HRO Parts Optical Switches, Reflective, Photo IC Output
Optical switches, or opto-switches, are switches that make use of light signals to turn electrical circuits on and off. Generally speaking, there are two main types of optical switches: reflective and photo IC output. A reflective optical switch utilizes either a single LED light beam or a laser beam for activating the switch, with the light beam being either reflected off of a separate reflector or bounced off of a single surface. The photo IC output optical switch makes use of photo-interrupter technology, which involves an LED and a phototransistor that is used to detect light signals and activate the switch. In both cases, when an optical switch is triggered, it can be used to control or activate anything from a motorized equipment or transit system, to a consumer electronics device.