VIDEO: How to detect an object through glass with SICK Power Prox?

December 12, 2022

Very often, in production lines, there are cases when objects need to be detected only in a certain area, suppressing the operation of the sensor before or after this area. For example, on a conveyor belt or in a container enclosed by a transparent glass section. How to do it, you ask? This can be achieved with optical distance sensors of the SICK Power Prox series by setting their operation in Window mode.

In the continuation of the article and in the video presentation, we will look at the configuration of the sensor in Window mode and the operation of the sensor by detecting various types of objects through the glass.

For PowerProx sensor models with IO-Link communication, one of the digital outputs can be set to window mode. This allows the sensor to detect objects only within the selected range window.

Application / Advantages:

Accurate detection of objects through glass or other transparent surface;
Can be installed at a greater distance from the object (up to 3.8 m);
Operation is unaffected by objects crossing the sensor beam before or after the set range window.

Installing the SICK PowerProx sensor in Window mode:

The SICK PowerProx sensor is connected to an IO-Link Master device, for example, IOLA2US-01101 (SiLink2 Master) - IO-Link USB Master connection module for one sensor;
The IO-Link USB Master module is then connected to a computer and the free configuration program SOPAS;
In the program SOPAS, all the main data of the sensor and the output operation and detection data are visible;
For models of PowerProx sensors with IO-Link communication, the 2nd digital output can be set in a custom operating mode - Window;
Easy to enter the values of the selected range window, in which it is necessary to detect the objects;
After that, we can perform a sensor performance test by visually verifying the performance of the sensor output only in the selected range window;
In addition, it is possible to lock the push buttons on the sensor housing to prevent the possibility of accidentally erasing the set range window values.