Optical encoder photodetector array with multiple resolutions

A variable resolution photodetector for an optical encoder comprising:

• a segmented photodiode comprising a semiconductor chip divided into a plurality of electrically separated photodiode elements having output terminals,
• a first pair of mutually adjacent photodiode elements of the plurality of photodiode elements detecting a first phase of a signal and each photodiode element of the first pair of photodiode elements having an output terminal connected to a first common node, and
• a second pair of mutually adjacent photodiode elements of the plurality of photodiode elements detecting a second phase of the signal and each photodiode element of the second pair of mutually adjacent photodiode elements having an output terminal connected to a second common node,
• wherein, the first pair of photodiode elements is adjacent to the second pair of photodiode elements, and
• wherein one photodiode element of said first pair of photodiode elements is selectably disconnectable from said first node and one photodiode element of said second pair of photodiode elements is selectably disconnectable from said second node to change the resolution of the photodetector.

A variable resolution photodetector for an optical encoder comprising:

• a first segmented photodiode comprising a first semiconductor chip divided into a plurality of electrically separated first photodiode elements having output terminals,
• the output terminal of a first one of the plurality of first photodiode elements being connected to a first node;
• and
• the output terminal of a second one of the plurality of first photodiode elements adjacent to said first one of the plurality of photodiode elements being connected to the first node via a switch having a first state and a second state,
• wherein shifting the switch from the first state to the second state changes a resolution of the photodetector from a first resolution to a second resolution.