The resistance curve between detents decides whether people can count steps by feel alone

What it is

If the stretch between two steps is a shallow flat, turning them feels like sliding on sand, and the steps glue together. If each step is a clear climb–over–drop into a notch, the finger can count 1, 2, 3. The inter-detent resistance curve decides whether “having steps” becomes “being able to count.” Steps per turn is density; the curve is the shape of each step. Right density with a smeared curve still fails eyes-free counting.

Why it happens

A countable step needs rising resistance (a warning that a crossing is coming), a separable peak, and hysteresis into the notch so reverse does not stick at the same point. A peak that is too short is filtered by skin; a valley between peaks that is too shallow stacks two forces into a ripple rather than a counting pulse. A valley too deep and a peak too steep remain countable, but running three steps becomes a string of collisions and fast adjustment shatters. An asymmetric curve (easy clockwise, smeared counterclockwise) makes “down” harder to count than “up.” People count an event series, not mean torque: the same “heavy feel” can be a countable deep notch or peakless viscosity.

Studying it

Plot torque versus angle inside one step, mark peak height, valley depth, and peak width, then have people count eyes-covered.

Independent variables: peak-to-valley ratio, angular width of the peak, rise/fall symmetry, rotation speed. Dependent measures: counting error on short sequences (3–5 steps), missed counts on a fast run, whether reverse counting is symmetric.

A binary “has a clear detent” judgment mixes shallow ripples with countable pulses. Asking how many steps just passed is more direct than asking whether it is liked. Gloves eat low peaks first and should be the pass/fail for whether the curve clears the line.

Where it stops holding

Parameters that want continuous trim and no counting may prefer a flat, viscous curve; strong pulses are then noise. Electronic-detent curves are shaped by a current loop and warp with speed: countable when slow, ripple when flicked; a static curve is not the field. Wear shortens peaks and fills valleys; a new part that counts does not mean a year-old part counts. If the mechanical sound of a step is loud during music or a call, a curve can be countable in touch and unacceptable socially; split sound from torque.

Applying it

• Accept a curve on eyes-covered short-sequence counts, not on “it clicks.”
• Peaks must clear skin filtering in the target gloves; valleys must stay the same events on reverse.
• Fast runs across many steps want a narrow peak, not a wall on every crossing; precise 1–2 step counts may allow a steeper one.
• Verify: hide the readout, tens of “up three / down three” in both directions, score error. Then sweep a fast run of ten. Repeat in gloves and on a worn sample. If error concentrates on reverse or on speed, change that stretch of the curve, not the steps per turn.

Related

• Same group: C10.10.1 Detents per revolution cap the granularity a single turn can achieve · C10.10.2 Mechanical detents come from a physical pawl; electronic detents are motor-simulated, and they feel different · C10.10.3 Too little damping lets a knob turn by itself under vibration
• Adjacent: C10.02 Knobs and Continuous Adjustment · C10.08 Key Travel, Tactile Detent, and Confirmation
• Search: detent profile · torque curve · eyes-free counting