String encoder acts as position transducer

An encoder from Space Age Controls, Palmdale, Calif., for example, measures 3.233.233 in., weighs less than 10 oz, and is available with NEMA-4X/IP66 environmental protection. The transducer measures up to 43 in. using a stainless-steel cable that wraps around a threaded aluminum drum. The drum mates to a precision incremental encoder that translates linear position into a digital electrical signal. The devices feature line driver quadrature output with index lines and standard resolutions up to 3,587 pulses/in. (141 pulses/mm). The devices work on 5 to 26 Vdc, in temperatures ranging from -20 to 100C, and for over 100 million cycles.