Adafruit
CNC Rotary Encoder - 100 Pulses per Rotation - 60mm Silver
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We have various PCB-mount rotary encoders in the shop, great for making interfaces where you may want to spin a knob around to select a value. These large kn...
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We have various PCB-mount rotary encoders in the shop, great for making interfaces where you may want to spin a knob around to select a value. These large knobs are also encoders, but very large - like hand-sized! They're used for controlling CNC machines 'manually' - there's 100 ticks per rotation so each rotation can easily align with a centimeter or inch. But they're also really nice for any time where you want a large, 360-degree rotation, tactile interface.
Unlike PCB-mount rotary encoder, these encoders are not soldered directly to a board. Instead, there are screw terminal blocks on the back to connect wires. Provide any DC voltage to VCC (for the pullup/positive voltage), and ground, and read A and B for the grey-code pulses. Once wired up, it works with any rotary encoder tutorial.
Rotary encoders are useful as rotation sensors or selectors and look similar to potentiometers. However they are not like potentiometers at all, so it's important to realize the difference! These rotary encoders rotate all the way around continuously and are divided up into 100 'segments'. Each segment has a clicky feeling to it, and each movement clockwise or counter-clockwise causes the two switches to open and close. There is no way to know what the current 'position' is - instead you would use a microcontroller to count how many 'clicks' left or right it has been turned. If you need to detect rotational 'position' a potentiometer would be a better choice.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- DC
- DC means direct current, where electricity flows in one constant direction, as supplied by batteries, USB ports and many plug-pack power supplies. When a product specifies DC, it runs from a DC supply rather than mains AC, so you need to provide the correct voltage and polarity.
- encoder
- An encoder is a sensor that converts the rotation or position of a shaft, knob or dial into electrical signals, reporting movement as incremental steps and direction, or as an absolute position. It is used to track how far something has turned, which matters for precise positioning, speed control, repeatable movement, or using a rotary knob as an input.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a single chip that runs a stored program and controls connected inputs and outputs such as buttons, sensors, displays and communication interfaces. In a device built around one, it is the part that executes the code and coordinates the device's behaviour.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.
- potentiometer
- A variable resistor usually turned with a knob or shaft to create an adjustable electrical signal. It is often used for inputs such as volume, brightness or position, so it helps beginners learn how a microcontroller reads changing values.
- VCC
- VCC is the positive power-supply connection on a chip or module. Connecting it to the correct supply voltage is needed for the part to power on and helps avoid damaging the electronics.
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