A position sensor is a sensor that facilitates measurement of mechanical position. A position sensor may indicate absolute position (location) or relative position (displacement), in terms of linear travel, rotational angle, or three-dimensional space. Common types of position sensors include:
- Capacitive displacement sensor
- Eddy-current sensor
- Hall effect sensor
- Inductive sensor
- Laser Doppler vibrometer (optical)
- Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT)
- Photodiode array
- Piezo-electric transducer (piezo-electric)
- Position encoders:
- Absolute encoder
- Incremental encoder
- Linear encoder
- Rotary encoder
- Potentiometer
- Proximity sensor (optical)
- String potentiometer (also known as string pot., string encoder, cable position transducer)
- Ultrasonic sensor
See also
- List of length, distance, or range measuring devices
- Positioning system
Literature
- David S. Nyce: Linear Position Sensors: Theory and Application, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons Inc. (2004)