Twenty-five years ago, Yishay Netzer, the company’s founder—then an optomechanical engineer at a defense company—faced the challenge of measuring the rotation angle of an object immersed in a dielectric liquid inside a sealed metal vessel. Positioned behind a ceramic wall with no direct mechanical or electrical access, existing rotation sensing technologies were unsuitable for the task.
While exploring potential solutions, he found references to capacitive rotation sensing. However, every source cautioned that this approach was impractical due to numerous challenges, including susceptibility to interference, stray fields, parasitic coupling, and sensitivity to mechanical mounting tolerances.
Undeterred, Netzer began prototyping various designs and discovered that by incorporating a carefully designed Faraday shield, integrated with a structured array of printed conductive plates, and applying advanced signal processing, the problem was solved and a new technology emerged. This breakthrough bridged a long-standing gap alongside magnetic and optical sensing technologies.
Because the technology relies on interactions with spatially and temporally modulated electric fields, it was named “Electric Encoders.” Surprisingly, and contrary to previous assumptions, the anticipated drawbacks proved to be unfounded, with the technology often demonstrating significant advantages over competitive alternatives.
Netzer sensors – foundation
By Yishay Netzer
Electrical encoder
Patent registration
Sold to Sick
German sensors Producer
IP Returned | by Sick
Split off from Kappasens
Acquisitions by Ricor
Opened Netzer Inc
Giving our Customers the Precision They Need to Innovate
Empowering customers to create the most precise products that answer their evolving market needs.
Since 1998, Netzer Precision Position Sensors has been designing, manufacturing, and supplying top-tier absolute position rotary encoders, utilizing the innovative Electric Encoder™ technology.
The company provides both standard off the shelf products and custom designs to meet customer specifications. Our patented digital Electric Encoder™ technology is renowned for its high performance and is widely employed across diverse global applications.
The Netzer product line encompasses a variety of rotary encoders tailored for applications spanning defense and harsh environments, industrial automation, collaborative and medical robotics, unmanned vehicles, aerospace, and special low orbit and deep space missions.
The unique contactless core of the Electric Encoder, featuring a “hollow shaft” design, minimizes axial space requirements and enhances reliability by eliminating degradation mechanisms.
Key features include zero magnetic signature, immunity to EMI/RFI and magnetic fields, lightweight construction, low inertia, and a slim profile (≤10 mm).
Igniting creativity to push the boundaries of what’s possible
Upholding honesty and ethics in everything we do
Fueling inspiration among colleagues, customers, and partners
Fostering a culture of collective growth
