New laser triangulation sensor incorporates shock and vibration resistance for use in process automation applications and provides high performance in a compact design.
Micro-Epsilon has added the optoNCDT 1900-EtherCAT to its range of laser triangulation sensors with an integrated EtherCAT interface for direct connection to industrial controllers, eliminating the need for an external interface module.
Signal conversion takes place directly in the sensor without loss of speed and with full performance. After rebooting in EtherCAT mode, all the sensor settings are automatically applied to the TwinCAT software, which means time consuming settings made directly in TwinCAT are no longer necessary. Less experienced TwinCAT users are able therefore to quickly integrate the sensor into the EtherCAT control unit.
For very fast measurements, that would normally be limited by the PLC’s cycle time, an oversampling function can be activated in the sensor, allowing measurement data to be transferred four times faster than the cycle time of the PLC (up to a maximum of 10 kHz). For a PLC with a 1 ms cycle time, this means a possible sensor measuring rate of 4 kHz. For this purpose, the data is temporarily stored by the sensor and only transmitted with the next query cycle.
According to Glenn Wedgbrow, Business Development Manager at Micro-Epsilon, it is the only laser triangulation sensor that combines high precision and such a compact design with an integrated Industrial Ethernet interface.
“Due to its flexible mounting options and advanced surface compensation features, the sensor is extremely versatile and will help solve a wide variety of industrial challenges in applications such as packaging machines, robots, high speed presses and hydraulic systems as well in highly networked systems in transport technology, logistics and automation.”
The optoNCDT 1900-EtherCAT is available in seven measuring ranges from 2 mm up to 500 mm. Linearity is from ± 1.0 µm. Depending on the application, power can be supplied externally or via PoE (Power-over-Ethernet). Other industrial fieldbus interfaces, including Profinet and EtherNet/IP, will be available for the optoNCDT 1900 in 2022.
Fast and precise
The optoNCDT 1900 series is perfect for high speed distance, displacement and position measurements in a wide range of tasks. The high performance controller enables fast and highly precise processing of measurement values. The intelligent exposure control and powerful signal processing ensure a stable measurement signal and it has the highest resistance to ambient light in its class and can be used in strongly illuminated environments up to 50,000 lux.
The sensor itself has dimensions of 70 x 31 x 45mm and weighs just 185g. High performance optics create a small spot size onto the target, which enables tiny objects and surface details to be measured. A large aperture for the receiver ensures greater accuracy and repeatability when compared to other sensors of similar measurement range. The sensor itself is also extremely robust with the ability to withstand high shock and vibrations (up to 30 g).
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