Find the right rotational device

01 —

Do you need to switch electrical current directly?

Direct circuit control with no signal interpretation — e.g. switching a load, motor, or circuit

02 —

Do you have a microcontroller in your system?

Encoders require a controller to interpret their output signal

03 —

Do you need absolute position or relative movement?

Absolute = knob position maps to a fixed function, knows state at power-up · Relative = tracks change, not position

04 —

Do you need flexibility or reduced wiring?

Digital systems, space constraints, or simplified wiring benefit from encoder output

05 —

What is your expected cycle count?

Frequent or continuous use drives the need for optical encoding (~1M+ cycles rated)