adccommunitymod (AutomationDirect) asked a question.
Sonic sensors
Created Date: December 16,2018
Created By: Tom@Pton
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i am using a sonic sensor to measure in a project. That beam spread is 8 degrees. Another I’ve looked at says it has a ‘wide’ spread. Can some one shed better light on wide?
Created Date: December 16,2018
Created by: Tom@Pton
UC4000-L2-I-V15 PEPPERL+Fuchs.
I figured they would be fairly narrow as another model similar to what I have is only 10.
Created Date: December 16,2018
Created by: Tom@Pton
The objects I’m looking at are moving wet potatoes which give a very poor surface to reflect from even when setting still.
Created Date: December 17,2018
Created by: Adisharr
Any chance you can set a detection window on the conveyor and just use the signal when something passes in front of it? Ultrasonics usually work better in 'background ' mode for the reason you mentioned.
EDIT: I just noticed you said 'measuring ' so that probably won't help at all. If you get misreads, I 've found averaging helps a lot. The line I used to use (Hyde Park - now Telemecanique) gave you access to a lot of the sensors internal parameters if you had the programming interface they sold for some models.
Created Date: December 17,2018
Created by: Tom@Pton
I’ve have averaging built into the CLICK program and am in the testing stage. Right now I’m taking five shots and averaging them. I’ll try 10 and see if that helps
Created Date: December 22,2018
Created by: z28z34man
I have used some sensors with time of flight lasers in them and have worked well
https://www.keyence.com/products/sensor/laser/lr-t/specs/index.jsp
Created Date: December 23,2018
Created by: ControlsGuy
I 've used that one before too, with pretty good results. Ifm has a laser for about half what I paid for the Keyence, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm presently commissioning a project with an ADC one that ran about $700 (about the same as the Keyence, more than the ifm), but it's got like a 100m range, so some of the ones that have a more reasonable range might be lower priced.
I'm kind of inclined to think that ultrasonic, which with the sensing cone is inherently more of a zone-sensitive device than point-sensitive, might be better suited to a target with a reflecting surface that's unpredictable in shape and reflecting quality, like I imagine a moving pile of potatoes.
Created Date: December 23,2018
Created by: ControlsGuy
Or, I don't like it as much as a point sensor mounted above and looking down, but you could use a analog light curtain looking horizontally or a series of photos mounted in a vertical line, also looking horizontally, either through beam or retroreflective against a reflector on the far side of the conveyor. That would give you height of the moving pile.
Created Date: December 24,2018
Created by: Tom@Pton
The company has other equipment that uses a single sonar device above the spuds in a similar? setup using hydraulics. Couple weeks before I get to try the latest version. I speeded up the sensing average and rounded the measurements to whole numbers. I don’t think I need 1/8” precision.
Created Date: December 16,2018
Created by: Adisharr
We need more details - who makes it? Part#? Is there a datasheet? Ultrasonics have a limited beam spread.
Created Date: December 16,2018
Created by: Tom@Pton
i am using a sonic sensor to measure in a project. That beam spread is 8 degrees. Another I’ve
looked at says it has a ‘wide’ spread. Can some one shed better light on wide?