OPTEK Technology Unveils Slotted Optical Switch with Infrared LED

Manufacturer for sensing and illumination solutions, OPTEK Technology has developed a new low-profile slotted switch for use in non-contact interruptive sensing applications.

The OPB200 optically triggered switch includes a phototransistor and an 890 nm infrared LED combined in an opaque plastic housing.

The output phototransistor of the switch conducts current for maintaining the circuit, when the slot contains no object. The output turns to the OFF state for interrupting the circuit, when an object comes in between the slot and obstructs the IR light from the LED. The OPB200 offers a maximum reverse current of 100 µA at 2 V of VR and a maximum forward voltage of 1.7 V at 20 mA IF.

The housing of the switch is made of opaque injection-molded plastic to reduce the optical components’ sensitivity to near infrared and ambient visible light, thereby enhancing the performance. In addition, the optically triggered switch has up to 0.4 V collector-emitter saturation voltage with a state collector current of a minimum of 1 mA to up to 6mA.