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Photoelectric sensors, also called photoeyes, are used to detect the distance, absence or presence of an object by using a light transmitter and a photoelectric receiver.

There are three main types of photoelectric light systems; through beam, retroreflective and diffused.

A through-beam photoelectric light sensor has a receiver and a transmitter. An object is detected when the light beam is blocked from getting to the receiver from the transmitter.

With retroreflective photoelectric sensors the transmitter and receiver are one unit and use a reflector to bounce the light beam back to the transmitter. The object is sensed when the beam is interrupted and fails to reach the receiver.

Diffused photoelectric systems uses the object to transmit the signal back to the reciever. The object is detected when the receiver sees the transmitted source (rather than when it fails to see it).

Marshall Wolf Automation specializes in photoelectric systems and is an industrial automation distributor for all the top lines!

We are Pepperl + Fuchs distributors plus carry IDEC, Baumer Electric, Carlo Gavazzi sensors, SUNX and Visolux sensors.

View our entire offering of Photoelectric Lights Sensors here!