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Article author here. Mitutoyo verniers are too expensive for me to take apart for a lark, but as I understand it: Cheap verniers are 'absolute modulo 10mm' as

Article author here. Mitutoyo verniers are too expensive for me to take apart for a lark, but as I understand it: Cheap verniers are 'absolute modulo 10mm' as the T-shaped bar pattern repeats itself. They produce 'absolute' measurements by reading fast enough to keep track of how many whole bars they've moved. Fancier verniers instead have two tracks in parallel, with slightly different pitches. Checking the offset between the two patterns at the current location gives an absolute measurement. This of course requires them to be factory calibrated etc. They might also have slightly better electronics (some of these cheap verniers need a new battery every 3 months or so) or other differences.

DoingIsLearning 4y ago
> Fancier verniers instead have two tracks in parallel, with slightly different pitches. Checking the offset between the two patterns at the current location gives an absolute measurement. In your article you link to a patent on the cheaper T shaped coatings, do you also have a reference to a patent specifically using this system of parallel + different pitch tracks? Great write up by the way!
Blackthorn 4y ago
The electronics are absolutely a killer difference. The mitus can actually turn off rather than just turn the screen off.
schneems 4y ago
Thanks! It reminds me of those black and white wheels you use to digitally encode rotation but stretched out linearly.
- genpfault 4y ago
  > those black and white wheels you use to digitally encode rotation Gray codes[1]? [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_code#Position_encoders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_code#Position_encoders
  - schneems 4y ago
    Yep. That’s what I was thinking of.
jseutter 4y ago
I have one of the cheap calipers that needs new batteries every 3 months. It both sucks and is surprisingly useful for stuff around the house. I ended up buying a 20 pack of batteries and leave them sitting in the same drawer as the calipers so they're at hand when the current batteries inevitably die. The Mitutoyo's are definitely a better tool.
- NegativeLatency 4y ago
  I just take the battery out, been using the same one for like 3 years
  - kurthr 4y ago
    Hahahaha... OMG I worry that calipers (that aren't in a machinists shop) are non-functional, if there isn't a battery taped to the side!
    - martyvis 4y ago
      it's why in the case for mine there are two holes in the foam for spare batteries
      - serf 4y ago
        I was OK with doing that for years and years until I bit the bullet and bought a pair of (current day) Mitutoyos. Now battery replacement is more on the order of 2 or 3 years under constant use, even with the occasional 'woops I left it on' slip-up -- almost on-par with my 90s solar Mitus'. I feel like the cash spent on replacing batteries in my 'crappy environment' calipers (usually harbor freight or equivalent brands) could've easily paid for keeping Mitutoyos in the bad environments, anyway.
        CamperBob2 4y ago
        I used to turn my Mitutoyo off after using it, but eventually realized that it doesn't make enough difference to bother. If I leave it on, the battery is good for 2-3 years. If I turn it off, it will last for 5 or more years... but who cares, it's less trouble to change the battery every couple of years than it is to turn the caliper on and off every time I use it. It's one of those from-my-cold-dead-hands kinds of tools.
dheera 4y ago
> Mitutoyo verniers are too expensive for me to take apart https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=mitotuyo+non+working+digital+caliper https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m...
TheSpiceIsLife 4y ago
I was just having a laugh with a near-retirement fitter only yesterday about this: digital calipers are not vernier calipers. From Wikipedia: A vernier scale, named after Pierre Vernier, is a visual aid to take an accurate measurement reading between two graduation markings on a linear scale by using mechanical interpolation, thereby increasing resolution and reducing measurement uncertainty by using vernier acuity to reduce human estimation error.
kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
Mitsutoyo absolutes have a pattern that doesn't repeat. You can pull the battery and reinstall at any setting and all you lose is the zero offset correction.
regularfry 4y ago
Oddly enough I've got a cheap pair that is quite easy to accidentally trick into having a 5mm offset one way or the other. I was wondering what the mechanism was. But that doesn't match up with 10mm bars. Different pattern, or different logic?
ComputerGuru 4y ago
> They might also have slightly better electronics (some of these cheap verniers need a new battery every 3 months or so) or other differences. This is because the cheap ones never power off, only turn off the lcd. They can’t power down without losing the position/calibration because they need to be aware when they move to a different section.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
BuckyBeaver 4y ago
[dead]

