The internal circuitry of the industrial panel control joysticks

The internal circuitry of the industrial panel control joysticks translates the user's motion into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the device control software. In the past, these movements were typically sensed by a analog joystick potentiometer, a variable resistor in which a sliding wiper blade moves across fixed contact, mirroring changes in position of the joystick. The problem with potentiometer-based systems is that the sliding component is a mechanical device subject to wear and corrosion. More modern systems now make use of contact-less technology, in which a field is generated within the joystick at the base of the shaft. As the shaft moves, the sensing part of the circuit detects the change in the field and outputs an analogue voltage proportional to the distance moved. Friction and wear are eliminated, and the result is a joystick that can perform up to 5 million cycles without a failure.