured indirectly via rotary sensors
19/1/2013 3 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Uses of Rotary Encoders
Anything that rotates and needs to be monitored or controlled
for speed, direction, and/or position
Transportation
Automobiles
Trains
Motorcycles, others

Computer Mouse
CNC Machining (linear encoder - related)

Manufacturing and process control equipment
Robots limb locations
Wheels of conveyor systems
Electric motors

19/1/2013 4 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
R
o
b
o
t
i
c
s

19/1/2013 5 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
A
u
t
o
m
o
t
i
v
e

19/1/2013 6 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Automotive Applications of Rotary
Speed Sensors
Speedometer
Digital (electronical) Instrument
panels
Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) braking,
stability control, traction control
Wheel speed sensors
Steering wheel angle traction control
Engine Control Units (ECU) Fuel
Injection
Engine speed, crank angle, and
camshaft position
Automatic transmission
input/turbine/output sensors
Electronically controlled transmissions
19/1/2013 7 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Rotary Encoders
19/1/2013 8 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Toothed wheel attached to a
rotating object
Optical (e.g. infrared) Tx
and Rx pairs are positioned
around the rotating wheel
As the wheel rotates, it will
alternatively allow and
block the optical
transmission
Causes the receivers to gives
output pulses in
synchronization with the
passing teeth of the wheel
How Optical Rotary Encoders Work
19/1/2013 9 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Speed Sensor Output
A rotary sensor usually produces a pulse as output
This pulse signifies some angular rotation amount
Different types of sensors work in different ways
A rotating object will produce a pulse train or series of
pulses as output.
The frequency of the pulse train is directly proportional to the
angular speed of the rotating object



A microprocessor can count these pulses via the counter,
analog, or digital input channels
It uses this information to make decisions about the control
(movement) of the system
19/1/2013 10 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Pulses Per Revolution
The number of discrete states that the sensor/encoder
can give in one revolution is called the
Pulses Per Revolution (PPR)
For example, a sensor may have 1024 PPR
This means that it one rotation can be divided into 1024
discreet states
Converts to 360 degrees/1024 = 0.35 degree per pulse

Usually, the PPR is a power of 2 (32, 512, etc.)
Why? Because the speed can easily be converted into a
digital (binary) representation (1000000 = 2^7)


19/1/2013 11 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
What about direction of rotation?
A single rotary speed sensor can only give speed
information
The waveform looks identical going forward and backwards
By using two speed sensors spaced in a predetermined
manner around the wheel, the two output waves from
the receivers can be used to also determine the direction
of rotation of the wheel (and motor).
This is called quadrature output
19/1/2013 12 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Quadrature
Two square waves that are
electrically phased 90 degrees apart
19/1/2013 13 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Quadrature
Right two outputs show
pulse train B leading
pulse train A
indicating reversed
direction
Left two outputs show
pulse train from sensor A
leading pulse train from
sensor B
19/1/2013 14 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Absolute Position
Sometimes it is required to know the absolute position
of the rotating object.
In order to know how much it has rotated since some
previous time
Or to know the location of some important aspect of the
rotating object
Such as the angle of a robotic arm segment

There are a number of ways to do this

19/1/2013 15 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Absolute Position?
A third transmitter/detector pair and a separate line
of holes can be used to provide a reference index

19/1/2013 16 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Reference Marks
For example, a wide or missing tooth in a gear or tone
wheel
When the sensor passes over this reference mark, it makes an
extra long pulse
The microprocessor can recognize this and count the
number of pulses from this reference mark to know the
absolute position of the rotating object

19/1/2013 17 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
How to Compute
Linear Distance Traveled
We can compute the distance the wheel has traveled by
counting the number of pulses
Given that a optical encoder (or any other rotary sensor )is
used to measure the speed of a wheel with 256 pulses per
revolution, and the diameter of the attached wheel is 20 cm.
If the microprocessor counts 554 pulses since it gave the
move command, it knows that it has moved
Distance = ((Number of Pulses)/PPR)*Circumference
= (554/256)*20 cm * 3.14
= 135 cm
19/1/2013 19 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
How to Compute Linear Speed
By dividing the number of pulses by a time unit, the rpm of
the shaft can be obtained.

