Abstract: An optical position measuring instrument including a first scale having a first graduation, wherein the first scale is disposed movable in a first measuring direction, and at a first defined position in the first measuring direction, the first scale includes a spatially limited first marking that differs from the first graduation. The optical position measuring instrument further including a second scale having a second graduation, wherein the second scale is disposed movable in a second measuring direction, and at a second defined position, the second scale includes a second reference marking that is usable for generating at least one reference signal at a reference position of the second scale only if the first scale is located in the first defined position.

Abstract: A device for interferential distance measurement that includes a measurement reflector having a surface and a light source emitting a beam parallel to the surface. The device includes a splitter element including a splitter grating that is disposed perpendicular to the surface, wherein the splitter grating receives the beam and splits the beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, wherein the measurement beam acts at least twice upon the measurement reflector along a path of the measurement beam. The device including a combining element, at which the measurement beam and the reference beam enter into interferential superposition to form interfering measurement and reference beams. The device further includes a detector arrangement, by way of which a scanning signal pertaining to a distance between the measurement reflector and a component of said device in a measuring direction can be generated from the interfering measurement and reference beams.

Abstract: A position-measuring device, as well as a system having such a position-measuring device, is used for determining the position of a first object relative to a second object, the first and the second object being movable relative to one another along at least two measuring directions. The position-measuring device has an optical unit that is linked to one of the two objects and includes at least one light source, a detector system, as well as further optical elements in a defined configuration. In addition, the position-measuring device includes a measuring standard-reflector unit, which is provided on the other object, and has at least two differently formed regions in one track that are optically scannable by the optical unit for position sensing.

Abstract: An interferometric distance measurement device that includes a light source that emits a beam of light and a scanning unit. The scanning unit includes a scanning plate having-a splitter that splits the beam of light into a measurement beam and a reference beam, wherein the reference beam is propagated solely within the scanning plate before reaching interferential superposition with the measurement beam at a unification site. A reflector is provided, wherein the reflector is embodied such that the measurement beam striking the reflector undergoes retroreflection in a direction regardless of any possible relative tilting of the scanning unit and of the reflector downstream of the unification site. A detector arrangement is provided in which a distance signal relating to a distance between the scanning plate and the reflector is detectable from interference between the measurement beam and the reference beam.

Abstract: An optical position-measuring device includes a scanning bar extending in a first or second direction, and a scale extending in the other direction. The scale is offset by a scanning distance from the scanning bar in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The device has a light source whose light penetrates the scanning bar at an intersection point of the scanning bar and scale to fall on the scale and arrive back at the scanning bar. At a detector, the light is split by diffraction into different partial beams at optically effective structures of the scanning bar and scale and combined again. A periodic signal is obtained in the detector in response to: a shift between the scanning bar and scale in the first direction due to interference of combined partial beams, and a change in the scanning distance between the scanning bar and scale.