Product description
Sensor for Non-Contact Liquid Level Detection. Sensor for measuring water or other liquids in a non-contact and safe manner. The sensor can detect liquids through non-metallic containers (e.g., plastic cans, plastic tubes, or similar).
The sensitivity is adjusted via a trimmer potentiometer located under the sensor’s lid. At maximum sensitivity, a detection distance of approximately 20 mm can be achieved.
The output is of the open collector type, which means it is floating when no liquid is detected and pulled to GND (0 V) when liquid is detected. To obtain a clear high/low signal, a resistor must be connected between the output and a chosen voltage.
The output voltage level is independent of the supply voltage, which allows, for example, the sensor to be powered with 5 V while the output toggles between 0–12 V or 0–3.3 V, depending on the application.
Connections:
- Brown = VCC (5–12 VDC)
- Yellow = Signal
- Blue = GND (0 V)
- Black = Polarity (connect to GND for inverted output)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: ø28/26 × 16.6 mm
- Cable: ø3.5 × 500 mm
About Open Collector:
An open collector is a type of output circuit commonly used in sensors, digital logic circuits, and interfaces.
Instead of actively driving the signal both high and low, it acts as a switch to ground (GND):
When the output is active, the transistor connects to ground, and the signal goes low (0 V).
When the output is inactive, the transistor is open, meaning the signal is floating (no defined voltage).
To obtain a defined high level, a pull-up resistor must be connected between the output and a chosen voltage (e.g., 5 V or 12 V depending on the system). The resistor then pulls the signal high when the transistor is open.
Advantages:
The output level can be selected independently of the sensor’s supply voltage.
Multiple open collector outputs can be wired together for a so-called wired-AND function.
A robust and simple solution for interfacing with different logic levels.
