Subscribe

DigitalEdition

Advertise

ContactUs

RSS

REGISTER LOGIN
MachineDesign
Technologies

News

Markets

Community

LearningResources

HOME > TECHNOLOGIES > SENSORS > SORTING OUT SENSORS

SortingOutSensors
Herearesomesimpleguidelinesforselectingproximity,capacitance,and
photoelectricsensorsformachineautomationapplications.
AndrewWaugh,AutomationDirect|MachineDesign
SHARE

Tweet

Recommend

Jun26,2015
6

COMMENTS 0

EMAIL

Downloadthisarticlein.PDFformat
Thisfiletypeincludeshighresolutiongraphicsandschematicswhenapplicable.

Proximity,capacitance,andphotoelectricsensorsplayanimportantroleintherobust
controlofindustrialmachines.Toselectthepropersensorforagivenjob,engineers

Companies

PartSearch

shouldstartwithaclearunderstandingoftheapplicationrequirements,sensor
specifications,andinstallationdemands.Heresalookattheimportanceoffactorslike
sensingdistance,environmentaleffects,connectivityconcerns,andmountingoptions.

TopArticles
1. QuantumDotsFindTheirWayinto
EverydayTech
2. MachineDesignsProductsofthe
Week(12/1412/21)
3. ThePast,Present,andFutureof
Springs
4. WhatstheDifferenceBetweena
PumpandaCompressor?
5. ThingExplainerBookBreaksDown
ScienceUsingCommonWords

Commentaries and Blogs

ThingExplainerBookBreaksDown
ScienceUsingCommonWords
byCarlosGonzalez
Posted5daysago
inEngineersAssemble!

IntheIoT,HowstheWeather?Becomes
MorethanSmallTalk
byJeffKerns
Posted2weeksago
inEfficientEngineering

4SolarPowerPredictionsfor2016
byStephenMraz
Posted2weeksago
inASkepticalEngineer

Proximity,capacitive,andphotoelectricsensorsareavailableinavarietyofformfactors.

SensingBasics
Allsensorapplicationshavecertainspecificneeds,andagoodplacetostartwhen
selectingasensoristoreviewbasicsensorselectioncriteria.Usersneedtodetermine:

Signuptoreceiveourfreenewsletters

Targetsthesensormustdetect

MotionMonitorNewsletter(Monthly)
ViewSample

Objectsandbackgroundsthesensormustnotdetect

TechInsider(Monthly)ViewSample

Thebestsensingtechnologyfordetectingonlythetargets

MechanicalMonthly(Monthly)View
Sample

Availablemountingspaceandrestraints

CAD/CAM/CAEMonthlyNewsletter
(Monthly)ViewSample

Sensorformfactor

MotorsMonthlyNewsletter(Monthly)
ViewSample

Electricalrequirements

MaterialsMonthlyNewsletter
(Weekly)ViewSample

Cablingrequirements

SensorSenseNewsletter(Monthly)
ViewSample

Mountingrequirements(see"SensorMountingConsiderations")
Engineersmustfirstunderstandandidentifytargetsandbackgrounds.Targetsarethe
objects,parts,inkmarks,oremptyspacesthesensormustdetect.Backgroundsare
everythingelsethatshouldnotbedetected,andsometimestakethesameformasthe
aforementionedtargets.Forexample,thetargetcouldbeabrowncardboardbox
travelingonaconveyor,whilethebackgroundmightbeanemptyspaceoraworker
walkingnexttotheconveyor.

Electrical&ElectronicMonthly
Newsletter(Monthly)ViewSample
ProductSpotlight(Monthly)View
Sample
Fastening&JoiningMonthly(Monthly)
ViewSample
3DPrinting360(TwiceMonthly)View
Sample
EMAIL*

RELATED

InductiveLinearPositionSensorHandlesOffRoadChallenges
SensorSense:RFIDforSmartPositionSensing
SensorSense:PositionAlignmentUsingVisionSensors
Next,selectthebesttypeofsensorthatdetectsthetargetwhileignoringthebackground.
Theinstallationenvironmentandotherconstraintsmayaffectthisdecision.

COUNTRY*

UnitedStates

Enteryouremailabovetoreceivemessagesabout
offeringsbyPenton,itsbrands,affiliatesand/orthird
partypartners,consistentwithPentonsPrivacyPolicy.

Keydifferencesinsensingtechnologydriveselectionasengineersmustconsiderwhatis
sensedandhowitisbeingsensed.Sensingdistanceandenvironmentaleffectsalsohelp
determinethefinalchoiceofsensor.
ProximitySensors
Inductiveproximitysensorsgenerateamagneticfieldfromaninductivecoil,whichis
disturbedwhenaferroustargetispresent.Standardinductivesensorsonlydetectferrous
objects,buttheydosoconsistentlyandrepeatablywithlittleinterferencefromambient
elements.Unfortunately,thesesensorsonlydetectmetalandsomemetals,suchas
stainlesssteel,reducesensingdistance.

