When discussing RESOLVERS, people often interchange terms such as: encoders, rotary position sensors, motion feedback sensors, and transducer sensors. On occasion, synchros (cousin to the resolver) are also mentioned when explaining devices of this nature. Regardless of the names people choose to describe resolvers, their role in the world of automation remains unparalleled.
Referenced as an analog sensor that is absolute over a single turn, the resolver was originally developed for military applications and has benefited from more than 50 years of continuous use and development. It was not long before numerous industrial segments recognized the benefits of this rotary position sensor, engineered to withstand the punishment of a military application. Product packaging plants and stamping press lines are perfect examples of where you might find resolver based systems at work. In typical applications, the resolver sensor feeds rotary position data to a decoder stationed in a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) that interprets this information and executes commands based on the machines’ position.
Recent advances in technology have enabled the integration of a resolver and on-board electronics in one housing as an alternative to other types of encoders. Referred to as DuraCoders, these motion sensing devices are available with the following output types; Absolute Parallel, Incremental Digital, Analog Current, Analog Voltage, and DeviceNet. The Absolute Parallel and Incremental Digital versions can also be ordered with a field programmable option. Using simple onboard switches, technicians and engineers can easily select the unique resolution required by the application, thereby reducing the number of units that must be stocked.
Through the evolution of machine development, builders and system integrators alike, agree that the ‘resolver’ transducer is unsurpassed in its ability to reliably supply rotary position data in the harshest industrial environments.