Conveyor Sensors

More Information about Conveyor Sensors

Conveyor sensors also include technologies sensitive to ambient light, allowing them to function effectively in various environmental conditions. This is particularly important in outdoor applications or areas with fluctuating light conditions. The sensors must consistently perform well regardless of these changes to ensure uninterrupted operation of the conveyor system.

In addition, conveyor sensors offer various services like monitoring for slip or distance measurement. Slip monitoring ensures that the belt moves at the intended speed without any lag, which could indicate a mechanical issue. Distance measurement can be critical in applications where precise placement or spacing of products on the conveyor belt is required.

Modern conveyor sensors also come with features like alarms and the ability to download data for analysis, which can provide valuable information for optimizing the system's performance over time. These features help in early detection of potential issues, allowing for timely maintenance and adjustments to avoid downtime and improve efficiency.

Analog and Digital Control Signals: The Basics

Digital Signals

Digital signals are represented in either a true or false. There is no gray area with digital signals. An example of this might be a light switch. A light switch is either on or off. Another example of this might be a motor that is running or not running. Digital signals can be generated with both AC and DC circuits with varying voltages, currents and resistance. Some practical examples of using digital signals in an industrial environment might be if a pump is running or not running or a whether a valve is open or closed.

Analog Signals

Analog signals convey information in the form of a range. A light switch might be on or off as a digital signal, but a dimmer switch would be an analog signal. It can be on or off, but it can also be somewhere in between. A practical example of using analog signals in an industrial environment would be if there is a need to measure the level of a tank; whether it's full, empty or somewhere in between. Analog signals can take many different forms with some of the more common being a 4 to 20 milliamp signal or a 0 to 5 or 0 to 10 volt signal. 

Communication

Communication in a device can either be sent or received. Whether that data is sent or received depends on the type of information. Is there a need to monitor the status of something? If so, an input needs to be received about that information. Is there a need to control something? If so, an output needs to be sent about what needs to occur. Receiving inputs and setting outputs are both things that can be accomplished by using both digital and analog signal types. Therefore, the signals are referred to as analog outputs (AO), analog inputs (AI), digital inputs (DI) or digital outputs (DO).