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Issue link: https://adp.epubxp.com/i/830145
www.ADandP.media packaging and electronics. Sensor housings have shrunk from the size of a person's fist to half the length of one's pinkie finger. Light sources now include light emitting diodes (LED) producing visible red or invisible infrared light as well as laser light. Laser sensors with a 16.5-foot range are commonplace. Last, as with all electronic devices, photoelectric sensors now come with "smarts," enough so to quickly calculate distance (position) and light intensity (contrast), thereby improving sensor accuracy. For example, the microScan3 Core from SICK ( sickusa.com ) is a compact safety laser scanner that can detect objects up to 18 feet and within a 275 degree scanning angle. The scanner features SICK's own safeHDDM (high definition distance measurement) scanning technology, which is based on the time-of- flight measurements of laser pulses; distance is calculated by the delay time from when the sensor transmits a pulse beam and when that beam, reflected by the object being detected, is received. The multi-pulse is around 80,000 pulses in each scan, which is about 160 times more than in conventional scanners. Moreover, the laser pulses are coded by a time delay of a few nanoseconds. Altogether, safeHDDM effectively filters out dust, ambient light, weld sparks, cross talk, and other obstacles to scan accuracy. It can even recognize objects with a remission of 1.8 percent, such as black pants. The scanner includes pushbutton diagnostics, which simplifies setup and troubleshooting, and a multicolored display indicating operating status. The entire unit is in a light metal die-cast housing (read durable). Semiconductor technology, says Bethany Dunich, content marketing manager for Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Company of America ( na.industrial.panasonic.com ), "allows for the development of thermopile sensors made up of hundreds of thermocouples over several square millimeters. These sensors provide faster response time, are reasonably priced, and are accurate and small." This is The AMG88 Series Grid-EYE Sensor from Panasonic is a tiny SMD—11.6mm x 8mm x 4.3mm—yet this uncooled IR sensor can detect people up to 7 m away. Silicon Lens • Image Formation IR Detector • 8 x 8 Pixels • Thermal Insulation Structure Using MEMS Technology • Infrared Absorption • Thermoelectric Conversion Ceramic Package • Air Tight • Radio Shielded • Reflow Available Mixed Signal Processing IC • 64-Pixel Signal Readout • Analog Amplification • Analog to Digital Conversion • Sensitivity Correction • Correction for Temperature Effects • Digital Communication GRID-EYE FEATURES 37 AD&P; ∕ JUNE 2017 SAFETY