Lecture 5

Optical Sensing
There are three main modes of optical sensing used in industrial automation: Opposed Mode

Retro reflecting Mode

Diffuse Mode

Opposed Mode
How it Works:
The sensor's emitter and receiver are housed in two separate units. The emitter is placed opposite the receiver. Light passes directly from the emitter to the receiver. An object is detected when it breaks the working part of the light beam, known as the effective beam.

Opposed Mode
Pros: Reliability:
Most reliable sensing mode.
Should be used whenever possible.

Opposed-mode sensing offers The highest level of sensing energy to overcome Contamination in the environment Sensor misalignment from shock and vibration

Opposed Mode
Pros: High Excess Gain
As light beam goes directly from the emitter to the receiver, this means that opposed-mode sensors have high excess gain. Opposed-mode sensing offers much higher excess gain making them ideal in areas of high optical attenuation. High excess gain is great for applications that need: Long range sensing Sensing through heavy dirt, dust, mist, condensation, oil, film, etc. Precise position sensing Small part detection using lens apertures

Opposed Mode
Pros: Impervious to Surface Reflectivity
It doesn't matter how shiny or dark object is, or even what color. The object must physically pass between the emitter and the receiver in order to be detected. Variables such as surface reflectivity, color, and finish don't affect opposed-mode sensing. The object either "breaks" or interrupts the effective beam, or it doesn't.

Pros: Parts counting:

For accurate counting of parts.

Opposed Mode
Cons: Clear Materials
In order to be detected, an object must be able to block the effective beam. Therefore, opposed-mode sensing should be avoided for the detection of translucent or transparent objects.

Cons: High Excess Gain at Short Range

Some opposed-mode sensors can "burn through" materials like paper, cloth, or plastics. It can be difficult to set a sensitivity control operating point on opposed-mode sensors for the same reason that opposed mode offers the best sensing contrast: too much excess gain.

Opposed Mode
Application - Sorting Letters Objective: To separate air mail letters (by height) from other parcels in an automated airfreight operation.
Three vertical opposed beams are spaced across the width of the roller conveyor, so that one or more of the beams is interrupted by any passing parcel. The fourth opposed beam is positioned horizontally across the width of the conveyor, to inspect each parcel for height. If a parcel slips under the height inspection beam, the diverter mechanism is energized.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

How it Works?
Unlike an opposed-mode sensor, a retro reflective sensor contains both the emitter and receiver elements. The effective beam is established between the emitter, the retro reflector, and the receiver. As with an opposed-mode sensor, an object is sensed when it interrupts or "breaks" the effective beam.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Most retro reflectors are made up of many small corner-cube prisms. A light beam enters a corner cube prism through its hypotenuse face and is reflected from the three surfaces. In this way, the retro reflector returns the light beam to its source.

Most corner-cube retro reflectors resemble bicycle reflectors, and are molded using clear acrylic plastic, manufactured in various sizes, shapes, and colors.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Pros: Reliable Sensing:

If an opposed-mode sensor is not an option, then a retroreflective-mode sensor may be a good second choice. Retroreflective mode sensors offer relatively long ranges. Retroreflective sensing is a beam-break mode. It is generally not dependant upon the reflectivity of the object to be detected. For this reason, the retroreflective mode is a relatively reliable sensing mode.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Pros: Convenience:
A retroreflective-mode sensor offers a convenient alternative to opposed mode when sensing is possible only from one side, or if electrical connections are only possible on one side.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Cons: Less Excess Gain
Retroreflective-mode sensors lose excess gain twice as fast as opposed-mode sensors, due to dirt build-up on both the retroreflector and the sensor lenses. This is because the light travels through four lenses, once from the emitter to the retroreflector and back from the retroreflector to the receiver. There is also much less available excess gain in a retroreflective mode sensing beam, due to the inefficiencies of the retroreflector and because the light must travel twice as far to reach the receiver, as compared to the opposed mode.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Cons: Effective Beam:
It is difficult to create a small effective beam with a retroreflective mode sensor, so avoid using this mode for detecting small objects or for precise positioning control.
Many companies does offer a few select retroreflective sensors that have an effective beam of less than 1 inch.

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Cons: Clear Materials
An object must interrupt the beam to be detected. As with opposed mode, it is not recommended that you use a retroreflective mode sensor to detect transparent or translucent objects.

Cons: Shiny Materials

The optics of a good quality retroreflective sensor are designed and assembled with great care to minimize "proxing".

Retro reflective Mode Sensing

Cons: Blind Spot at Close Range
Most retroreflective sensors are designed for long-range sensing, and suffer a "blind spot" at close range.

Diffuse Sensing
How It Works?

In diffuse-mode sensing, light emitted from the sensor strikes the surface of the object to be detected and is diffused back, sending some light back to the receiver, which is usually housed with the emitter.

With a diffuse-mode sensor, the object is detected when it "makes" the beam, that is, the object reflects the sensors transmitted light energy back to the sensor.

Diffuse Sensing
Pros: Convenience
Diffuse-mode sensors have only one item to be mounted: the sensor itself. This is ideal for situations where a sensor can be mounted only on one side.

Pros: Conveyors A diffuse mode sensor may be used if an opposed or retroreflective-mode sensor isn't practical in a straightforward product presence sensing application.

Diffuse Sensing
Cons: Background Objects
If the background is more reflective than the object to be detected, more clearance will be required.
If the background is not controllable, consider the use of a background suppression sensor.

Glossary Terms
What is High Excess Gain? The measurement of the amount of light falling on the receiver of a sensing system over and above the minimum amount of light required to just operate the sensors amplifier. What is Optical Attenuation? Lessening or loss of signal intensity during transmission. What is aperture? The aperture refers to the size of a lens opening which can sometimes be reduced by using a mechanical part attached to a lens used to restrict the size of the opening. Effective Beam: The "working" part of a photoelectric beam. Aperturing for Small Parts: If the object doesnt completely block the effective beam, it runs the risk of not being detected. One can compensate for this by using apertures or lenses to shape the effective beam to match your parts profile.

Surface Reflectivity: A measure of the efficiency of any material surface as a reflector of light, as compared to a Kodak white test card, which is arbitrarily rated at 90% reflectivity.