What is a Potentiometer?

Potentiometers are often used in electric and electronic circuits as basic elements in circuit design. It is made up of a resistor and a slider (wiper) that moves on the surface of the resistor, and has the characteristic that the resistance value can be freely changed by moving the slider. In this way, the potentiometer is a form of variable resistance, so in English-speaking countries, the variable resistance is called a potentiometer. It is used in various electronic devices, and its use as an adjustment volume for audio devices can be mentioned as a typical example. It is conveniently used because it has a simple structure, but its performance is reasonably low and its cost is low. While the performance is reasonably good, there is a drawback that the resistance value changes due to wear due to the presence of moving parts. If you can't tolerate the disadvantages of these potentiometers, you can choose a digital solution at a higher cost.

Application of Potentiometer

The potentiometer has the function of adjusting the amount of current and adjusting the voltage. Taking advantage of the feature that the resistance value can be freely set, the potentiometer plays a role in the circuit as described above. Utilizing these functions, it is used as a consumer device for various volume adjustments such as volume control of audio devices, and is also used for game console controllers. Furthermore, the potentiometer has the role of a displacement sensor as another function. A displacement sensor is a sensor that can measure the distance and dimensions to the object to be measured. When the position of a wiper such as a car changes, it is possible to measure the distance and dimensions using the function of this displacement sensor. Inexpensive and relatively high-precision potential meters are also used for industrial equipment, including equipment and devices that we often use. For example, marine equipment, medical equipment, construction machinery, machine tools, etc. It is also used in.

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