Technical resources
Encoder disc engineering guides
Practical, numbers-first guides written by our disc engineers: how to choose a substrate, size a line count, budget eccentricity, specify reflectance and inspect incoming discs.
Encoder Disc vs Code Wheel vs Codewheel: What They Are and How They Work
Encoder disc, encoder disk, code disc, code wheel and codewheel are names for the same part. Learn how an optical encoder disc works, the main types (transmissive/reflective, incremental/absolute) and …
Read guide · 3 min → ManufacturingHow Chrome-on-Glass Encoder Discs Are Made: From Substrate to AOI Inspection
Step-by-step: how a chrome-on-glass encoder disc is manufactured — lapping and polishing, Cr coating, photoresist, exposure, development, etching, laser cutting of OD and bore, and 100% AOI inspection …
Read guide · 3 min → ReferenceEncoder Disc Glossary: 30 Key Terms Explained
Glossary of 30 encoder disc and optical encoder terms — encoder disc vs code wheel, incremental, absolute, transmissive, reflective, track, line count, pitch, duty cycle, interpolation, Gray code, …
Read guide · 3 min → Selection guideReflective Metal or Glass Encoder Disc? How to Choose
Glass vs reflective metal encoder discs compared on optical path, accuracy, thermal expansion, shock resistance, encoder height and cost — with a quick selection list by application.
Read guide · 2 min → OpticsReflective Encoder Disc Contrast: Why Low Reflectance Matters More
Weak signal or large interpolation error on a reflective encoder? Check high/low reflectance contrast. Formula, worked examples, wavelength and uniformity effects, and what to put in your RFQ.
Read guide · 2 min → AccuracyEncoder Disc Eccentricity: How Much Error Does 5 µm Cause?
Disc eccentricity e causes a once-per-revolution angular error of about e ÷ r. Worked examples at R20 mm, where eccentricity comes from, how to measure it and how to control it in manufacturing and …
Read guide · 2 min → Buying guideCustom Encoder Disc RFQ Checklist: 20 Parameters to Send
The 20 parameters to include when requesting a quote for a custom encoder disc or code wheel — substrate, optics, encoding, dimensions, tracks, accuracy, coating, environment, quantities and …
Read guide · 2 min → Selection guideIncremental vs Absolute Encoder Disc: Differences and How to Choose
Incremental encoder discs output pulses and need homing; absolute discs give a unique code per position. Compare tracks, resolution, signals, behaviour after power loss and cost, and learn what to …
Read guide · 2 min → Design guideEncoder Disc Line Count, Interpolation and Resolution Explained
How to choose an encoder disc line count: counts per revolution = lines × multiplication or interpolation factor. Conversion table, grating pitch vs reading radius, resolution vs accuracy, and a …
Read guide · 2 min → Quality guideEncoder Disc Incoming Inspection: What to Check
Incoming inspection checklist for encoder discs and code wheels: visual defects, dimensions and concentricity, graduations and optical density or reflectance — with methods, zone-based acceptance, …
Read guide · 2 min → Design guideDoes Temperature Affect Encoder Disc Accuracy? Substrate Thermal Expansion
Uniform heating barely changes encoder disc angles. What matters is disc-hub expansion mismatch, pitch change at the reading radius and reflective readhead gap. Expansion coefficients for glass, …
Read guide · 2 min → Signal qualitySin/Cos Encoder Disc Interpolation Error: 4 Signal Metrics to Check
Where sine/cosine encoder disc interpolation error comes from: DC offset, amplitude mismatch, phase error and harmonics. Error estimates for a 2048-line disc, disc-side factors, and checking signals …
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