The Best Encoders for Drivetrain

[btcshields6]

Hi all!

I'm sure if this is the best place to post this, but as you can, I'd like to try and find the best encoders for drivetrain motors. Please, give me any thoughts and opinions you have on what to use, or tell me what your team does on their drivetrain.

Thanks,

Benjamin

[eddie12390]

We prefer Grayhill 63R over any of the other offerings that we've tried. We've had no issues with them skipping counts or anything like that and they are a lot more rugged than the ones that we've used from US Digital Encoders.

[Gregor]

Second the Greyhill 63R. We use them everywhere.

Worth the price. You can't scratch them and you can use them year after year.

[Lemon]

We've had great success with the analog versions of the US Digital MA3 encoders

[ice.berg]

We are using the Grayhill 63R encoders this year as we are using the vexpro gearboxes as well. So far after a ton of testing and one regional we have had no issues and are very pleased. They are so much easier to use compared the the common US digital E4P. They are available in a few different CPR options as well.

[Munchskull]

My favorite so far have been the AMT103-V Kit encoders. That said they new to us this year. however they are cheaper than most encoders, in addition they fit most shafts and are less temperamental than optical and mechanical encoders.

[z_beeblebrox]

Originally Posted by Munchskull

My favorite so far have been the AMT103-V Kit encoders. That said they new to us this year. however they are cheaper than most encoders, in addition they fit most shafts and are less temperamental than optical and mechanical encoders.

We're also having success with those (and the 102 variant). 6 on our robot.

[jman4747]

Originally Posted by Munchskull

My favorite so far have been the AMT103-V Kit encoders. That said they new to us this year. however they are cheaper than most encoders, in addition they fit most shafts and are less temperamental than optical and mechanical encoders.

Third. Very good encoders.

[Owen Busler]

For those of you using the Grayhill 63R, how do you connect your shafts to the encoder?

Just making sure im looking at the right one

http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...R256.aspx?IM=0

[Oblarg]

Originally Posted by Owen Busler

For those of you using the Grayhill 63R, how do you connect your shafts to the encoder?

Just making sure im looking at the right one

http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...R256.aspx?IM=0

Surgical tubing and zipties actually works very well.

[audietron]

Originally Posted by Owen Busler

For those of you using the Grayhill 63R, how do you connect your shafts to the encoder?

Just making sure im looking at the right one

http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...R256.aspx?IM=0

I usually design the gear plate with a 1/2" hole in it for mounting. Then 3d print a pinion to press fit on to the .25" shaft and another to slide on to the 3/8 hex shaft (usually the first stage).

[SJaladi]

Originally Posted by Owen Busler

For those of you using the Grayhill 63R, how do you connect your shafts to the encoder?

Just making sure im looking at the right one

http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...R256.aspx?IM=0

I can second the surgical tubing and zipties method. We used this method to successfully mate the encoder shaft to the drive gearbox output shaft. We also found a way to use surgical tubing to mate the encoder shaft to a 1/2" hex shaft. We inserted thinner surgical tubing which snugly fit over the encoder shaft inside of a thicker piece of surgical tubing which snugly fit over the 1/2" hex shaft. Then we just used a bunch of zipties to hold the whole thing together and so far its been working perfectly.

[BSV]

Originally Posted by SJaladi

I can second the surgical tubing and zipties method. We used this method to successfully mate the encoder shaft to the drive gearbox output shaft. We also found a way to use surgical tubing to mate the encoder shaft to a 1/2" hex shaft. We inserted thinner surgical tubing which snugly fit over the encoder shaft inside of a thicker piece of surgical tubing which snugly fit over the 1/2" hex shaft. Then we just used a bunch of zipties to hold the whole thing together and so far its been working perfectly.

Dumb newbie question: So what would be the best way to add one (okay, actually two) of these to a kit bot? Any special mounting needed? Thanks!

[SJaladi]

Originally Posted by BSV

Dumb newbie question: So what would be the best way to add one (okay, actually two) of these to a kit bot? Any special mounting needed? Thanks!

Looking at this drawing you can see that there is a portion of the main output shaft sticking out of the back of the gearbox. You can slide a piece of surgical tubing over that portion of the shaft and then use a small ziptie to cinch it so that it stays on the shaft. Then you can fabricate some kind of simple plate to secure the Grayhill encoder to. It can be really simple we made ours with a small scrap of polycarbonate and a hand drill. then once the encoder is secure you can simple slide the other end of the surgical tubing over the encoder shaft and secure with a ziptie and you should be all set. It's also interesting to note that by using the surgical tubing method you don't have to make the shaft of the encoder and the gearbox exactly concentric. A few mm either way won't hurt the function of the encoder.

[BSV]

Originally Posted by SJaladi

Looking at this drawing you can see that there is a portion of the main output shaft sticking out of the back of the gearbox. You can slide a piece of surgical tubing over that portion of the shaft and then use a small ziptie to cinch it so that it stays on the shaft. Then you can fabricate some kind of simple plate to secure the Grayhill encoder to. It can be really simple we made ours with a small scrap of polycarbonate and a hand drill. then once the encoder is secure you can simple slide the other end of the surgical tubing over the encoder shaft and secure with a ziptie and you should be all set. It's also interesting to note that by using the surgical tubing method you don't have to make the shaft of the encoder and the gearbox exactly concentric. A few mm either way won't hurt the function of the encoder.

Thank you, yes, I can see how that would work. I will share this with our team.