[Qbranch]

Wow... I wish I would have known about these in 2008. The only interfaces available then were the analog, and a really high frequency (~5KHz) pwm output option.

Having super high resolution like this is nice when you want to start controlling velocity and acceleration in your positioning application... otherwise you have to slow down your control loop rate (ouch) or start timing encoder pulses (double ouch) to get your velocity+acceleration resolution back.

The only thing I'll mention about (at least the previous) analog encoders for US Digital is their relatively high output impedance (the output is 'weak' as far as drive current goes) so we found their output signals more susceptible to noise than you may be accustomed to. If it's a huge problem, you can always run the signal as a twisted pair (one ground wire attached at the encoder, the other the signal wire) into an op amp configured as a unity gain differential amplifier to reject common mode noise (i.e. motors).

-q