Encoder is available in a variety of applications to provide feedback to sports, such as the appropriate placement of the patients in magnetic resonance imaging or filling drinks at a speed of 300 bottles per minute. Users must consider when choosing the encoder some crucial application features: tracking linear motion or rotation movement? By optical encoder or magnetic encoder? In addition to achieve professional success application, the user should also consider is choice incremental encoder or absolute encoder - even in the same sensing mechanism, performance of the two kinds of encoder also have big differences. In order to achieve a successful application you need to know all the relevant characteristics of these two encoders and make the right choice.

As the name implies, absolute encoder can record the encoder position on an absolute coordinate system, and the incremental encoder can output the encoder from the incremental changes of predefined starting position. Need to use additional incremental encoder electronics (usually PLC, counter or inverter) to pulse count, and the pulse data into the speed or movement, and absolute type encoder can produce digital signal that recognize the absolute position. To sum up, the incremental encoder are usually more applicable to the simple application of the low performance, and absolute encoder type is more complicated the best choice for critical applications, these applications have higher speed and position control requirements. The output type depends on the specific application.

Before choosing the encoder you need to know the following content:

1. The complexity of your application?

2. You need to control the parameters (speed, position and direction)?

3. If the power, you can return to the initial position to cost?

4. Your application requires performance levels (lap pulse number)?

5. How encoder and other electronic devices in the system communication? Whether you need your system through a variety of communication agreement of a kind of communication?

6. If your application is cost sensitive applications?