Position sensors are the device that detects a target object, a person, a substance or the disturbance of a magnetic or an electrical field and convert that physical parameter to an electrical output to indicate the target’s position.
Position sensors play a very important role in our daily lives. They are available in our homes, in cars, and our work place. As sensing technology improves, positioning devices continue to get smaller, better, and more inexpensive, opening the way for more applications than ever before. They can perform precise motion control, encoding, and counting functions by determining the presence or absence of a target or by detecting its motion, speed, direction, or distance. Position sensors detect a target object, a person, a substance, or the disturbance of a magnetic or an electrical field which helps to convert that parameter to an electrical output to indicate the targeted position.
There are many ways to sense the position of a target. Some of them, such as limit switches and potentiometers, involve physical contact with the object being sensed. These are called contact position sensors. Contact position sensors often prove to be the simplest, lower-cost solution in applications where contact with the target is acceptable.
Different types of the position sensor
- Capacitive displacement sensor
- Eddy current sensor
- Hall Effect sensor
- Inductive sensor
- Laser Doppler vibrometer
- Linear variable differential transformer
- Photodiode array
- Piezo-electric transducer
- Position encoders
- Potentiometer
- Proximity sensor
- String potentiometer
Position sensor used for
Position sensors are used in many applications, they are used across industrial area such as automotive, motorsport, medical, agriculture, robotics, industrial processing, mobiles vehicle, test and lab application, food and beverage, packaging, machine tool, wrapping and many more.
Some applications using position sensors are
- The steering system on agricultural machinery
- Electric cart throttle control
- Conveyor speed measurement
- Printing process control
- Labeling control
- Ramp and bridge position
- CCTV camera position. Etc.
