The MA3 is a miniature rotary absolute shaft encoder that reports the shaft position over 360° with no stops or gaps. The MA3 is available with an analog or a pulse width modulated (PWM)...




The MA3 is a miniature rotary absolute shaft encoder that reports the shaft position over 360° with no stops or gaps. The MA3 is available with an analog or a pulse width modulated (PWM)...
| Specification | Sleeve Bushing | Ball Bearing |
|---|---|---|
| Moment of Inertia | 4.1 x 10^-6 oz-in-s² | 4.1 x 10^-6 oz-in-s² |
| Angular Accuracy | <0.5 deg. @ 25C | <0.5 deg. @ 25C |
| Angular Accuracy Over Temperature | <0.9 deg. @ -40C to 125C | <0.9 deg. @ -40C to 125C |
| Shaft Speed | 100 RPM max. continuous | 15,000 RPM max. continuous |
| Acceleration | 10,000 rad/sec² | 250,000 rad/sec² |
| Vibration | 20G. 5Hz to 2kHz | 20G. 5Hz to 2kHz |
| Shaft Torque | 0.5 ± 0.2 in. oz. (D - torque option) 0.3 in. oz. max. (N - torque option) |
0.05 in. oz. max. |
| Shaft Loading | 2 lbs. max. dynamic* 20 lbs. max. static |
1 lb. max. |
| Bearing Life | > 1,000,000 revolutions | L10 = (18.3/Fr)³ †
Where L10 = bearing life in millions of revs, and Fr = radial shaft loading in pounds |
| Weight | 0.46 oz. | 0.37 oz. |
| Shaft Runout | 0.0015 T.I.R. max. | 0.0015 T.I.R. max. |
* When a pulley, gear, or friction wheel drives the shaft, the Ball Bearing option is recommended instead of the Sleeve Bushing. The chip that decodes position uses sampled data; note that there will be fewer readings per revolution as the speed increases. The formula for number of readings per revolution is given by:
n = (60 / (rpm * 96 usec))
† only valid with negligible axial shaft loading
The MA3 is a miniature rotary absolute shaft encoder that reports the shaft position over 360° with no stops or gaps. The MA3 is available with an analog or a pulse width modulated (PWM) digital output.
Analog output provides an analog voltage that is proportional to the absolute shaft position. Analog output is only available in 10-bit resolution.
PWM output provides a pulse width duty cycle that is proportional to the absolute shaft position. PWM output is available in 10-bit and 12-bit resolutions. While the accuracy is the same for both encoders, the 12-bit version provides higher resolution.
Three shaft torque versions are available. The standard torque version has a sleeve bushing lubricated with a viscous motion control gel to provide torque and feel that is ideal for front panel human interface applications.
The no torque added option has a sleeve bushing and a low viscosity lubricant (that does not intentionally add torque) for low RPM applications where a small amount of torque is acceptable.
The ball bearing version uses miniature precision ball bearings that are suitable for high speed and ultra low torque applications. The shaft diameter for ball bearing version option is 1/8" rather than 1/4".
Connecting to the MA3 is simple. The 3-pin high retention snap-in 1.25mm pitch polarized connector provides for +5V, output, and ground.