What is a Sensor?

Industrial sensors
In the world of instrumentation and process control, we define a Sensor as
a device that detects changes in physical, electrical, or chemical properties
and produces an electrical output in response to that change.
Types of sensors
What are the typical physical properties that sensors are detecting? Let’s
name a few…Level, Temperature, Flow, Pressure, Speed, and Position &
Vibration.

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Classification of sensors
From a process control perspective, we can classify sensors as either
Passive or Active. 

Active sensors
A Thermocouple is an Active Sensor as it does not require any external
power supply to operate.
As a thermocouple is exposed to an increase in temperature, it will develop
an increasing voltage across it.

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Another example of an Active sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

Passive sensors
A Passive Sensor requires an external source of power to operate while an
Active Sensor does not.
A Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) is a Passive Sensor. It is a
device that’s resistance will change with a change in temperature. To take
advantage of this change in resistance, an external supply, or an excitation
circuit is required to produce a change in voltage.

Another example of a Passive sensor is a Strain Gauge.

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Sensors in the industry
Let’s discuss how they are used in the industry.
Almost every sensor used in process control will be connected to a
Transmitter because a sensor’s output needs to be conditioned or
amplified.
Here’s an example…We’ve already talked about a thermocouple and the
voltage output created when it is heated. Unfortunately, the voltage output
of a thermocouple is minuscule (Extremely small)!
In our example, the thermocouple will produce a voltage output from 8
mV to 18 mV over a 450 degree Fahrenheit change in temperature!
In-process control, we condition that 8mV to 18mV thermocouple voltage
and convert it to a 4 mA to 20 mA industry-standard signal that represents
our controlled temperature range.

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Photoelectric Sensor
A Photoelectric Sensor is a device that uses light to detect the presence or
absence of an object. There are three main types of Photoelectric Sensors:
Through-Beam, Retroreflective, and Diffused.
Photoelectric sensor applications
Photoelectric Sensors can be used in many different ways and industries.
For example, they can be used to detect objects or the orientation of an
object on a production line, they can be used to count, and they can also be
used to stop an automatic closing door.

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They can be used to detect most materials like metal, plastic, and wood.
They can even detect clear items like glass, plastic, and liquids depending
on what type of sensor it is.

Photoelectric sensor working principle

The basic operation of a Photoelectric Sensor is, the sensor sends out a
light beam from the part of the sensor called the emitter, and this light

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beam travels to the part of the sensor that collects the light called the
receiver.

Types of photoelectric sensors

Depending on the type of sensor, the light can travel directly to the
sensor’s receiver or can travel to a reflector or the object and then back to
the receiver. We will go over this in more detail as we explain each of the
photoelectric sensor types.

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1) Through-beam photoelectric sensor
First, we will talk about the Through-Beam Photoelectric Sensor type.
Through-Beam sensors have the emitter and the receiver in their own
separate component.
For the Through-Beam sensor to work, the emitter and receiver have to be
pointed at each other and be aligned.
When they are aligned and nothing is blocking the light, the output of the
sensor will be on.
If you put something between the emitter and receiver to block the light,
the output of the sensor will turn off.

The sensor’s output is the signal from the sensor to the PLC. Depending
on the sensor, the output can be a positive signal or a negative signal.
The type of sensor output signal you will use depends on what type of
PLC input card the sensor is connected to.
For example,
– If the sensor is PNP, meaning it has a positive output signal, the sensor’s
output wire will have to be connected to a sinking input card.
– If the sensor is NPN the output signal is negative and the output wire
will need to be connected to a sourcing input card.

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If you would like more information on sinking, sourcing, PNP, and NPN
check out our article titled Sinking and Sourcing PLC Inputs | What is
the Difference?.

Light-on / dark-on mode

Some Photoelectric Sensors have a light-on, dark-on mode selector switch.
With this switch, you can change when the sensor’s output turns on and
off.

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– In light-on mode, the sensor’s output will be on when the light can reach
the receiver, and off when the light is blocked and is not reaching the
receiver.
– In the dark-on mode, the sensor’s output will be on when the light is
being blocked and not reaching the receiver, and off when the light is
reaching the receiver.

Detection range
Through-Beam Photoelectric sensors have a longer detection range than
Retroreflective and Diffused Photoelectric Sensors. This is because the
light only has to travel in one direction to get from the emitter to the
receiver.

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Some disadvantages of using a Through-Beam sensor compared to using a
Retroreflective or Diffused sensor are they cost a little more, they require
more room to mount correctly, and they do not detect thin clear objects
well.
Through-Beam sensors cost more because they have two components that
require two cables and two mounts, this is also why they take up more
space.
They do not detect thin clear objects because the light can travel straight
through the object to the receiver.

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2) Retroreflective photoelectric sensor
Retroreflective Photoelectric Sensors have the emitter and receiver
together in the same component.
For the Retroreflective Sensor to work, the sensor’s emitter needs to be
pointed at a reflector and aligned, so the light travels from the sensor’s
emitter to the reflector and then bounces back to the sensor’s receiver.
The Retroreflective sensor output works the same as the Through-Beam
sensor output. The output is on if the light is not blocked and the output is
off if the light is blocked.

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Retroreflective Sensors can also have a light-on, dark-on mode selector
switch to change when the sensor’s output turns on.

Retroreflective sensors have a shorter detection range compared to

Through-Beam sensors. This is because the light has to travel to a reflector
and then back to the sensor instead of just traveling straight to the receiver.

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Some disadvantages of using a Retroreflective sensor are you have to
install the sensor with a reflector, if the object is shiny it might turn on the
sensor’s output instead of the reflector, and the light beam is not as
focused as a Through-Beam sensor’s light beam.
If the object is shiny, you can try adjusting the angle of the sensor and
reflector compared to the object.

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3) Diffused photoelectric sensor
Diffused Photoelectric Sensors have the emitter and receiver together in
the same component.
For the Diffused sensor to work, the sensor’s emitter needs to be pointed at
an object so the light travels from the sensor’s emitter to the object and
then bounces back to the sensor’s receiver.
The Diffused sensor output works the same as the Through-Beam and
Retroreflective sensor outputs.

Diffused Sensors can also have a light-on, dark-on mode selector switch to
change when the sensor’s output turns on.

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The main disadvantage of using a Diffused Sensor is it has the shortest
detection range of the three sensors. Because depending on the object’s
shape, size, and color it might not reflect light very well back to the
sensor’s receiver.

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