Proximity sensors are common enough in automation projects that we hardly give them a second thought — pick something with specs that match the job and move on. But they can be fussy to get adjusted ...

A typical reflective object sensor consists of an infrared light emitter diode (IRED) and an NPN silicon phototransistor mounted side-by-side on parallel axes in a compact black plastic housing. The ...

Everyone is familiar with pinwheels, and few of us haven’t crafted one from a square of paper, a stick, and a pin. Pinwheels are pretty optimized from a design standpoint, and are so cheap and easy to ...

When you’re designing miniature optical switches, reflective sensors are your best friend. They streamline the interaction between humans and machines in an elegant and intuitive manner. These sensors ...

What's behind the target can make a tremendous difference in how well reflective sensors do their job. Consider a photoelectric sensor operating in simple diffused mode (i.e., as a proximity sensor).

Figure 1a shows a slotted optical switch. An LED is mounted in a plastic housing, facing a phototransistor, but separated by a gap. If something moves into the gap, it blocks the light path between ...

Electronic enthusiasts may be interested in a new open source infrared sensor which has been created to support both Raspberry Pi and Arduino powered projects. The IR Detector proximity sensor has ...

Inductive sensors are non-contact proximity sensors that detect ferrous targets, ideally ones made of mild steel thicker than one millimeter. They consist of four major components: a ferrite core with ...