A position sensor is a

sensor A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...

that detects an object's position. A position sensor may indicate the absolute position of the object (its location) or its relative position (displacement) in terms of linear travel, rotational angle or three-dimensional space. Common types of position sensors include the following: * Capacitive displacement sensor * Eddy-current sensor *

Hall effect sensor A Hall effect sensor (also known as a Hall sensor or Hall probe) is any sensor incorporating one or more Hall elements, each of which produces a voltage proportional to one axial component of the Magnetic field#The B-field, magnetic field vector ...

Inductive sensor An inductive sensor is an electronic device that operates based on the principle of electromagnetic induction to detect or measure nearby metallic objects. An inductor develops a magnetic field when an electric current flows through it; alternat ...

Laser Doppler vibrometer A laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is a scientific instrument that is used to make non-contact vibration measurements of a surface. The laser beam from the LDV is directed at the surface of interest, and the vibration amplitude and frequency are ex ...

(optical) *

Linear variable differential transformer The linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) – also called linear variable displacement transformer, linear variable displacement transducer, or simply differential transformer – is a type of electrical transformer used for measuring ...

(LVDT) * Photodiode array * Piezo-electric transducer (

piezo-electric Piezoelectricity (, ) is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins—in response to applied mechanical stress. The piezoel ...

) * Position encoders: **

Absolute encoder A rotary encoder, also called a shaft encoder, is an electro-mechanical device that converts the angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to analog or digital output signals. There are two main types of rotary encoder: absolute and increm ...

Incremental encoder An incremental encoder is a linear or rotary electromechanical device that has two output signals, ''A'' and ''B'', which issue pulses when the device is moved. Together, the ''A'' and ''B'' signals indicate both the occurrence of and direction ...

Linear encoder A linear encoder is a sensor, transducer or readhead paired with a scale that encodes position. The sensor reads the scale in order to convert the encoded position into an analog or digital signal, which can then be decoded into position by a ...

Rotary encoder A rotary encoder, also called a shaft encoder, is an electro-mechanical device that converts the angle, angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to Analog signal, analog or Digital signal, digital output signals. There are two main types of ...

Potentiometer A potentiometer is a three- terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. The measuring instrum ...

Proximity sensor A proximity sensor (often simply prox) is a sensor able to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. A proximity sensor often emits an Electromagnetic field, electromagnetic field or a beam of electromagnetic radiati ...

(optical) *

String potentiometer A string potentiometer is a transducer used to detect and measure linear position and velocity using a flexible cable and spring-loaded spool. Other common names include ''string pot'', ''cable-extension transducer'', ''draw wire sensor'', and ''y ...

(also known as a ''string potentiometer'', ''string encoder'' or ''cable position transducer'') *

Ultrasonic sensor Ultrasonic transducers and ultrasonic sensors are devices that generate or sense ultrasound energy. They can be divided into three broad categories: transmitters, receivers and transceivers. Transmitters convert electrical signals into ultrasou ...

Literature

* David S. Nyce:
Linear Position Sensors: Theory and Application
', New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons Inc. (2004) Measuring instruments * {{technology-stub, date=April 2017

See also

Literature