Linear Based Encoder

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Zach,
I am guessing you are trying to measure kicker position before a kick to set the distance of the kick. Depending on your design a pot should give you the range sine you can't move the kicker anymore than 90 degrees or so. This application would tough on a pot unless it was isolated from vibration. You might use a series of light sensors though. Your accuracy doesn't have to get down to fractions of an inch so say five sensors tops. that would give you the ability to have five different kicker distances. Easy to program too. If you use some of the little interuptor sensors from Digikey, you can have a small plate with holes attached to your kicker. And then you just count the holes with a single sensor.