Hi people,

I've to use a rotary encoder for my application to adjust some values (frequency of a RF transceiver).
My commercial transceiver has 1000 pulses/revolution and it gives a good feeling.

The low-cost encoders (Bourns for example) have less than 36 pulses/revolution. Here in France I can only purchase some 24 pulses/revolution in low quantities for 3 euros. Other solution is the absolute encoder which has 128 pulses/revolution for 8 euros.

As it is very economic, I would test the 24 pulses/revolution encoder. The output is 2 bits GRAY coded. This means one output is 90° phase shifted from the other.

The software should detect the two edges, to detect which one came first and then to give the direction and value.

Which method would you use to perform this by software ? Timers, PCA, ... ?


The other question is do you know an other way to build an economic encoder with more resolution ? (I've heared about a stepper motor but it will give only 200 pulses, and a suggestion from a wheel mouse, but I don't find this very industrial !!)


Regards
Stephane