How to use encoders

[pribusin]

My team has never used encoders. This year our robot has a throwing arm (catapult) that we are driving with a toughbox and 2 CIMs. We have an encoder on the TB. My question is how do we use it. Our goal is to determine the position of the arm. Is it possible to determine absolute position using encoders? Sort of like the insides of a servo?

We use LabView to program and I'm not sure what the encoder connects to physically so that we can read it in LV. I know you can connect it directly to a Jaguar but since we have 2 CIMS we have to use 2 controllers and we were planning to use 2 Talons.

Any suggestions? My students are asking questions and I don't have any answers.

Thanks.