Understand the signal. Commission the device. Diagnose the fault.
Animated industrial sensors with live setpoints, PLC values, wiring terminals and realistic failure modes—built for technicians, controls engineers and apprentices.
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Industrial sensor catalogue
Start with a physical device, then trace its signal into the PLC.
Showing 17 of 17 labs
Lab 01Field hardwareIndustrial Sensors — A First Look
Meet the three sensor families — discrete, analog, and safety — and learn which one your application needs.
Lab 02Field hardwarePhotoelectric Sensor (Photoeye)
Detects parts as they pass — outputs a discrete bit when something blocks the light beam.
Lab 03Field hardwareInductive Proximity Sensor
Detects metallic targets without contact by sensing changes in an electromagnetic field.
Lab 04Field hardwareCapacitive Proximity Sensor
Detects any material — metal, plastic, liquid, or granular — by sensing the change in capacitance at the sensing face.
Lab 05Field hardwareMechanical Limit Switch
A mechanical contact switch that changes state when a moving part physically depresses its actuator.
Lab 06Field hardwareFloat Switch (Level Switch)
A buoyancy-driven switch that opens or closes when liquid level rises to or falls from a set point.
Lab 07Field hardwarePhoto-Fork Sensor (Slot Sensor)
A U-shaped optical sensor with emitter and receiver built into opposite tines — detects objects passing through the gap.
Lab 08Field hardwarePressure Transmitter (4-20 mA)
Converts process pressure to a 4-20 mA current loop signal proportional to the engineering-unit range.
Lab 09Field hardwareThermocouple (Type K)
Two dissimilar metal wires joined at a measurement junction produce a millivolt signal proportional to temperature.
Lab 10Field hardwareRTD / PT100 Temperature Sensor
A platinum resistance thermometer whose resistance increases linearly with temperature — more accurate and more stable than a thermocouple over the 0–500 °C industrial range.
Lab 11Field hardwareStrain Gauge / Load Cell
Measures mechanical force or weight by detecting tiny resistance changes in metal foil bonded to a structural element.
Lab 12Field hardwareUltrasonic Distance Sensor
Measures distance by timing an ultrasonic pulse echo — output is proportional to the target distance.
Lab 13Field hardwareIncremental Encoder (Quadrature)
Converts shaft rotation into a pulse train — two channels (A and B) in quadrature give position and direction.
Lab 14Field hardwareSafety Light Curtain
An optical safety device forming a grid of infrared beams — breaking any beam immediately stops hazardous machine motion.
Lab 15Field hardwareE-Stop Circuit (Cat 3 / Cat 4)
A dual-channel monitored emergency stop circuit that safely removes power from hazardous motion and detects single-point failures.
Lab 16Field hardwareIO-Link Smart Sensors
IO-Link turns an ordinary point-to-point sensor cable into a bidirectional digital channel — unlocking remote parameterisation, rich diagnostics, and event data alongside the normal process value.
Lab 17Field hardwareIntrinsic Safety in Hazardous Areas
Intrinsically safe sensors limit the electrical energy in a hazardous area circuit so that no ignition-capable spark or hot surface can form — even under fault conditions. Zener barriers and galvanic isolators enforce the energy limits between the safe zone and the explosive atmosphere.