Automation and Control Guides Page 3: 198 technical guides for choosing Automation and Control products: selection criteria, standards, common mistakes and frequently asked questions.
What Is a Capacitive Sensor? Types and Selection Criteria — A capacitive sensor is a proximity sensor that detects metal, plastic, powder and liquid without contact by measuring the capacitance change an object causes. What Is a Power Supply with Terminal Connectors? Types and Selection Criteria — A power supply with terminal connectors is a metal-cased switch-mode supply with screw terminals that converts mains voltage to 12, 24 or 48 V DC and is screwed to a mounting surface. What Is a Through-Beam Cylindrical Photoelectric Sensor? Types and Selection — A through-beam cylindrical photoelectric sensor consists of a separate emitter and receiver in threaded cylindrical housings and switches its output when the beam between them is broken. What Is a Stepper Motor? Types and Selection Criteria — A stepper motor is a brushless motor that turns its shaft by a fixed step angle for each pulse from the drive and can position without feedback. What Is a Mini PLC with Display? Types and Selection Criteria — A mini PLC with display is a compact controller combining the processor, inputs and outputs and a display in one housing, so small machines need no separate operator panel. What Is a Voltmeter Pilot Light? Wiring and Selection Criteria — A voltmeter pilot light is a panel door indicator in a 22 mm pilot light housing that shows the voltage between its two terminals as a number on an LED display. What Are Energy Measurement Accessories? Types and Selection Criteria — Energy measurement accessories are the remote displays, display cables, I/O modules, mounting adapters, sealing and spare hardware kits that complete an analyzer. What Is a Retroreflective Rectangular Photoelectric Sensor? Types and Selection — A retroreflective rectangular photoelectric sensor has emitter and receiver in one rectangular housing, gets its light back from a reflector opposite and switches when the beam is broken. What Is a Liquid Level Relay? Working Principle and Selection Criteria — A liquid level relay is a panel-mounted electronic relay that senses the level with electrodes in a conductive liquid and controls a pump, valve or alarm through a contact output. What Is an Empty Crane Pendant Box? Types and Selection Criteria — An empty crane pendant box is a crane control housing with no button elements fitted, consisting only of the suspended body and the button positions. What Is a 90-Degree Plastic Cylindrical Photoelectric Sensor? Types and Selection Criteria — A 90-degree plastic cylindrical photoelectric sensor sends its light from the side of an M18 plastic housing, perpendicular to its axis, instead of from the end. What Is an Ammeter Pilot Light? Wiring and Selection Criteria — An ammeter pilot light is a digital indicator fitted into a 22 mm panel door hole that shows, through a current transformer, the AC current in a conductor on an LED display. What Is a Plastic-Body Rectangular Photoelectric Sensor? Types and Selection Criteria — A plastic-body rectangular photoelectric sensor is a photoelectric sensor whose M18 threaded section lets it mount both in a hole and flat against a surface. What Is a Communication Module? Types and Selection Criteria — A communication module is an expansion or option unit that gives a PLC, drive, circuit breaker or control device a network interface such as Modbus, CANopen, PROFIBUS or Ethernet. What Is a Digital Potentiometer? Types and Selection Criteria — A digital potentiometer is a panel device that converts a value entered on its front keypad into a 0-10 V or 4-20 mA analog signal to give a drive its speed or setpoint. What Is a Joystick Control Switch? Types and Selection Criteria — A joystick control switch is a control element that operates the contact in the direction its panel-mounted lever is pushed, giving direction commands to cranes, platforms and conveyors. What Is a DC 2-Wire Inductive Sensor? Types and Selection Criteria — A DC 2-wire inductive sensor is a two-terminal proximity sensor that detects metal without contact and switches a DC load in series, with no separate supply terminal. What Is an Analog Ammeter? Types and Selection Criteria — An analog ammeter is a panel-mount measuring instrument, connected in series, that shows the current in a line with a pointer moving over a scale. What Is a Toggle Switch? Types and Selection Criteria — A toggle switch is a small appliance switch that opens and closes a circuit, or changes over between two circuits, when the lever protruding from the panel is pushed. What Is a Screw-In Thermocouple? Types and Selection Criteria — A screw-in thermocouple is a fixed-cable temperature sensor that screws into a mould or manifold hole with an M6 or M8 thread; models with J, K and PT100 elements exist. What Is an AC Two-Wire Plastic Cylindrical Photoelectric Sensor (M18 / M30)? Types and Selection Criteria — An AC two-wire M18 and M30 plastic photoelectric sensor is a cylindrical sensor with an M18 and M30 plastic housing that is wired in series with the load and switches it directly at AC voltage. What Is an Analog Potentiometer? Types and Selection Criteria — An analog potentiometer is a panel-door adjuster that divides voltage in proportion to knob position and gives a frequency inverter a manual speed reference. What Are Drive Accessories? Types and Selection Criteria — Drive accessories are parts added to frequency inverters and servo drives, such as operator panels, expansion and communication cards, encoder modules, connector kits and braking modules. What Is a Remote I/O Module? Types and Selection Criteria — A remote I/O module is a network interface unit that connects I/O modules placed in the field to the main PLC over a single communication cable.