Glossary · Sensors and measurement
Optical sensor
Also known as: Optoelectronic sensor
German: Optischer Sensor
In sensor technology, an optical sensor is a sensor that uses light, visible, infrared or ultraviolet, to detect objects or measure quantities such as distance, color, position, temperature or concentration.
- Sensors
In one sentence
An optical sensor uses visible, infrared or ultraviolet light to detect objects or measure quantities like distance, color or temperature.
Example
An optical color sensor checks that the correct cap color is fitted before bottles are packed.
How it applies
- Engineering: Optical sensors include photoelectric sensors, light barriers, laser distance sensors, color and contrast sensors, vision sensors, pyrometers and optical analyzers. They work without contact and are fast but sensitive to dirt, fog and ambient light.
- Maintenance: Clean optics regularly; contamination is the most common cause of malfunction. Many devices provide a signal reserve or contamination warning.
- Safety: Sensors with lasers or high-intensity light sources need a classification and the corresponding warnings.
- Documentation: Include cleaning procedures and suitable cleaning agents in the maintenance manual; aggressive agents can damage plastic lenses.
Optical sensor vs. photoelectric sensor
Optical sensor is the broad category. A Photoelectric sensor is the specific kind that detects objects with an emitted light beam, such as light barriers and diffuse sensors.