DoingIsLearning 4y ago

> Fancier verniers instead have two tracks in parallel, with slightly different pitches. Checking the offset between the two patterns at the current location gives an absolute measurement. In your article you link to a patent on the cheaper T shaped coatings, do you also have a reference to a patent specifically using this system of parallel + different pitch tracks? Great write up by the way!

Blackthorn 4y ago

The electronics are absolutely a killer difference. The mitus can actually turn off rather than just turn the screen off.

schneems 4y ago

Thanks! It reminds me of those black and white wheels you use to digitally encode rotation but stretched out linearly.

genpfault 4y ago
> those black and white wheels you use to digitally encode rotation Gray codes[1]? [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_code#Position_encoders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_code#Position_encoders
- schneems 4y ago
  Yep. That’s what I was thinking of.

jseutter 4y ago

I have one of the cheap calipers that needs new batteries every 3 months. It both sucks and is surprisingly useful for stuff around the house. I ended up buying a 20 pack of batteries and leave them sitting in the same drawer as the calipers so they're at hand when the current batteries inevitably die. The Mitutoyo's are definitely a better tool.

NegativeLatency 4y ago
I just take the battery out, been using the same one for like 3 years
- kurthr 4y ago
  Hahahaha... OMG I worry that calipers (that aren't in a machinists shop) are non-functional, if there isn't a battery taped to the side!
  - martyvis 4y ago
    it's why in the case for mine there are two holes in the foam for spare batteries
    - serf 4y ago
      I was OK with doing that for years and years until I bit the bullet and bought a pair of (current day) Mitutoyos. Now battery replacement is more on the order of 2 or 3 years under constant use, even with the occasional 'woops I left it on' slip-up -- almost on-par with my 90s solar Mitus'. I feel like the cash spent on replacing batteries in my 'crappy environment' calipers (usually harbor freight or equivalent brands) could've easily paid for keeping Mitutoyos in the bad environments, anyway.
      - CamperBob2 4y ago
        I used to turn my Mitutoyo off after using it, but eventually realized that it doesn't make enough difference to bother. If I leave it on, the battery is good for 2-3 years. If I turn it off, it will last for 5 or more years... but who cares, it's less trouble to change the battery every couple of years than it is to turn the caliper on and off every time I use it. It's one of those from-my-cold-dead-hands kinds of tools.

dheera 4y ago

> Mitutoyo verniers are too expensive for me to take apart https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=mitotuyo+non+working+digital+caliper https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m...

TheSpiceIsLife 4y ago

I was just having a laugh with a near-retirement fitter only yesterday about this: digital calipers are not vernier calipers. From Wikipedia: A vernier scale, named after Pierre Vernier, is a visual aid to take an accurate measurement reading between two graduation markings on a linear scale by using mechanical interpolation, thereby increasing resolution and reducing measurement uncertainty by using vernier acuity to reduce human estimation error.

kevin_thibedeau 4y ago

Mitsutoyo absolutes have a pattern that doesn't repeat. You can pull the battery and reinstall at any setting and all you lose is the zero offset correction.

regularfry 4y ago

Oddly enough I've got a cheap pair that is quite easy to accidentally trick into having a 5mm offset one way or the other. I was wondering what the mechanism was. But that doesn't match up with 10mm bars. Different pattern, or different logic?

ComputerGuru 4y ago

> They might also have slightly better electronics (some of these cheap verniers need a new battery every 3 months or so) or other differences. This is because the cheap ones never power off, only turn off the lcd. They can’t power down without losing the position/calibration because they need to be aware when they move to a different section.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

BuckyBeaver 4y ago

[dead]