Sensor Switching

Other Hardware General Electronics
1

So I have two encoders. These two encoders outputs are wired up to the same node where an arduino pin is reading the encoders. Unfortunately, I am not able to just turn off one encoder while the other encoder sends its outputs to that one arduino pin for some reason. I think this is due to the outputs of two different encoders being wired to the same node.

I then decided to get myself to the store and buy some transistors. I thought that I could simply send a signal to the to the transistor from the arduino and allow one output to pass through, then send another signal to the other transistor where the other output was hooked up and it would let that output signal pass through.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

Would you guys know of a solution using the transistors?

If not, i just thought of hooking up some diodes in series with the outputs then connecting to the input of the arduino.

Let me know.
THANK YOU :slight_smile:

2

What are the encoders? What kind of signal do they produce? Why do you feel you need to have them wired together like that?

3

If you connect a powered-down CMOS device to your circuit it may clamp the voltage to +/- 0.6V or so
because of the protection resistors (depends on whether the outputs have protection diodes).

But the basic problem seems to be that you are connecting two different outputs together - this will not
work and can even cause damage. Perhaps you need more pins to talk to these encoders or you need
an input multiplexer chip to handle them? Maybe if you describe more about what you are trying
to achieve we can work out a better way?