Favorite brand absolute encoder?

Ive been looking at some of the Automation Direct Absolute encoders that they offer (Koyo brand) and was wondering what everyone else uses in their projects?

Used Balluff in the past and was quite pleased with them.

We had machines that used a few Omron encoders on each in service for 10 - 15 years. I recall only one failure that wasn't a damaged cable. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

I've inherited Allen-Bradley & Sick absolute encoders over the years - no qualms with either.

I don't presently use AD but in a prior job I had good results with their stuff.

returning to this. Ive since got an AD absolute encoder wired into a 1762-IQ16 and have gotten it setup in the logic so that it takes the Gray code, converts it to binary, then takes that binary and can show where in the 360 degree rotation said encoder is. My only gripe with this encoder is that there is no SET ZERO pin on it, as there are on the AB absolute encoders that ive used in the past. I can probably do it within the logic, i just havent sat down and hammered it out yet. Im going to look into the other names mentioned above though and hope that they perhaps have the SET ZERO option.

We link any brand of encoder that sticks to the SSI specifications. It doesn't make any difference if the returned data is gray code or binary.
The first one we used was Stegmann now Sick.
Danaher SSI encoders are good too.

Originally posted by Peter Nachtwey:

We link any brand of encoder that sticks to the SSI specifications.

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If JZerb is wiring this to an 1762-IB16 its not SSI. It is multi-bit parallel. While natural binary or Gray code doesn't matter much with SSI it certainly is more friendly with multi-bit parallel.

Keith