Potentiometer confusion

[chaz]

I'm not sure why this confuses me but is there an easy way to remember how correlate pinout of a potentiometer / trimmer to schematic? I want to be able to look at a schematic and tell where pin 1, 2 and 3 go easily.

Is there a certain pin that always goes to ground? and what if you have a symmetrical power supply does this change things?

Thanks.

[LucifersTrip]

I'm not sure why this confuses me but is there an easy way to remember how correlate pinout of a potentiometer / trimmer to schematic? I want to be able to look at a schematic and tell where pin 1, 2 and 3 go easily.

Is there a certain pin that always goes to ground? and what if you have a symmetrical power supply does this change things?

Thanks.

here's how I remember:

[R.G.]

I never think of them as pins 1, 2, and 3. They are wiper, clockwise and counter-clockwise to me. This (for me, at least) completely sidesteps the issues I've run into with odd and non-standard kinds of potentiometers where the mechanical positions of the pins might not have much to do with where the wiper went when the shaft was turned (counter)clockwise.

This has the advantage of making schematics easier to dope out. For volume, for instance, you want the max volume when the knob is full clockwise. So CW is the inpu terminal, CCW is ground, and the output is on the wiper.

[chaz]

Awesome way to look at it! Thanks.

[Minion]

As a Volume controll I just look at the pot face on with the pins down and the left pin goes to ground .....