Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Thomas Völkel

Jürgen Maul

Frank Lahner

Michael Staudt

Herbert Reiss

A light signal transmitter and a light receiver for an optical sensor may be used for an industrial automation system. The light signal transmitter has a semiconductor-based light source for generating light. The semiconductor-based light source is disposed in an installation space between outer layers of a multi-layer circuit board. The light emission direction of the semiconductor-based light source is oriented substantially parallel to the layers of the printed circuit board. A deflection unit deflects the light emitted by the semiconductor-based light source in a direction substantially perpendicular to the layers of the printed circuit board. In the case of the light receiver, a light sensor is provided in place of the light source. Such optical sensors can be designed in a particularly flat and installation-friendly manner.

Light signal transmitter and light receiver for an optical sensor

An optical sensor having at least one optical transmitting unit for production of a transmitted light beam, a photosensitive flat detector with semitransparent characteristics, through which the transmitted light beam passes, and which re-receives reflection light beams, i.e., from an object, and an evaluation unit for the photoelectric current of the photosensitive flat detector, at least for detection of an object. The photosensitive flat detector advantageously includes an organic polymer layer comprising a photosensitive substrate. An 'Organic Photosensitive Diode' (OPD) is particularly advantageously used as the photosensitive flat detector with semitransparent characteristics.

Optical sensor comprising a proximity switch

The invention relates to a rear panel bus, with a number of plugs which may be plugged into the modules and a fibre optic cable, for guiding light signals, whereby the fibre optic cable has a number of interruptions in the propagation direction of the light signals, into which means, for injection and decoupling of light signals running in the fibre optic cable may be inserted. The interruptions in the fibre optic cable are arranged such that a plug may be allocated to an interruption. The invention further comprises a module which may be plugged into an optical rear panel bus and means for injection and decoupling of light signals running in an optical fibre cable whereby the means for injecting and decoupling are arranged such as to be able to be inserted in interruptions in the fibre optic cable, to decouple light signals from the fibre optic cable and to inject light signals into the fibre optic cable in the propagation direction.

Modular system for an optical rear panel bus

The invention relates to a method for monitoring at least one measuring signal, in particular for use in automation technology, production automation and process automation. Said method automatically determines and establishes an optimal time interval between measuring periods, by means of the course of a measuring signal. According to the invention, a computer system cyclically determines a characteristic value of the measuring signal in measuring periods, which are separated by a time interval, whereby a priority is automatically defined, said priority is assigned to the measuring signal and the time interval between the measuring periods is defined in accordance with the priority.

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Altdorf, Germany

Thomas Völkel