String Pots

A string pot is another term for a cable extension transducer. There are many different terms for this type of sensor, such as; cable transducer, yo yo pot, cable actuated sensor, string encoder they all mean the same device.

A string pot is another term for a cable extension transducer. There are many different terms for this type of sensor, such as; cable transducer, yo yo pot, cable actuated sensor, string encoder they all mean the same device.

What is a String Pot?

A string pot is a type of position sensor which uses a flexible cable or string, spool and a rotational sensor. The cable is wound tightly around the spool. Linear displacement can be determined by attaching the cable to the object, the cable reels and un-reels depending on how far the object moves, the number of rotations of the spool can be used to determine the position of the object.

Because they use a reel as opposed to a rod, a string pot can have a wide measuring range whilst still being small in size in comparison. For this reason, string pots are often used in applications where space is restricted.

String Pot Applications

String pots are used throughout many different industries. They are available in many different sizes with different IP ratings to make them well suited to a variety of environments. Some examples of industries for string pots are;

• Hydraulic cylinder control
• Mobile vehicle applications
• Factory applications
• Automotive testing applications
• Telescopic applications
• Medical devices and machines
• Structural testing
• Industrial machinery
• Robotics
• Aerospace testing
• Oil and chemical applications

Some specific uses of string pots are;

• Material handlings
• Ferry loading ramps
• Flight simulators
• Bridge lifting and positioning
• Transportation systems

Benefits of using a String Pot

Some of the main reasons for choosing to use a string pot are;

Fast installation many of the string pots we can offer don't require perfect parallel alignment to function correctly and they can be installed in minutes.

Compact string pots can fit into smaller spaces and so are well suited to applications where space is limited. This also means they have a small size to measurement ratio.

Value string pots tend to be lower cost than other linear measuring alternatives.

Versatile string pots are suitable for a wide range of applications in a variety of industries.

String Pots from Positek

We have a range of different string pots they can be seen on our product portfolio and read about them on our Cable Extension Page.

Our string pots have a range of different outputs including; Potentiometric, Incremental Encoder, Absolute Encoder, RS232/RS422 Communications, DeviceNET, CANbus J1939, 0…10Volts DC, 4…20mA 92-wire) and 0…20mA (3-wire).

The different types of string pot we offer will suit different environments including small or miniature string pots, industrial string pots, long-range, hazardous are and many other types.

For more information on string pots or to discuss your application please contact us.