[sdiy] Using dual taper (4 pin) pots as encoders ?

Mike Bryant mbryant at futurehorizons.com
Fri Jun 21 14:43:53 CEST 2024


Can you send a photograph.  Most dual pots have 6pins.  4 pin ones are usually either a shield or the centre tap on a pin.

________________________________
From: Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org> on behalf of Benjamin Tremblay via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
Sent: 21 June 2024 12:34
To: SDIY List <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
Subject: [sdiy] Using dual taper (4 pin) pots as encoders ?

Hi, another MCU question.
I have noticed many synth manufacturers have used 10K 4-pin dual potentiometers as “encoders”. I’m assuming that these are feeding a multiplexed ADC.
My question is, what is the secret sauce? Are both pot tracks wired differentially to reduce noise? Does this indeed go into an ADC or is this some clever way to approximate a rotary encoder but have the smooth motion of a pot?

If using a 4-pin potentiometer is a way of achieving a more stable and reliable mass-production of control knobs, I’m very interested.

Thanks,
Ben


Benjamin Tremblay
btremblay at me.com
Carlisle, MA 01741









________________________________
From: Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org> on behalf of Benjamin Tremblay via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
Sent: 21 June 2024 12:34
To: SDIY List <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
Subject: [sdiy] Using dual taper (4 pin) pots as encoders ?

Hi, another MCU question.
I have noticed many synth manufacturers have used 10K 4-pin dual potentiometers as “encoders”. I’m assuming that these are feeding a multiplexed ADC.
My question is, what is the secret sauce? Are both pot tracks wired differentially to reduce noise? Does this indeed go into an ADC or is this some clever way to approximate a rotary encoder but have the smooth motion of a pot?

If using a 4-pin potentiometer is a way of achieving a more stable and reliable mass-production of control knobs, I’m very interested.

Thanks,
Ben


Benjamin Tremblay
btremblay at me.com
Carlisle, MA 01741








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