An electronic position encoder usable to measure a relative position between two elements along a measuring axis direction, the electronic position encoder comprising:
- a scale extending along the measuring axis direction and including a signal modulating scale pattern including at least a first pattern track and a second pattern track arranged along the measuring axis direction, each pattern track including signal modulating elements that are arranged to provide a spatially varying characteristic which changes as a periodic function of position along the measuring axis direction;
- a detector portion configured to be mounted proximate to the first pattern track and the second pattern track and to move along the measuring axis direction relative to the first pattern track and the second pattern track, the detector portion including a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB), which includes:
- a field generating coil configuration fixed on the PCB, including:
- a first-track field generating coil portion, which defines, by at least partially surrounding, a first interior area aligned with the first pattern track and which generates a first-track changing magnetic flux in the first interior area in response to a coil drive signal, and
- a second-track field generating coil portion, which defines, by at least partially surrounding, a second interior area aligned with the second pattern track and which generates a second-track changing magnetic flux in the second interior area in response to a coil drive signal, and
- a plurality of sensing elements including respective conductive receiver loops arranged along the measuring axis direction and fixed on the PCB in alignment with the first and second interior areas, wherein the plurality of sensing elements include:
- a first set of sensing elements configured to provide detector signals which respond to a local effect on the first-track changing magnetic flux provided by adjacent signal modulating elements of the first pattern track, and
- a second set of sensing elements configured to provide detector signals which respond to a local effect on the second-track changing magnetic flux provided by adjacent signal modulating elements of the second pattern track;
- and
- a signal processing configuration that is operably connected to the detector portion to provide the coil drive signal and that determines the relative position between the detector portion and the scale based on detector signals input from the detector portion,
- wherein:
- the first pattern track includes signal modulating elements periodically arranged at a wavelength λ1 along the measuring axis direction;
- the second pattern track includes signal modulating elements periodically arranged at a wavelength λ2 along the measuring axis direction;
- the first set of sensing elements are connected to the signal processing configuration via connection lines which include crossover segments that extend across or overlap the second pattern track;
- the first set of sensing elements include a first spatial phase subset of sensing elements that is connected to the signal processing configuration via first spatial phase connection lines and a second spatial phase subset of sensing elements that is connected to the signal processing configuration via second spatial phase connection lines;
- and
- the first spatial phase connection lines comprise at least two connection lines that include respective first spatial phase crossover segments that extend across or overlap the second pattern track, and the second spatial phase connection lines comprise at least two connection lines that include respective second spatial phase crossover segments that extend across or overlap the second pattern track, and a first pair of first and second spatial phase crossover segments are spaced apart along the measuring axis direction at respective locations separated by a distance N*λ2, where N is an integer, and a second pair of first and second spatial phase crossover segments are spaced apart along the measuring axis direction at respective locations separated by a distance N*λ2 where N is an integer.