An Optical Reflective Linear Scale is a repeating pattern of reflective and non-reflective periods used with an encoder to measure position or motion. Chrome coatings are used for reflective, and anti-reflective (AR) chrome coating on the bottom of scale.
The encoder read head’s LED emits light that reflects off the scale and the encoder sensor detects the position within each period.
Interpolating the encoder output is done to achieve high resolution. For high accuracy, all aspects of the scale are important, including dimensional accuracy, tolerance, and few anomalies in the reflective chrome and glass. That’s because the encoder’s performance is dependent on the accuracy of the scale.
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