INDUCTIVE SENSOR FOR POWER SLIDING DOORS

A drive mechanism control system and method of operation are provided. The system includes a motor for rotating an output shaft about a primary central axis. The system also includes a powered drive mechanism including a rotatable component attached to the output shaft. The system also includes a coil and a target attached to the rotatable component and configured to have a fluctuating inductive coupling with the coil. The system additionally includes an electronic control unit coupled to the coil and configured to generate a magnetic field adjacent to the target using the coil. The electronic control unit senses a variation of the magnetic field due to the fluctuating inductive coupling with the target as the rotatable component is rotated. The electronic control unit is also configured to determine an absolute position of the rotatable component based on sensing the variation of the magnetic field.