Everything used to be better...
...could also be said of the PT170420 with background suppression, as the optical sensor has been offered by ipf electronic since 1997 and was already one of the high-end devices back then.
The setting of the mechanical background suppression, which works according to the triangulation principle, is simple: the converging lens in front of the receiver unit is continuously tilted via an adjusting screw, causing the light reflected by an object to hit one of two receivers (diodes) integrated in the device. Depending on which receiver generates an output signal (due to the impinging reflected light beam), it is possible to tell exactly whether the object is within the specified detection range or not. The focused light is evaluated with a precision of 1/10mm, almost independent of color.
The functional principle of the new PT190420 diffuse reflection laser sensor with background suppression in plastic housing (protection class IP67) has basically not changed. The tried and tested technology has been retained, but with one decisive difference: the power of the laser diode has been reduced to less than 1mW, which corresponds to laser class 1.
The laser beam is therefore harmless to the human eye as long as its cross-section is not reduced by optical aids. And yet the PT190420 achieves a switching distance of up to 300mm.
Range up to 5m
The latest additions to the family of laser class 1 devices from ipf electronic also include the PT230020, which provides a distance-proportional output signal of 4...20mA via an additional switching output.
This new product (degree of protection IP67 / IP69k) works according to the so-called Time-of-Flight principle, i.e. the Time-of-Flight measurement of a pulsed light pulse from the sensor transmitter to the receiver via a certain distance. A particular advantage of this method is that the range or switching distance of the laser sensor is largely independent of the reflective properties of an object surface. In particular, however, very high ranges of up to 5m can be realized with this laser sensor for distance measurements.
The new laser sensor can be set either via teach-in or via the integrated IO-Link interface.
The device achieves a repeat accuracy of 1.2mm over the entire distance. Both new solutions from ipf electronic are interchangeable due to the identical hole pattern. The M12 connector plug has also been retained, but is also rotatable by 270°, which further increases mounting flexibility.
