Technical library
Encoder disc technical articles
English translations of selected articles from the ENC7 Chinese technical library: disc selection, substrate materials, custom disc design and signal troubleshooting. The Chinese library is at /zh-cn/articles/.
Transmissive vs Reflective Encoder Discs: Where Does the Light Go?
A transmissive encoder disc lets light pass through, with source and detector on opposite sides; a reflective disc sends light back, with both on the same side. The optical path changes what the …
Read article · 5 min → MaterialsWhy Glass Encoder Discs Use Chrome for the Lines
The black lines on a glass encoder disc are a chrome film about 0.1 μm thick. It is thin yet opaque, adheres well, resists wear and corrosion, and can be patterned to micron-level lines by …
Read article · 4 min → MaterialsPC (Polycarbonate) Encoder Discs: Where Plastic Code Wheels Fit
PC encoder discs are light, hard to break and low-cost, suited to high-volume production, but their thermal expansion is about 7–8× that of soda-lime glass, and heat resistance and accuracy are lower …
Read article · 4 min → MaterialsMetal Encoder Discs: Shock-Resistant Reflective Code Wheels
Metal encoder discs usually use stainless steel: polished mirror areas reflect, rough or absorbing areas do not, and the readhead reads the reflectance difference. They resist shock and vibration and …
Read article · 4 min → SelectionHow Fine Are Encoder Disc Lines? From 1,000 to 10,000 Lines
Line fineness is set by both line count and radius: pitch p = 2πr ÷ N. At radius 20 mm, 1,000 lines gives a pitch of about 126 μm and 10,000 lines only about 12.6 μm. A pitch table and what finer …
Read article · 4 min →