HELP Finding Rotary Encoder - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:01:18 am
content: I can't find a match for this faulty rotary encoder. Early-mid 90's vintage.Any leads appreciated. Thanks.No markings on it. Come from a swiss bit of kit.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:14:38 am
content: need a pic

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:24:54 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on October 15, 2023, 09:14:38 amYou can't see the pic?

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:30:52 am
content: No, the post is only some text. No attachment.

author: DavidAlfa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:33:26 am
content: Pic working here. Indeed very weird pinout!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:43:36 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on October 15, 2023, 09:30:52 amThe pic is an inline URL. That's the first time I've heard of inline external pics not working.https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F8dv97rbQAAEd6W?format=jpg&name=900x900

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:44:13 am
content: Quote from: DavidAlfa on October 15, 2023, 09:33:26 amYep, I can't find anything close.And yet another repair video I can't complete because Murphy bites me on the arse.

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 02:00:45 pm
content: I can't see any pic in the original post either.Edit: I'm running Windows 10, and the picture does not appear in Firefox, but does in Edge. Can anyone suggest what setting I can change in Firefox to get this to work? I assume it has something to do with recent work done on inline images.Edit2: I see the picture in Firefox if I turn off Advanced Tracking Protection for EEVblog/forum. So apparently Firefox doesn't like the link to the picture.Edit3: What's odd is that the link shown in post #5 is visible, and the picture comes up when I click on it. But the picture still doesn't appear in post #1 unless I turn off tracking protection.

author: Zenith
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 02:12:03 pm
content: A drop in new replacement is always the best and easiest way to go.You might be able to take that apart and repair it. it doesn't look as if it's intended to be taken apart and it may require some surgery and gluing back together.You may be able to use something else with the same functionality but a different pinout and bodge a connection with wires.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 02:32:02 pm
content: the 2 small pins must be the shaft push switchand on each side (bigger ones), the 2 pins must be a switch and the other 2 the second oneweird indeed

author: fmashockie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 03:56:05 pm
content: I assume you already tried resurrecting it with contact cleaner? It looks to be a mechanical encoder which means some dirt in there is likely blocking the conductive traces or disk. If you can't penetrate the internals with contact cleaner, why not try taking it apart to clean it as someone suggested? You've got nothing to loose at this point. Could also make for an interesting video!

author: wasedadoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 05:12:13 pm
content: Are those dome heads in the four corners cross-head screws? Photo isn't clear enough to be certain one way or the other.

author: DavidAlfa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 06:58:24 pm
content: Quote from: fmashockie on October 15, 2023, 03:56:05 pmLooks sealed / glued. Any attempt at opening it will probably end in your trash bin.But if lucky, maybe it's only the 4 plastic rivets holding it.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 07:28:56 pm
content: I think it's basically a custom hen's tooth. I could not find the manufacturer. Pic of the topside could add more info.Modern parts, instead of pins exiting under the middle, the encoder PC board is extended sticking out and the pins come out there.Looks like Bourns ECW butEPShas the push switch.Original bolts to the front panel, so the PCB doesn't give much support?If I loved the piece of test equipment, I'd make an adapter PCB and fit a newer part (they are thinner, smaller, even slim SMT)- assuming the quadrature switches share a common on the main board.The old part died from either wear or oxidation, so in desperation I would flood it with PPE to see if that fixes it. But it's plastic bushing and shaft so not a long life part in the first place. Or it got bashed.Remote image loading issue appears to be due to private browsing, tracking protection: 'The resource at “https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F8dv97rbQAAEd6W?format=jpg&name=medium” was blocked because content blocking is enabled.'This is on a few browsers I tried, unless I go directly to the URL.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 09:01:21 pm
content: Quote from: Peabody on October 15, 2023, 02:00:45 pmMaybe that's a new change to Twitter that is mucking up with browser protections?

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 10:26:54 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 15, 2023, 09:01:21 pmI've never used Twitter. Is pbs.twimg.com a Twitter link?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 10:32:28 pm
content: Quote from: Peabody on October 15, 2023, 10:26:54 pmI presume so because I just dragged the photo into the Twitter post.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2023, 10:33:08 pm
content: Top side.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 07:36:23 am
content: FOUND!It's a german "angle pulse encoder" by EBEhttps://www.buerklin.com/en/p/ebe/motion-sensors/48431-03103/75E480/#downloadhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1572-haefely-16kv-esd-tester-teardown-repair-part-1/msg5115804/#msg5115804

author: DavidAlfa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 08:37:39 am
content: Ahh "Drehimpulsgeber" how didn't I try that!

author: Kaluluka
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 11:09:27 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 16, 2023, 07:36:23 amWELL DONE!Here (location is Germany) cheaper on EBAY:https://www.ebay.com/itm/325846363879

author: fmashockie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 02:46:17 pm
content: After watching video and seeing the symptom I can see why he didn't consider penetrating with contact cleaner. I would have still tried dousing it with DeoxIT

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 03:01:33 pm
content: So if you didn't want to spend the time and money to replace it with the same item, how would you rig something up to duplicate the function using one or more regular rotary encoders? You could use one of those 10-cent MCUs to service the regular encoder, then regenerate the ouput on two of its pins. But is there any more direct way? I can't think of one.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 17, 2023, 01:31:08 am
content: Quote from: fmashockie on October 16, 2023, 02:46:17 pmI did, it didn't do anything.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 17, 2023, 01:31:50 am
content: Quote from: Peabody on October 16, 2023, 03:01:33 pm

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2023, 04:57:09 pm
content: Quote from: Kaluluka on October 16, 2023, 11:09:27 amDoesn'tship to Australia or Austria (+ many other EU countries) but does ship to the US.David

author: Rdx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2023, 03:44:58 pm
content: There is this one, and it ships to pretty much everywhere (I think it is the same seller):https://www.ebay.com/itm/325838697537On the topic of the encoder itself: I assume there must be an actual mechanically moving element inside that switches the square wave to either output depending on its roation direction. I imagine it being a slip ring that gets dragged along switching in either output. Seems like a pretty sketchy and unreliable thing. But hey, at least your software will be simpler if the rotary switch does not make you read A/B signals

author: Peabody
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2023, 04:01:11 pm
content: I was wondering whether this type of encoder might be better than normal ones, at least as far as reading them is concerned. But of course their physical construction would be more complicated. But it seems they would be more difficult to deal with when it comes to software debouncing. The interplay of the two switches in a normal encoder lets you deal with debouncing pretty easily, but with these there's nothing to distinguish a bounce from a real movement.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 02:47:21 am
content: FYI:

author: fmashockie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 02:22:44 pm
content: Thanks for tearing it down Dave! Really neat. I am not a big fan of that design. It just seems too easy for those actuators to get bent out of shape (as it did in your case). And yep makes perfect sense why the contact cleaner did nothing!