Shaft Encoder Project

Project Overview

A shaft encoder, also known as a rotary encoder, is a device that converts the angular position or motion of a shaft into an electrical signal. This project implements an absolute shaft encoder using Gray code to determine the precise angular position of a rotating shaft.

Gray Code Principle

The disk is divided into 8 sectors, each containing three segments that are either hollow (1) or solid (0). This pattern follows a Gray code sequence where only one bit changes between adjacent positions, preventing errors during transitions.

Technical Implementation

Absolute vs. Incremental Encoders

Absolute Encoders provide the exact position of the shaft at any given moment. Each position corresponds to a unique binary code, allowing position determination even after power loss.

Incremental Encoders only provide relative position changes through pulse counts and require a reference point to determine absolute position.

System Components

How It Works

The shaft encoder uses three IR sensors to detect the pattern on the rotating disk. The Arduino reads these values to determine the absolute position, counts full rotations, and calculates rotational speed based on time between detections.