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Lecture Pos

Position Measurement

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Kent Roferos
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20 views18 pages

Lecture Pos

Position Measurement

Uploaded by

Kent Roferos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Position Measurement

Displacement sensors:
Linear and rotary Potentiometer
This is a resistance based device where the resistance varies as a function
of the position of a slider as shown.

eexitation
Output

Linear potentiometer Rotary potentiometer

A potentiometer has three wires,


two for the excitation voltage and
one for the output voltage. It uses
the same principal as a voltage
divider.
x r
V0  ( )Vs
L

 r 
V0   Vs
 L
For a linear potentiometer: For a rotary potentiometer:
• The input is a linear displacement • The input is an angle
• The output is a voltage • The output is a voltage

• Potentiometers are quite inexpensive


• They are readily available
• Linear potentiometers can measure displacements as small as 0.2 to 5 mm.
• Rotary potentiometers can be designed to measure very large angular displacements
using multiple turns.
eext
eo  ( ) xi
Sensitivity xt
Can theoretically be increased by increasing the excitation voltage.
The circuit is limited by the amount of power that can be dissipated
as heat.

Resolution
Influenced by the total resistance and by how the potentiometer is
constructed.
For a single wire device, the total resistance is determined by the
diameter of the wire. Small diameter wires are fragile..
The resolution may be improved by wrapping wires around an
insulator such that you may have a large change in resistance in a
small distance.

Wire-wound elements have their own limitations in that resistance


changes with each wrap of the wire. The end results could be a
discontinuous output.
Noise
• Noise in the output signal may result from dirt debris on the
resistive element.
• Also, if the velocity is too high, the wiper may skip some wire-
wound elements producing intermittent output.
• Skipping may be avoided by using multiple wiper systems.
Displacement sensors:
Linear Variable Differential Transformers
• They are based on the voltage output of an inductor (coil)
whose inductance changes in response to changes in the
position of a movable core.
• The coil is often driven by an ac excitation.
• The inductance L is influenced by the coil size, the number of
turns in the coil, and by the permeability of the flux path.
• The permeability of the flux path form the basis for Linear
variable differential transformers (LVDTs)).

LVDTs
An LVDT usually has 5 to 6 wires.
How does an LVDT work?
1. An oscillatory excitation voltage,
generally between 50Hz and
25kHz is applied to the primary
coil A.
2. The current through the primary
coil creates an alternating
magnetic field which induces
alternating voltages in the
secondary coils B and C.
3. The movable core tends to
concentrate the magnetic field in
its vicinity and results in a higher
voltage in the closest secondary
coil.
The output voltage versus
the displacement is only
linear up to a certain point
and after that it becomes
nonlinear. LVDTs operate
in the linear region.

- Limitation: Limited to frequencies < 1/10 excitation frequency


- Mass of the core may introduce significant loading
Example of commercially available LVDTs
Displacement sensors:
Capacitive Sensors
• Capacitive displacement sensors are based on the principle that
the capacitance C of a capacitor is a function of the distance
between the plates and the area of the plates.

• Capacitive displacement sensors are most appropriate for


measuring very small displacements (0.00001 to 0.01 in.)

• Most capacitors consist of two conductors separated by an


insulator. This allows an electrical field to build up between the
plates when electrical charges are applied.
From electromagnetic theory, it can be shown that for this simple
arrangement, the capacitance C is a function of the area of the
plates A, the distance between the plates d and the permittivity of
the insulator, or:

0 A
CK
d

Where : K is the dielectric coefficient of the substance between


the plates (K=1 for air), ε0 is the permittivity of a vacuum with a
value of 8.85 x10-12 F/m. A is the overlapping plate area in m2
and d is the distance between the plate in m.
Displacement sensors:
Optical Encoders
Optical or digital encoders are devices that convert a displacement directly
into a digital signal.
1111

LSB

0
1 MSB

Larger number of
bits are used in
typical
commercial
encoders.

What is the resolution of this encoder?


Displacement sensors: Optical Encoders

light sensor
- resolution ?

light emitter decode circuitry

B
CW CCW
- direction ?
In order to determine the direction, two channels A and B are used. The
two channels are 90 degrees out of phase. Suppose that we start from
sate s4 when the two channels are low, if the next state is A high and B
low then the disc is turning in a clockwise direction, if it’s a low and B
high then the disc is turning in a counter clockwise direction.
What is the resolution of the encoder?

It is the smallest detectable change in the


motor-shaft angle.

If there are 100 lines in the grating, what


is the smallest detectable change in
motor-shaft angle?

Resolution=360/100 degrees light emitter/detector


Example of a commercially available encoder

Very important

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