Rotary potentiometer position sensors detect the angular or rotational position of a shaft.

• A. Rotary
• B. Linear
• C. Digital
• D. Analog

Answer: (A)

Rotary potentiometer position sensors are designed to measure angular rotation of a shaft. The shaft turns a resistive element, and a wiper moves along that element, changing resistance as the angle changes. This produces an output voltage that varies continuously with the rotation, giving a direct read of the shaft’s angular position. Linear potentiometers, by contrast, track straight-line movement; digital sensors provide discrete steps; analog refers to the continuous nature of the signal, not the motion being sensed. Since the description focuses on angular or rotational position, the sensor type described is rotary.