Feedback Systems: Potentiometer vs Hall Sensor
I’m trying to sort out a control setup for a small project where two actuators need to move together without drifting. Last time I tried this with a cheap potentiometer-based actuator, the readings kept jumping whenever the temperature changed, and it threw the whole alignment off. Now I’m looking at models that use Hall sensors instead, but I’m not sure if they’re really more stable or just more complicated to work with. Anyone here had to pick between the two and can share what actually worked better in practice?
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I’ve had both types in different builds, and for anything that needs consistent syncing, the Hall sensor versions behaved way smoother. The pulse counting stays pretty clean even when the actuator gets bumped around or the ambient temperature shifts. For heavier setups, I’ve used the kind you’ll find on heavy duty electric actuator https://www.progressiveautomations.com/products/heavy-duty-linear-actuator, and the feedback stayed accurate enough that I didn’t have to babysit the motion controller. Potentiometers are fine for simple positioning, but they do drift a bit over time, so I only use them when precision isn’t the top priority.