Hello.
In the last year I built some modular synthesizers, effects racks, etc. On those circuits, the potentiometer bodies should be grounded. If not, there could be some hum. So I always used aluminium for the panel and ground it.
Now, I'm finishing a project with arduino, which uses 30 potentiometers with multiplexers. But this time i'm not using aluminium for my panel, so no ground there, i'm using acrylic. And my potentiometers have a plastic enclosure around the body that protects them from dust, so i can't solder a wire to the back of the body. Grounding pot bodies is important in audio circuits... then my question: is it important on logic circuits like this too? Will the readings of the potentiometer be affected if they're not grounded?(like erratic values, or higher fluctuations)
thanks
You could always use solder tabs
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/connectors-interconnects/terminals-solder-lug-connectors/1442863?k=solder%20tab
under the mounting nut to allow the bodies to be connected together and then grounded.
Will the readings of the potentiometer be affected if they're not grounded?(like erratic values, or higher fluctuations)
No.
Grounding pot bodies is important in audio circuits.
It is not that important, it is done :-
- Because it can be done
- It might reduce pick up of other signals that are inject into audio circuits
The bigger the pot value the more prone to pick up it is. You are using about 10K for your circuit which is low impedance for this sort of worry. In an audio circuit you might be using 1M or bigger which is more prone to pickup.
Bottom line. Don't worry about it.