The customer wanted something rotary and right now we have a pot but there is a catch.
On the screen in the panel, the customer can select one of 14 different values to 'trim'. All of these have a manual entry but they also want the operator to be able to make slight adjustments up and down using a rotary knob. It's easier and more tactile this way so they can watch the process without worrying if they are touching the right place on the screen.
They are only adjusting one at a time which is also selected on the screen.
The dilemma comes in when they change from one parameter to another. What if they have moved the pot all the way to one end on the previous adjustment and then need to adjust the new parameter in that same direction? I thought when they change we'd throw up a pop up box that asks them to center the pot but if I had a simple rotary encoder that was slow enough to be read by standard inputs then I'm in like Flynn. Even if I need to get an encoder card I'd be ok because everything is on slice I/O. There are 8 of these panels on the system and they are already built so the room I have is the space for a 22mm pushbutton.
Thanks