Absolute-measuring position transducer system for industrial robot

An absolute position-measuring transducer system for an industrial robot, which has a plurality of axes of movement, with said transducer system comprising:

• an individual position transducer in the form of a single resolver for each of the axes, and with the operating range of each axis corresponding to a plurality of revolutions of its resolver;
• at least one of said axes being provided with a first, on-line, position detecting means, said detecting means being supplied with the output signals from said resolver and being used during a normal operation of the system;
• a second, intermittent, position detecting means, provided in the same axis and supplied with the output signals from said single resolver;
• a back-up battery provided for supply of said resolver and said second position detecting means during normal operation power failure;
• and
• means adapted, during operation of said back-up battery for effecting intermittent position detection of said single resolver using said second position detecting means.