DesignEngineering
Essentials
TheEssentialsofCAD/CAM/CAE
TheEssentialsofElectronicsandElectrical
Equipment
TheEssentialsofFastening,Joiningand
Assembly
TheEssentialsofFluidPower
Thisinductiveproximityswitchdetectsthepositionofanaccessgateandisntaffectedbyenvironmental
conditions.

Proximitysensorshavesensingrangesfrom<1to120mm,withlongerrangesrequiring

TheEssentialsofMaterialSelection
TheEssentialsofMotionControl

largersensors.Forexample,sensorswithasensingrangeof2to25mmaresuppliedin8
to30mmdiameterhousings,respectively.
PhotoelectricSensors
Photoelectricsensorsuselighttodetectobjects.Theyemitandreceivelightatcertain
wavelengths:infrared,visiblered,orlaserlight.Theemitterandreceivermaybeinone
housing(commonindiffuseandretroreflectiveconfigurations)orintwoseparate
housings(commoninthroughbeamconfigurations).Photoelectricsensingisquite
versatile,asthesesensorscandetectverysmallobjectsmadeofmanydifferentmaterial
typesatconsiderabledistances.
However,photoelectricsensorscanbeinfluencedbyambientconditions,andmany
requireprogrammingduringinstallationtooptimizeoperation.Thesesensorsarethe
mostsensitivetodirtanddebris,whichcancausefalsetriggersbyinterferingwiththe
operationoftheemitterandreceiver.

TheEssentialsofMechanicalSystems
Designatronics
XylemInc.
Wittenstein

ConnectWithUs

TwitterFacebook
LinkedIn
RSS

Withuptofourmetersensingdistance,thisrectangular,polarizedreflective,photoelectricsensorisareliable
optionforsensingpartsonaconveyor.

Ontheotherhand,photoelectricsensorshavethebroadestsensingrange.Withlaserlight
theycandetectobjectsjustafewmicronsthick.Aphotoelectriclasersensorcanalsobe
configuredtodetectatargetwhetherpositionedclosetoorfarfromthetarget,duetothe
powerofafocusedlaserbeam.Lessexpensiveinfraredandvisibleredphotoelectric
sensorshavesensingrangesfrom100mmwithdiffusebeam,andupto50mwith
throughbeam.
CapacitiveSensors
Capacitivesensorsessentiallylookforthedielectricordensityinasensingarea.Theycan
detectalmostanyobject,butfarebetterwithhighdensityobjects.Capacitivesensorsare
idealforsensinglevelsofliquidsorbulkdrymaterials.Theswitchingthresholdcanbe
adjustedtotuneoutitemsthatshouldnotbedetectedaplastictankwallora

cardboardbox,forexample.Thesesensorscanbeinfluencedbyambientmaterialsand
havearelativelysmallsensingrange.
Capacitivesensorsgenerallyhavesensingrangeslessthan60mm,althoughthisdistance
isstronglyinfluencedbythetargetsdielectricvalue.

Properadjustmentofthiscapacitivesensorprovidesreliableliquidleveldetectioninthischemicaldispense
application.

ConnectionOptions
SensorscommonlyconnecttocontrollerssuchasPLCsorPLCbasedPACs.Electrically,
mostmodernsensorsuselowvoltagedccontrolpower,typically24Vdc120Vacisalso
available.Discretesensorsprimarilyprovidesolidstatepositivetonegative(PNP)or
negativetopositive(NPN)switchingoutputs,andanalogsensorscommonlyhave0to
10Vor4to20mAoutputs.

