Options Considered

• Renishaw

  The Renishaw encoder offered everything we needed, but cost over $200 more than the LIDA177. Unfortunately, the LIDA177 had a 9 week lead time. Since we are time sensitive, we decided to use the Renishaw RGH41T even though it was more expensive.

• Heidenhain LIDA177/LIDA175/LIDA178

  The LIDA177 was our original first choice. It had all the features we required. The 9 week lead time for ordering forced us to consider other options.

  The LIDA178 offered straight sinesoid output. Coupled with a quadrature decoder, this would have allowed us to obtain a lower resolution which would make designing a control system easier. This was expensive, and the HCTL2000 processor gives us similar functionality.

  The LIDA175 had a tensioned data track, held at both ends that was unnessisarily complicated for our setup.

• Micro-E S1320L

  This encoder simply did not have a high enough top speed.

Other Maufacturers

• Gurley Precision Instruments
• Dynamics Research Corporation
• Patriot Sensors
• Stegmann