GRAYHILL's Touch Encoder™ T1 Series — including both the knob and flushmount styles — has achieved official CANopen certification from CAN in Automation (CiA). The certification confirms that the full T1 range now supports the CANopen communication protocol, giving engineers a certified, standards-based path for integrating the Touch Encoder into CAN-based control networks.

Read the full press release for the official announcement.

What Is CANopen, and Why Does Certification Matter?

CANopen is one of the most widely adopted higher-layer CAN protocols, maintained by CAN in Automation (CiA) to standardize how devices communicate across a distributed CAN network. Rather than every manufacturer implementing CAN communication its own way, CANopen devices follow a shared specification — which is what allows components from different vendors to work together on the same network without custom protocol translation.

Certification from CiA isn't just a marketing claim. It means the Touch Encoder's CANopen implementation has been independently verified against the official specification, giving system integrators a documented basis for protocol conformance rather than a manufacturer's word alone. For engineers building or specifying a CANopen HMI or CANopen operator interface, that distinction matters at the design-review stage, not just at launch.

What's New in the CANopen-Certified T1 Series

The upgraded Touch Encoder T1 Series delivers three practical advantages for teams building CANopen devices and CAN-based control interfaces:

• Verified protocol conformance. Because the full T1 range is CiA-certified, customers get independent confirmation that the Touch Encoder will communicate correctly within a compliant CANopen automation network — reducing integration risk before hardware ever reaches the bench. View the official CiA certification document for full conformance details.
• A widely supported communication standard. CANopen support lets the Touch Encoder operate as a certified CANopen input device on embedded control systems and CAN-based automation networks already built around the CiA specification, rather than requiring a proprietary bridge or adapter.
• One certified interface, two mounting styles. The certification applies across both the knob and flushmount profiles, so designers can choose the mounting style that fits their enclosure without giving up CANopen device integration on either version.

As Matt Huner, Vice President of Components at GRAYHILL, put it, the update "reinforces GRAYHILL's commitment to delivering control interface solutions that are both innovative and easier to integrate."

Where CANopen Touch Encoders Fit

CANopen's core strength — coordinating multiple devices reliably across a distributed control system — is why it shows up across such a wide range of equipment:

• Industrial automation applications, where a CANopen control system needs to coordinate operator inputs, drives, and sensors across a single machine or production line.
• Robotics applications, particularly robotics motion control, where a certified CANopen encoder can serve as a reliable operator-input node alongside CANopen-based servo drives on the same network.
• Mobile and off-highway equipment, where a CANopen machine control layer often runs alongside vehicle networks like J1939 — handling body and auxiliary functions on a separate, standardized bus.
• Embedded control systems more broadly, anywhere a design calls for a certified CANopen control interface instead of a custom communication layer.

For teams already working with GRAYHILL's CAN Bus Keypads, CAN Bus Displays, or CAN Bus Vehicle Interface Controllers, the CANopen-certified Touch Encoder adds a certified operator-interface option that can sit on the same CANopen industrial network as those existing components.

Getting Started

The CANopen-certified Touch Encoder T1 Series is available now through grayhill.com/contact or our distributors at grayhill.com/where-to-buy or grayhill.com/stock-check. Visit grayhill.com/touch-encoder to review specifications, download datasheets, and explore configuration options for both the knob and flushmount styles.

About GRAYHILL

GRAYHILL designs and manufactures intuitive interfaces that make machines feel like an extension of you. Advanced components include optical encoders, rotary switches, keypads, joysticks, and pushbuttons. With GRAYHILL, Everything Clicks™.