Finally! Customer-Programmable Potentiometers

By programming potentiometers specifically for your application, these components can be made to measure any angle in a 360º arc without the added cost or time for delivery time associated with custom-made potentiometers. See how digitally programmable potentiometers like the  ETA25PS can greatly support the efficiency of your operation.

Traditional Precision Potentiometers

The traditional conductive plastic or wire-wound  precision potentiometers have a fixed measuring angle. Conductive plastic potentiometer elements are printed from a pattern mold. A specific pattern mold is required for every measuring angle. In wire-wound potentiometers, a mandrel is used for the windings to a specific angle. The winding machines must be re-configured and calibrated for every measuring angle. This results in the mass production of a narrow range of measuring angles, making potentiometers with ‘non-standard’ measuring angles expensive and with long delivery times.

Potentiometers with measuring angles of 270º, 300º, 320º and 340º are abundant and economical. Should your application require a 75º measuring angle, a traditional potentiometer can easily be 3 times the cost with 8 – 10 weeks for delivery. Alternatively, you could set a programmable potentiometer to a 75º measuring angle and have the part ready within minutes.

Hall Effect Potentiometers

Hall effect potentiometers (contactless magnetic rotary sensors) are increasingly replacing precision potentiometers. Software, instead of hardware (conductive plastic and wire-wound elements), work together with modern semiconductors and integrated RISC processors for a large variety of standard and customized output signals. This enables you to cover many position control feedback applications and any conversion of a rotary movement into an electrical signal. Factory setting of the measuring angle is the same regardless of the chosen angle. No special molds or machine reconfigurations are necessary.

The Digitally Programmable Potentiometer ETA25PS

Only one device for different rotation angles is easily parameterizable on-site. Rotation angle customization, supply voltage selection, and rotating sense (clockwise or counter-clockwise) are significant advantages of the single-turn encoder  ETA25PS. These customizable factors ensure the exact adjustment of the parameters during startup in the application. This makes it easy for the end user to set up on-site measurements and simplifies logistics.

Your personnel can use a single angle  encoder to fulfill a variety of requirements. The ETA25PS detects angles from 0…20° to 0…360 °C with an absolute resolution of 12 bits at 360°. With integrated switches for parameterization, it is possible to define the rotary sense (CW / CCW) and to choose the operating voltages 5 V, 3.3 V or 24 V.

Thanks to the compact housing diameter of 25 mm and its Ø6 mm or Ø6.35 mm shaft diameter, the  angle sensor is ideally suited for applications in drive units or for position feedback. As a highly-durable unit, the ETA25PS provides an excellent price / performance ratio.

Applications of ETA25PS

The ETA25PS programmable potentiometer is in the  industrial class of precision potentiometers. High accuracy, long life (up to 100 million turns), and ruggedized housing make them suitable in Energy, Industrial, Infrastructure, Automotive and Material Handling Applications, to name a few. Valve and flap controls, Joysticks, Accelerator Pedals, Electric Wheelchairs, Servo Systems, and Steering Angle Measurement are common applications for these modern hall effect potentiometers.

Quality Control

A real-world example of the advantages of the customer-programmable ETA25ps is in the simulator industry. With simulators, all operator inputs of steering, braking or flight controls, etc. have some form of potentiometer to detect the range of motion of these various inputs. Due to the mechanical tolerances of all the moving parts in these assemblies, it is to be expected that the actual mechanical range of motion will vary somewhat, assembly to assembly. A digitally programmable potentiometer allows the manufacturer to simply and accurately match the sensors’ measuring angle to the final mechanical angle of each assembly, ensuring the highest quality of user experience.

Sourcing Programmable Potentiometers for Your Application

Find  potentiometers such as the ETA25PS here at P3 America. Contact us to speak with an applications engineer about your project.