A specialized rotary electrical transformer used to transmit the angular position of a shaft to remote indicators or control systems. It looks like a small AC motor but functions as an analog position sensor. When the rotor turns, it changes the magnetic coupling between the primary and secondary windings, producing a set of voltages that uniquely identify the shaft angle.
Heard on the job
Check the synchro on the antenna drive to see if it's feeding the right angle back to the control room.
Insider tip
Synchros are largely replaced by digital encoders in new designs, but remain common in legacy military and aviation equipment.
Also heard as
- autosyn
- selsyn