Quad Encoders for MiniPod

[mattwalli]

I am using a quad encoder with the MiniPod. The counter was working at first but eventualy it stoped counting and now reads 0 all the time. The encoder hardware still works and reseting the MiniPod and scrubing the memory has had no effect. Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be wrong or any other tests that I can try.

[RMDumse]

Verify the signals are present at the pins. Many encoders have open collector outputs, and the pull ups on the board are very weak (like 26K). So adding pull ups might help.

But if the signals are nice and square and (using a dual trace scope) obviously in quadrature, the 'Pod should count them. Most likely there's something askew with the signal or the ground connections.

As an alternative, the 2 timer pins in the same group can be configured to be a quadrature counter too. You could configure them and see if you can still read the encoder there. If you can read with the timer and not with the original quadrature decoder, then something has gone bad inside the chip.

[mattwalli]

the signals are present and the wave is good, it is actualy using hall efect sensors for the encoder pickups, I tried the timer ports without any luck, and the problem exists even if i switch to another minipod. any more ideas?

[mattwalli]

I found the solution, it was software, i forgot that the quad outputs in 32 bit and not 16 bit. thanks for the help though.

[RMDumse]

Oh yes, the upper 16 bits can stay at 0 a long time. Been there, done that.

Glad to hear you're running again.