Rotary Position Sensors

[DonRotolo]

Last year we tried 100k pots to sense arm joint position, but due to noise and lower-quality pots, along with position drift, results were poor.

Searching, I find many teams using encoders, but that seems like a pain to program (to me at least) and they only offer relative position, so you need a home position. (Yes, some encoders give absolute, but have you seen the prices?)

This year, I found a Vishay 601-1045 full 360 degree "smart" position sensor, which outputs a zero to five volt signal (actually just a bit less) to indicate 0 to 360 degrees absolute position. Mouser sells these for around $60.

Does anyone have any experience with these? I'd like to hear about it. Also, if you would share your opinions, that would be good too. (For more info, just google "Vishay 601-1045" and click on one of the links at vishay.com)

Don