In almost any electrical application, you will find hundreds, if not thousands of sensors. Whether they are photoelectric, magnetic, infrared, or retroreflective, all sensors play a crucial part in any automated system. Some applications include tracking, monitoring, communicating, and measuring, all of these taking place simultaneously at rapid rates. As a result, everything from a manufacturing plant to a laboratory becomes much more accurate and efficient. It’s easy to see that without sensors, everyday conveniences and complex systems wouldn’t exist.
The same principles apply when it comes to rugged, industrial environments. Often, sensors used in industrial applications are put through extremely high temperatures, shock, and vibration, as well as corrosion from extensive use or particle damage. Hence, industrial sensors need to have extensive thermal, electromagnetic, and mechanical tolerances all in order to maintain optimal levels of signal integrity.
Connecting to Industrial Sensors
Another crucial aspect of every industrial sensor is the connectors and cables linking them to the system. After all, a sensor is only as good as the connector/cable attached to it. Due to the nature of many industrial environments, sensors may face several challenges when being installed or replaced such as:
- Blind mating – Industrial sensors are installed in a wide variety of different configurations and systems, thus connectors that are capable of blind mating are necessary to compensate.
- High cycle rates – As data is collected or monitored, most sensors will need to employ connectors supporting extremely high cycle rates depending on the application.
- Problems mating/unmating – Many times, the housing surrounding the sensor will become brittle and crack or not allow for proper mating. Rugged connectors and cables that feature latching tabs can help to resolve these issues.
Samtec Supports Industrial Applications
Note some of the rugged and reliable solutions we offer below:
- EHF/FFSD (IDC Header/Cable)
- ERM8/ERF8 (Edge Rate® Terminal Strip)
- LSHM (Razor Beam™ High-Speed Terminal/Socket Strip)
- FSI (One-Piece Interface)
- S1SS/S1SD/T1M (Discrete Wire Cable/Terminal)
- SFML/TFML (Tiger Eye™ Header/Socket)
For more information, visit the articles below:
