Absolute-type shaft encoding using LFSR sequences with a prescribed length

Abstract

Maximal-length binary sequences have existed for a long time. They have many interesting properties, and one of them is that, when taken in blocks of n consecutive positions, they form 2n - 1 different codes in a closed circular sequence. This property can be used to measure absolute angular positions as the circle can be divided into as many parts as different codes can be retrieved. This paper describes how a closed binary sequence with an arbitrary length can be effectively designed with the minimal possible block length using linear feedback shift registers. Such sequences can be used to measure a specified exact number of angular positions using the minimal possible number of sensors that linear methods allow.