This might be a dumb question, but I'm looking to create a 2 part rotary encoder, which is often used in airplane cockpits (and I'm sure in other areas as well). Basically the idea is that you have an 'inner' and an 'outer' ring, and usually the 'outer' ring sends more coarse data, while the 'inner' ring send the finer data. for example, when setting a numeric value, the outer ring would set the whole numbers (like 109), while the inner ring would set the fracational numbers (like 35), thus resulting in 109.35 at the end.
I saw a page on the arduino playground about working with rotary encoders - which is a good starting point. but I wonder if anyone could point me to specific rotary encoder parts / components that could be used to create such a 2 part control? I guess there would be a smaller controller on the inside, which is embedded into another one on the outside? or are they manufacturing these in one?
Shouldn't the course data be on the inner ring and the fine on the outer where there is more room for graduations?.
Many years ago I saw an encoder where the first course wheel drove a second fine wheel, the gearing between the two meaning that the second wheel spun twice as fast.
Hey no need to be sorry, even if it was something well known. This is something that is very rare. I have seen them but I don't know the right words to type into google.
I will have a search around tomorrow and let yo know what I find.
Thanks for finding the magic word Indeed, they have these not just as pots but also as rotary encoders - and indeed this is what I'm looking for, specifically for aircraft cockpit applications:
