Exploring The Role Of Quadrature Encoder And Decoder

Digital encoders play a major role in ensuring position accuracy and speed measurement. Plenty of encoders are used for this purpose, such as linear encoders, rotary encoders, optical linear encoders, rotary incremental encoders, and so on. But then there are more obscure terms such as quadrature encoders and decoders. What do they mean and what are their functions? This blog explores these questions in detail.

What Is Quadrature Encoder?

A quadrature encoder is a form of optical or incremental encoder that is primarily used to detect the position and speed of a rotating shaft or body. They earn the name quadrature due to the wave signal they generate. Any two consecutive waves generated by this digital encoder are out of phase with each other by about 90 degrees. 

The main purpose of these encoders is to break the unknown rotation or linear movement of a tool into measurable square wave pulses. This makes them an integral part of robotics, industrial automation, trackball, and more.

What Is A Quadrature Decoder?

Quadrature decoder is a device that takes the wave pulses from the encoder and converts them into understandable numerical values. There are two main components to a quadrature decoder, namely the state machine and a counter. This allows the quadrature decoder to accurately sense the position, speed, and direction of motion which can be observed and verified. 

This makes these decoders an integral part of robotics, motion control systems, and automation where accurate position and velocity detection is critical.

Thus, quadrature encoders and decoders work in tandem. While the former converts the motion of the tool into square wave pulses, the latter decodes these pulses and their direction into readable numerical values.

To learn what type of quadrature encoders are right for you, reach out to us at Walker Machinery today. As a reputed distributor of digital encoders, we offer linear encoders, optical linear encoders, rotary incremental encoders, linear scales, milling machine accessories, digital readout systems and a whole lot more. For further details, contact us at 905-876-0890.