Mostsensorsrequireaspecificswitchingtype,eitherPNPorNPN.However,somesensors
canbemodifiedforeithertype,aswellasforotheroptions.Thesesensorslet
programming,switchconfiguration,orwiringofthedevicedeterminetheswitchingtype
atthetimeofinstallation.Similaroptionsareavailablefornormallyopenandclosed
switchingstates.
Whethertheconnectionistothesensororaphotoelectricsensoramplifier,avarietyof
cablingoptionsareavailable.Prewiredcableshavethecablemoldedintothesensor.This
usuallyistheleastexpensiveoptionandsimplifiespurchasing.Anotherbenefitisthe
moldedcableworkswellwithsmallsensorsasitpermitsmountingintightspaces.
However,prewiredcablesarerestrictedtoavailablelengthsforthemostpart,
approximately2to5meters.Whenthesensorfails,thecablemustbererunandsecured,
increasinginstallationtime.
Quickdisconnectcableshavebecomeanextremelypopularchoice.Thesecableslet
techniciansaddacable,ofanylengthormaterial,independentofthesensor.Once
installed,changingfailedsensorsisquickandsimple.Butwhilequickdisconnectcable
optionsareplentiful,theycanaddcostandcomplicatethepurchasingprocess.
Quickdisconnectplugsarebecominganindustrystandard.Precut2to15mlength
cablesaretypicallyavailableinaxialandrightangleconfigurations,withM8orM12size
screwlockconnectorsononeendandflyingleadsattheotherend.Regardlessofthe
sensorselected,thespecifiedcablemustworkwiththeelectricalconfigurationofthe
sensor.Forexample,M8andM12connectorscommonlycomein3and4pole
configurationsforsensors.Thenumberofpinsmustalsobecarefullyspecified.
ApplicationGuidelines
Whenproperlyspecified,mostsensorscanfunctioninavarietyofapplications.However,
althoughthereismuchoverlapinsensorapplication,therearecaseswhereonesensor
technologyworksbetterthantheothers.
Forexample,sensingendoftravelofapneumaticormotordrivenactuatorandsensing
metalobjectsarecommonapplicationsforaninductiveproximityswitch.Oncea
premiumproduct,thesesimpleandrobustdevicesaresomeofthemostcommonlyused

todayduetomorecompetitivepricing.Ifthereisaferroustargetwithinaclosedistance,
theinductiveproximitysensoristhebestchoiceduetoitsruggeddesignandminimal
effectsfromoutsideinfluence.Commonusesincludedetectingpresenceofametalpart,
conveyorpallet,orgearteethordetectingactuatormovementandhomeposition.

Photoelectricsensorsareversatilesensorswhichworkwellinawiderangeof
applications.Commonusesincludesensingpartpresenceinafixtureorsensingpartson
aconveyor.Usingtheprecisionofalaser,evensmallprintedcircuitboardcomponents
canbedetected.Itisalsopossibletomeasureheightofanobjectfrommetersaway.
Detectingprintmarksonahighspeedlabelingmachineorcountingbottlesonafilling
linearecommonusesforstandardphotoelectricsensors.However,placingthesensor
underwaterorwhereitmaybesplashedwithoilorprocessfluidcancausesensing
issues.
Akeyfeatureofcapacitivesensorsistheabilitytoseethroughpaper,plastic,and
cardboardboxes.Thesesensorscanalsosenseliquidpresence,ordetectanobject
travelingthroughaliquid.Countingmachinedbrassfittingspassingthesensorwhile
submergedincuttingfluidisfeasiblewithacapacitivesensor,butnotwithothertypes.
Thisadjustabilitypermitsdetectionofavarietyofliquidandsolids,includingwater,oil,
chemicals,powders,andgrains.

Sensingliquidlevelthroughtankwalls,sightglasses,orinamountingwellforbothhigh
andlowlevelareotherprimaryapplicationsforcapacitivesensors.Whenmounted
closelyenough,thecapacitivesensorcanalsodetectfilllevelinboxesoropaquebottles.
Downloadthisarticlein.PDFformat
Thisfiletypeincludeshighresolutiongraphicsandschematicswhenapplicable.

Eachofthesesensingtechnologiesaffectssensingrange(distance).Whilealonger
sensingrangemayseemlikeabetterchoice,considertheapplicationcarefullyto
minimizefalsetriggeringofasensor.
AndrewWaughisSafetyandSensorProductManageratAutomationDirect,
Cumming,Ga.

SHARE

Tweet

Recommend

PleaseLogInorRegistertopostcomments.

Related Articles
InductiveLinearPositionSensorHandlesOffRoadChallenges
SensorSense:RFIDforsmartpositionsensing
SensorSense:Positionalignmentusingvisionsensors
PracticalTipsforSpecifyingSensors
2015EngineeringCompensationSurvey:FacingNewChallengesinaChangingIndustry

Search Parts
G0

poweredby:

MachineDesign.com
Technologies News Markets Community LearningResources Companies PartSearch

Site Features

Penton Corporate

RSS

AboutUs

Sitemap

ContactUs

SiteArchive

PrivacyPolicy

Newsletter

TermsofService

ViewMobileSite

Follow Us

Search MachineDesign.com

Design, Engineering & Sourcing Related Websites

ElectronicDesign SourceESB Microwaves&RF PowerElectronics Hydraulics&Pneumatics MedicalDesign EngineeringTV
DefenseElectronics GlobalPurchasing ElectronicDesignEurope

Copyright2015Penton