Operation
On a practical level, synchros resemble motors, in that there is a rotor, stator, and a shaft. Ordinarily, slip rings and brushes connect the rotor to external power. A synchro transmitter's shaft is rotated by the mechanism that sends information, while the synchro receiver's shaft rotates a dial, or operates a light mechanical load. Single and three-phase units are common in use, and will follow the other's rotation when connected properly. One transmitter can turn several receivers; if torque is a factor, the transmitter must be physically larger to source the additional current. In a motion picture interlock system, a large motor-driven distributor can drive as many as 20 machines, sound dubbers, footage counters, and projectors.
Synchros designed for terrestrial use tend to be driven at 50 or 60 hertz (the mains frequency in most countries), while those for marine or aeronautical use tend to operate at 400 hertz (the frequency of the on-board electrical generator driven by the engines).
Single phase units have five wires: two for an exciter winding (typically line voltage) and three for the output/input. These three are bussed to the other synchros in the system, and provide the power and information to precisely align by rotation all the shafts in the receivers. Synchro transmitters and receivers must be powered by the same branch circuit, so to speak; the mains excitation voltage sources must match in voltage and phase. The safest approach is to bus the five or six lines from transmitters and receivers at a common point. Different makes of selsyns, used in interlock systems, have different output voltages. In all cases, three-phase systems will handle more power and operate a bit more smoothly. The excitation is often 208/240 V 3-phase mains power.
Synchro transmitters are as described, but 50 and 60-Hz synchro receivers require rotary dampers to keep their shafts from oscillating when not loaded (as with dials) or lightly loaded in high-accuracy applications.
A different type of receiver, called a control transformer (CT), is part of a position servo that includes a servo amplifier and servo motor. The motor is geared to the CT rotor, and when the transmitter's rotor moves, the servo motor turns the CT's rotor and the mechanical load to match the new position. CTs have high-impedance stators and draw much less current than ordinary synchro receivers when not correctly positioned.
Synchro transmitters can also feed synchro to digital converters, which provide a digital representation of the shaft angle.
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