What is a Photo-interrupter?

A photo interrupter is an optical sensor that detects the passage and remaining amount of an object by blocking the light in the optical system. Since the object to be detected can be detected non-contactly, the sensor is not consumed due to physical contact such as friction, and it can be used for a long time at low cost. The photo interrupter consists of a combination of a photophore and a photophore, and different optical systems are assembled depending on how they are arranged. This difference in optics determines what kind of object is suitable for detection.

Application of Photo-interrupter

The simplest use of a photo interrupter is to detect the passage of an object. For example, it is used in ATMs and vending machines to detect the passage of coins and banknotes. In addition, the automatic ticket gate detects the passage of people with a photo interrupter, and opens and closes the gate triggered by the touch of an IC card or the insertion of a ticket. It is also used to detect ink cartridges in printers and paper in multifunction devices and copiers.

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