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View Full Version : US Digital S4 Encoder Availability?

Sparky3D
07-01-2014, 14:44
Hello,

I've taken over as the lead electrical mentor for our team this year and I'm trying to get some encoders picked out and ordered. After a lot of reading here, it seems like the US Digital S4 series seems to be a pretty common choice among FRC teams and I think it would work for us. However, when I called US Digital to place an order (you can't order them online), I was asked for my account info, and when I told them that I didn't have one, they told me that since there were none "allocated to me" that I can't order them.

Has anyone else run into this? Is there some other place to order these encoders, or do I need to start over on my encoder hunt?

Thanks
craigboez
07-01-2014, 15:42
Dunno on the S4s. If you can't get any the Grayhill 63R is a similar encoder that is popular in FRC.

http://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/63r/11554
Sparky3D
09-01-2014, 11:47
Craig,

Thanks for the head up on the Grayhills, I will take a look at those.
Joe Ross
09-01-2014, 11:50
Did you tell US Digital that you were a FIRST team?

Just talked to the customer support rep at US Digital. She said the message comes up because the stock on the modules is limited at this time. She assured me that there are no plans for the S4 or E4P encoders to be discontinued. They are working to resolve the inventory issue, but plan to continue to supply them to FIRST teams.

I get the feeling that they might not be able to support an order of the magnitude necessary for the module to be incorporated into a consumer product with volumes of tens of thousands, but have no trouble supporting our small quantity orders.
Sparky3D
09-01-2014, 17:26
Did you tell US Digital that you were a FIRST team?

Yes, I did. Their first response was to buy them from Andymark (Andymark doesn't sell the s4) and then they told me I couldn't order them. Not exactly the best customer service I've ever had.
craigboez
09-01-2014, 17:31
See this thread from the offseason, specifically posts 14 and 20. I was concerned back then about the S4s. The writing may be on the wall for these...

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116899