Piher International Corp. has announced the availability of
the non-contacting MTS 360 SMD rotary position sensor. The MTS provides a true
breakthrough in sensor technology by combining a through-shaft design with 360º
absolute position feedback in an ultra miniature size. The result is the smallest
fully featured rotary sensor on the market with reliability up to 25 million
cycles.
With its tiny size of only 6 x 17 x 18 mm (HxWxL), engineers
can now integrate a fully featured rotary sensor directly on their PCB without
the packaging issues that typically accompany encoders or other absolute
position devices. The exceptionally low profile fits easily in places that were
previously too small for pre-packaged rotary sensors.
The MTS 360 relies on patented Hall effect technology to enable,
for the first time, true non-contacting through-hole shaft sensing using
standard SMD features. The offset through-hole accommodates the vacuum pick up
tool, allowing use in automated SMD assembly systems. The standard model features
a 4-mm double D-flat shaft and an eight pad SMD footprint that is compatible in
most reflow soldering systems.