Encoders for 2015 Season

[Sh1ine]

Originally Posted by Qbot2640

Excuse my lack of experience - we have never used encoders, and I desperately want to this year. The Grayhill models referenced above look like potentiometers, for lack of a better description...How are they installed? Do you just couple the shaft to the gearbox shaft?

I understand how the US Digital one's install - in fact, we installed a pair on our robot this fall for the off-season, but never figured out how to wire them up or program them.

We use Grayhill Encoder 63R128 (http://www.digikey.com/product-detai...3069-ND/304478) They are terrific encoder, and Digi key sells them at a good price. We use 128 count encoders for our drive train, and since we have them laying around, they get used for other systems frequently as well. In order to to attach our encoder to our output shaft we use 1/4 OD and 3/16 ID surgical tubing. It sounds sketchy, but works great, it also helps absorb some slight misalignment issues that you might have. Simply slip the tubing over the .250 part of a AM output shaft and the other side slips onto the encoder. Create a bracket to hold it in place and you are good to go.

Here is an image:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B02...ew?usp=sharing

Hope this helps!

[stufflikethat]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

I'm a big fan of US Digital, and use the super high count E6's where it makes sense... but for a shaft based option I'm not seeing the advantage of the H6 over the grayhill encoders. Much more money and size!

Hey Adam would you mind linking me to your preferred grayhill encoder.

Many thanks.

[The_Drive_DR]

We are using the CUI encoders (http://www.cui.com/product/component...ar/amt10-v-kit) and they work great!

[Bruceb]

with the Grayhill encoders, how do you wire them? Do you use the same connector as the AM USDigital encoders?
May seem like a dumb question but I am not an electronics guy.
Thanks

[wmarshall11]

Originally Posted by Bruceb

with the Grayhill encoders, how do you wire them? Do you use the same connector as the AM USDigital encoders?
May seem like a dumb question but I am not an electronics guy.
Thanks

You can get them with wires attached or with .1in pins. Getting the pins tends to be more feasible. You can either solder to them or attach standard .1 female connectors (same as pwm) and run cable back to your control board.

[Bruceb]

Originally Posted by wmarshall11

You can get them with wires attached or with .1in pins. Getting the pins tends to be more feasible. You can either solder to them or attach standard .1 female connectors (same as pwm) and run cable back to your control board.

With the USdigital encoders there were 4 wires, with these I see 5 pins.
What do they get wired to?
Thanks

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Bruceb

With the USdigital encoders there were 4 wires, with these I see 5 pins.
What do they get wired to?

The data sheet shows the pinout. Pin 4 is not connected.