Optical Rotary Encoders including rotary encoders and linear encoders！

Optical rotary encoders are most commonly found in motion control systems while linear encoders are used more specifically for linear-positioning applications such as piston or actuator monitoring systems.

A rotary encoder using optical sensing technology relies on the rotation of an internal code disc that has opaque lines and patterns on it.

The disc is rotated (hence the name rotary encoder) in a beam of light such as an LED and the markings on the disc act as shutters blocking and unblocking the light.

An internal photodetector senses the alternating light beam and the encoder's electronics convert the pattern into an electrical signal that is then passed on to an external control system through the encoder's output

Previous：Shafted vs. Hollow Shaft Rotary Encoders.
Next：Motor Encoder Optical Incremental Machine Encoder DC Motor Shaft Encoder