Editing Experimenting with Stepper Motors as Rotary Encoders using a PIC running BoostC Project

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*Summary: A PIC16F877A project that operates a stepper motor as an encoder Runs with a PC running a terminal program.
 
*Summary: A PIC16F877A project that operates a stepper motor as an encoder Runs with a PC running a terminal program.
 
*Last revision Dec 19 2008  
 
*Last revision Dec 19 2008  
*Archive zip file see Download below.
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*Archive zip file ( none ) includes: nothing Email me for file, will be posted eventually.
  
 
Rotary encoders are devices that allow electronic measurement of rotation.  You can find a lot of information by Googling “rotary encoder”.  Many are optical with a partly transparent wheel rotating and being read by 2 pairs of led and photo detectors.  Most of the old ball based mice had 2 optical rotary encoders to measure motion in the x and y direction.  You can take these old guys apart to get at the encoders.  Stepper motors can also be used as rotary encoders.  When rotated the motors act as generators and generate the two out of phase waves that are the standard output of encoders (at least after the waves are squared up).  If turned very slowly the output signal drops to a very low voltage and you can miss steps; so these guys are not perfect.  A nice feature of the motors is that they often have a very nice feel in your hands especially if you put a nice knob on them.  Other multi phase motors, like disk drive motors, are reputed to work as well, and often have enough mechanism on them to use as a knob.  The output of the encoder can be used as a volume control, tuning device or whatever.
 
Rotary encoders are devices that allow electronic measurement of rotation.  You can find a lot of information by Googling “rotary encoder”.  Many are optical with a partly transparent wheel rotating and being read by 2 pairs of led and photo detectors.  Most of the old ball based mice had 2 optical rotary encoders to measure motion in the x and y direction.  You can take these old guys apart to get at the encoders.  Stepper motors can also be used as rotary encoders.  When rotated the motors act as generators and generate the two out of phase waves that are the standard output of encoders (at least after the waves are squared up).  If turned very slowly the output signal drops to a very low voltage and you can miss steps; so these guys are not perfect.  A nice feature of the motors is that they often have a very nice feel in your hands especially if you put a nice knob on them.  Other multi phase motors, like disk drive motors, are reputed to work as well, and often have enough mechanism on them to use as a knob.  The output of the encoder can be used as a volume control, tuning device or whatever.

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