Abstract: A method of inputting one or more items of information to a data destination (21). The method comprises generating the item(s) of information at one or more data sources (25-28); and for each item of information transmitting the item of information to the data destination in a data packet; calculating a time stamp value in accordance with the time delay between generating the item of information and transmitting the data packet; encoding the time stamp value in the data packet; decoding the data packet at the data destination to retrieve the time stamp value; and calculating the time delay associated with the data packet in accordance with the retrieved time stamp value.

Abstract: A method of transmitting items of information from a plurality of data sources (25-28) to a data destination (9) over a common data channel.

Abstract: A rotor position encoder is provided for an electrical machine having a rotor and a stator, the encoder including a coded disc having teeth of widths that vary in a repeating sequence and being arranged to rotate with the rotor past a sensor which outputs a signal corresponding to the coded sequence. By comparing the coded signal with an internally generated signal the position of the rotor can be determined at a first resolution level. In addition, a counter is enabled as each tooth is sensed and provides a second output signal at a higher resolution level indicative of the rotor position between successive teeth. For a multi-phase machine, a value representative of the rotor position relative to each phase is combined with the value representative of the incremental position common to all phases. High resolution rotor position encoding with simplified logic is thus provided.