MALVERN, PA — Vishay Intertechnology Inc. (NYSE: VSH) has introduced an inductive position sensor designed to operate near electric motors and other sources of magnetic interference, targeting industrial systems where traditional magnetic encoders can lose positioning accuracy.
The Vishay MCB RAIK045I MP absolute inductive kit encoder uses inductive rather than magnetic technology, making it immune to external magnetic fields, according to the company.
Vishay is positioning the device as a lower-cost alternative to higher-performance encoder systems. It provides 16-bit resolution, repeatability of at least 14 bits and absolute accuracy of at least 10 bits, or 0.35 degrees, while supporting rotation speeds of as much as 10,000 rpm.
The sensor is designed for robotics, motor drives, conveyor controls and automated guided vehicles, as well as off-road and agricultural equipment.
Other applications identified by Vishay include pitch and yaw positioning in windmills, wheel-position control in cleaning robots and actuator positioning in solar panels, hospital beds, surgical tables, drones and missile launchers.
The inductive design is intended to maintain positioning accuracy in environments where external magnetic fields can interfere with magnetic encoders. Vishay also designed the sensor to withstand moisture, airborne pollution, vibration, mechanical shock and temperature changes.
The single-turn encoder measures 45 millimeters in diameter and 6.6 millimeters thick. It weighs about 13 grams, including a 4.3-gram rotor intended to minimize system inertia.
Its off-axis configuration supports hollow-shaft mounting and provides a 360-degree useful electrical angle. The device operates across temperatures ranging from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 125 degrees Celsius, allowing installation near electric motors where generated heat can affect magnetic encoder accuracy.
The RAIK045I MP uses SPI output, with Sin/Cos output available on request, and is RoHS compliant.
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