Strategies to enhance the data density in synchronous electromagnetic encoders

In this paper, we report two different strategies to enhance the data density in electromagnetic encoders with synchronous reading. One approach uses a periodic chain of rectangular metallic patches (clock chain) that determines the encoder velocity, and dictates the instants of time for retrieving the bits of the identification (ID) code. However, contrary to previous electromagnetic encoders, the ID is inferred at both the rising and the falling edges of the clock signal generated by the clock chain. Moreover, the bits of information are not given by the presence or absence of metallic patches at their predefined positions in the so-called ID code chain. With this novel encoding system, a bit state corresponding to a certain instant of time is identical to the previous bit state, unless there is a change in the envelope function of the ID code signal, determined by the additional non-periodic ID code chain. The other encoding strategy utilizes a single chain of C-shaped resonators, and encoding is achieved by considering four different resonator dimensions, corresponding to four states and, hence, to two bits per resonator of the chain. Thus, with these two strategies, the data density is twice the one achievable in previously reported synchronous electromagnetic encoders.