What is this thing called? [Opto-Interrupter!]

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Hardware Interfacing
1

I ripped apart a scanner I had laying around and came up with some useful stuff, but I cannot find any part numbers or other indication of what the heck this thing is called. I know what it does, I just cannot come up with a name to google the datasheet.

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2

It's an opto-interrupter. Just Google it :slight_smile:

3

Opto-Interrupter! That makes sense... I tried optical limit switch, and variations of that, but that makes perfect sense :slight_smile:

Thanks!

4

Okay, now... how would I use it...

I have it wired up and from the signal wire (well, what I am assuming is the signal wire) I receive 3.6v when it is 'open' and zero when it is 'closed', but when I wire it up to turn on/off a led, it barely lights at all...

I checked the current draw through the signal line and I'm reading a 'massive' 5.0uA... Can that be right?

I traced the circuit on the board I took it from, and the signal line is wired directly to the uC (AVISION 162-54-00003 for those curious), now granted, they're not using it to control an led, and for all intents and purposes I would hook it up to a uC anyway, but that seems like an awfully small current to do anything with...

Or am I just confused? :slight_smile:

5

Gotcha... I knew what it did and how it did it, I was just a little confused with a schematic I found online, I took another look at it and I must have read it wrong the first time... Makes perfect sense now..

Thanks Richard!

6

Think limit switch as in end of travel, or traffic counter as in light beam entry detector.