This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the Proximity Sensors category on DigiKey.com
Proximity Sensors are designed to detect and respond to movement outside of the component and within the range of the sensor (0” (0 mm) to 50’ (15.2 m)). The sensor types include capacitive, inductive, infrared, light, and ultrasonic with output types of analog current, voltage, configurable, I2C, NC, NO, NPN, 2-wire, 3-wire, 4-wire, 5-wire, PNP, push-pull, relay, requires amplifier, and SCR.
SelectionCharacteristics
Specifications to determine which proximity sensor is right for your application.
Sensor Type: The type of technology the sensor uses for proximity detection, such as capacitance, inductance, etc.
Sensing Distance: The distance within which the sensor can receive an input and produce a valid output.
Output Type: The type of signal, switch, etc at the output of the sensor.
Response Frequency: The maximum rate at which a sensor’s output can accurately reflect changes in the presence or absence of a target object.
Shielding: Denotes whether the sensor is shielded or unshielded.
Material - Body: Indicates the material from which a device’s outer casing or housing is fabricated.
Voltage - Supply: Typically represented by a range, this indicates the low and high voltage limits which one can expect standard operation. Voltages outside this range may damage the device and other system components.
Termination Style: Selection of termination style used to connect the device to a system, such as connector, wire leads, cable, etc.
Operating Temperature: Recommended operating temperature, typically given in a range or as a maximum. Exceeding these temperatures may affect performance or damage the device and other system components.
Ingress Protection: IP (Ingress Protection) ratings such as (IP20, IP65, IP67, etc.) define how likely water and dirt will get into the system. The first number represents dirt and solid contaminants while the second represents water and liquids.
IP Ratings
| Solids | Liquids | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protected against solids larger than 50mm. | Protected against vertically falling drops of water. Limited Ingress permitted. |
| 2 | Protected against solids larger than 12.5mm. | Protected against vertically falling drops of water with the enclosure tilted up to 15 degrees from vertical. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 3 | Protected against solids larger than 2.5mm. | Protected against spraying water up to 60 degrees from vertical. Limited ingress permitted for 3 minutes. |
| 4 | Protected against solids larger than 1mm. | Protected against water splashed from any direction. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 5 | Protected against dust. Limited ingress of dust permitted. | Will not affect operation of equipment 2-8 hours. Protected against jets of water. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 6 | Dust tight. No ingress of dust 2-8 hours. | Protected against powerful jets of water. Limited ingress permitted. |
| 7 | ______________________ | Protected against the effects of immersion in 15cm-1m for 30 minutes. |
| 8 | ______________________ | Continuous immersion in water up to 3m for long periods of time. |
| 9 | ______________________ | Protected against high pressure jets of hot water. (30 seconds) |
| 9K | ______________________ | Protected against high pressure jets of hot water. (2 minutes) |
Indicator: Describes features present on a device that visually communicate the presence of operational power and/or the present detection state.
Package/Case: Indicates the type of protective case used on an electronic component to allow easy handling, installation, and protection. This selection was determined to be the closest industry standard applicable to the suppliers device packaging. Typically it is best to check the actual dimensions from the datasheet rather than depend on this terminology when designing your circuit.
ProductExamples
| MFR PART # | SX9330ICSTRT |
|---|---|
| DIGI-KEY PART # | 600-SX9330ICSTRTTR-ND - Tape & Reel (TR) |
| MANUFACTURER | Semtech Corporation |
| DESCRIPTION | Capacitive Proximity Sensor 9-UFBGA, WLCSP |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | GX-330M-A-P-Z |
|---|---|
| DIGI-KEY PART # | 1110-GX-330M-A-P-Z-ND |
| MANUFACTURER | Panasonic Industrial Automation Sales |
| DESCRIPTION | Inductive Proximity Sensor 0.315" (8mm) IP67, IP67G, IP69K Cylinder, Threaded - M30 |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | XS530B1PAL2 |
|---|---|
| DIGI-KEY PART # | 4008-XS530B1PAL2-ND |
| MANUFACTURER | Schneider Electric |
| DESCRIPTION | Inductive Proximity Sensor 0.394" (10mm) IP68, IP69K Cylinder, Threaded - M30 |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | WBP-US-01-3F |
|---|---|
| DIGI-KEY PART # | 1661-1084-ND |
| MANUFACTURER | Digital Six Labs |
| DESCRIPTION | ULTRASONIC TANK LEVEL KIT 3FT CB |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | XS8C1A1MAL01U20 |
|---|---|
| DIGI-KEY PART # | 4008-XS8C1A1MAL01U20-ND |
| MANUFACTURER | Schneider Electric |
| DESCRIPTION | Inductive Proximity Sensor 0.591" (15mm) IP67 Module |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
MediaLinks
Videos
Videos on Proximity Sensors
Articles
Proximity Sensor Technology Design Considerations
Optimizing Proximity Sensing Consumer Electronics
Articles on Proximity Sensors
Product Training Modules
Product Training Modules on Proximity Sensors
Blogs
Blogs on Proximity Sensors
TechForum
TechForum posts on Proximity Sensors