Ultrasound for object detection
February 2008
Sensors & Transducers
The UC4 is the new series of miniature ultrasonic sensors introduced by Sick Stegmann. They are designed for the detection of objects in limited space and with difficult surfaces, for example on printed circuit boards or solar cells. Their benefits accrue from compact design, cutting-edge technology and precise background suppression.
Since ultrasound is immune to optical interference, surface reflections off interfering contours do not lead to erroneous measurement. With the narrow ultrasonic lobe and a background suppression that can be accurately adjusted, the UC4 sensors are capable of reliably solving detection tasks that make high demands on precision.
The sensors are available in a variety of range and temperature compensation options. The low-end economy version offers a range up to 150 mm, while the more sophisticated designs can detect objects up to 250 mm away. All the devices are equipped with calibration functionality and a choice of NPN or PNP output switching, offer teach-in within a matter of seconds and are available in NPN and PNP design and with invertible additional operating modes such as window mode enable reflex switching operation.
The devices are packaged in a sugar-cube sized housing, designed for use in demanding applications.
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