Using the same wheel as before
20 cm diameter
256 PPR
the linear speed of the wheel (ground speed) is given by
V = ((No. of pulses per second)/PPR)*Circumference
= (Number of pulses per second)/32 * 62.8 cm

This can be easily converted into m/s or other units by the
appropriate methods
19/1/2013 20 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Microcontroller
Using an encoder a microcontroller can be used to gather
and computer a significant amount of information
Angular/Linear Position
Calculates the position based on number of pulses from a reference
location (e.g. wide or narrow teeth)
Angular/Linear Direction
Calculates the direction of rotation based on the phase relationships
between the two signals
Angular /Linear Velocity
Calculates the speed based on the frequency of the pulses
Angular/Linear Acceleration
Can be calculated based on the rate of change of the velocity
The microcontroller can then make decisions and control
actuators (wheels, valves, pistons, etc..)

19/1/2013 21 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Basic Control System
Input Decision Making Output
Plus Feedback
Microcontroller /
Decision Making
Input
Output
Feedback
19/1/2013 22 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Microcontroller
Using an encoder a microcontroller can be used to gather
and computer a significant amount of information
Angular/Linear Position
Calculates the position based on number of pulses from a reference
location (e.g. wide or narrow teeth)
Angular/Linear Direction
Calculates the direction of rotation based on the phase relationships
between the two signals
Angular /Linear Velocity
Calculates the speed based on the frequency of the pulses
Angular/Linear Acceleration
Can be calculated based on the rate of change of the velocity
The microcontroller can then make decisions and control
actuators (wheels, valves, pistons, etc..)

19/1/2013 23 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman

Aum Amriteswaryai Namaha
19/1/2013
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar
Freeman 24
Other Types of Rotary Speed
Sensors
19/1/2013 25 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Hall Effect Sensors
Works off of the principle of induced voltage due to
the passing of a magnet near a closed electrical
circuit
Requires that small magnets be attached to the
moving object (or vice-versa)
More expensive than variable reluctance
A greater number of magnets on the rotor gives a
larger PPR pulses per revolution
Especially good for slow speeds (although they will
work for high speeds also)
Can also be used for current sensing applications
19/1/2013 26 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Hall Effect Sensor Trigger Wheels
Figures from Allegro Hall Effect Applications Guide
19/1/2013 27 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Hall Effect Magnets
Embedded in a Wheel
19/1/2013 28 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Variable Reluctance Sensor
Most commonly used
speed sensor in the
auto industry
Reliable
No moving parts
Impervious to dirt,
water, & grease
Inexpensive
Best for higher speed
19/1/2013 29 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Variable Reluctance
Used to detect the speed of moving metal parts
Change in reluctance of the core, due to the presence of
the metal rotor tooth, causes the magnetic field to change.
This causes a change in the induced current in the coil.
This current is passed through a resistor , converted to
voltage, and read by the controller
Signal amplitude
(and frequency) are
proportional to
the rotor speed

19/1/2013 30 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Other Arrangements
Other types of encoders can be made also
Magnetic strips and dual Hall Effect sensors
Gear teeth and dual Variable Reluctance Sensors
Dual Sensors are often packaged as an
integrated and very small package
Crankshaft sensors
Encoders can also be arranged linearly to
track linear motion
CNC Machines
Boom extension
19/1/2013 31 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Resolvers
Used for rotating speed and position detection
Transformer with dual, 180 degree out of phase
rotating secondaries
AC Input to the primary
The phases of the induced voltage in the secondaries can
be used to determine the angular position of the rotor
(up to 12 bits of accuracy)
Frequently combined with bearings into a resolver
bearing
Lower speeds, very robust
19/1/2013 32 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Resolvers
19/1/2013 33 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman
Decoding Resolver Output
Quadrant Reference
1 In phase with sine, in phase with cosine
2 In phase with sine, out of phase with cosine
3 Out of phase with sine, out of phase with cosine
4 Out of phase with sine, in phase with cosine
19/1/2013 34 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Josh Udar Freeman