RoundAbout(tm) Cable Guide Nominated for Product of the Year

Position Measurement & Control - Issue 40

PRODUCT FOCUS

RoundAbout™ Cable Guide Nominated for Product of the Year

Patented Design Solves a Range of Motion-Following Problems

Figure A1 - The RoundAbout™ cable guide in action. The innovative device allows 3D tracking of applications while providing one dimension of feedback. The product is a nominee in Design News' Product of the Year contest.

In December, Design News magazine asked for submissions of the best products of 2004. The response was overwhelming. Design News collected a record number of entries and now it's up to the readers to decide which of the entries truly are the Best Products. The Firstmark Controls patented RoundAbout™ cable guide is one of the nominees in the Feedback Devices category.

The winners will be announced in the Design News 7 March 2005 issue. Stay tuned!

The RoundAbout™ cable guide is a simple yet elegantly-designed cable-directing device that allows Firstmark Controls cable-actuated position transducers to follow motion dynamically in 3D space. The product uses two precision-positioned pulleys that provide two dimensions of the tracking capability. The third dimension of tracking capability is provided by a bearing-mount housing incorporating a cable-actuated rotation mechanism (a cable interface surface). The product eliminates the need for specific pulleys to be mounted to provide 2D and 3D motion tracking and gives dynamic tracking capability. The product eliminates requirements for flexible mounting bases or re-location of the position transducer.

Figure A2 - Applications that move in 3D space can now be tracked using the RoundAbout™ cable guide.

To learn more about the product, view the RoundAbout™ cable guide data sheet. The RoundAbout™ cable guide is offered on the Series 160/161/162 and Series 6 product lines.

TECHNICAL FOCUS

What Are CW, CCW, and S?

Cryptic Acronyms Explained

Have you used a potentiometer and seen the cryptic acronmyns of CW, CCW, and S? Did you want to join the secret world of potentiometer geeks? If so, read on.

Per VRCI-P-100A, CW means "clockwise", CCW means "counterclockwise", and S means "slider" (or signal). This designation can be found on both rotary and linear potentiometers although "1", "3", and "2" are also used instead of, respectively, CW, CCW, and S.

Figure B1 - Potentiometer schematic showing the mapping of CW, CCW, and S to other commonly used terms.

For rotary potentiometers, clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) are applicable when viewing the specified mounting end of the potentiometer. The designation of terminals in the figure above corresponds to the direction of shaft travel. For linear potentiometers, "extending" (CW) or "retracting" (CCW) are applicable when viewing the specified end of the potentiometer.

The output ratio and shaft position increase with clockwise (or extending) direction of travel unless otherwise specified.

ISSN 1527-5108 • Document Number S050Z(050203)