Encoder including an origin position detection function

摘要

An encoder includes a scale having a continuous part where physical characteristics varies and a discontinuous part that interrupts the continuous part, a detector that be relatively displaced with respect to the scale and that detects the physical characteristics of the scale, and a processor that detects an origin of the scale on the basis of a signal for displacement detection output from the detector. The detector includes a sensitive part having sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection and an insensitive part having no sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection. The processor detects the origin on the basis of signal intensity of each of signals for displacement detection that the detector outputs when the sensitive and insensitive parts detect physical characteristics of the discontinuous part.