Potentiometer

Potentiometers, short pots, are electrical resistance components. The resistance values of potentiometers can be infinitely adjusted via a movable controller which is called slider. In this way, a desired resistance can be precisely configured. A potentiometer uses three different connections, one for the tap and the other two for the resistor.

All in all, potentiometers are very cost-effective to manufacture, but due to contact via a slider they have a shortened service life in some cases. Potentiometers are used, among other things, in the control of electrical components and for angle detection. Hall potentiometers are also used in this context. However, these are no potentiometers in the actual sense. A Hall potentiometer is a sensor for position determination. It is used, for example, when a process requires the feedback of a moving object, such as an input signal for control, servo or feedback systems. Longer lifecycles of the components used are decisive here, which is why non-contact technologies based on the Hall effect are used.

Another variant, for example, is the rotary potentiometer, where the slider is attached to a rotary axis.