meal, repast(noun) the food served and eaten at one time. meal(noun) any of the occasions for eating food that occur by custom or habit at more or less fixed times. meal(noun) coarsely ground foodstuff; especially seeds of various cereal grasses or pulse.
An encoder is a sensor of mechanical motion that generates digital signals in response to motion. As an electro-mechanical device, an encoder is able to provide motion control system users with information concerning position, velocity and direction. There are two different types of encoders: linear and rotary.
For example: 1  In a cut-to-length application, an encoder with a measuring wheel tells the control device how much material has been fed, so the control device knows when to cut. 2  In an observatory, the encoders tell actuators what position a moveable mirror is in by providing positioning feedback.