The Banner PresencePLUS™ system is a solution to many inspection applications where a defect can occur anywhere within the sensor’s field of view, and where a configuration of multiple discrete sensors is either cost-prohibitive or mechanically impractical. PresencePLUS applications illustrate a few typical possibilities.

A basic PresencePLUS system consists of a controller (shown), a sensor (shown) and an interconnecting cable. Choices of cable length, lens focal length, mounting bracket, and light source type are offered.

The PresencePLUS Model PRC1 Controller is a hand-held remote programmer for the PresencePLUS Model P1B65Q Pixel Counting Sensor. The controller is used to program the sensor and monitor sensor performance. The controller easily attaches to the sensor with a modular coiled cord and obtains power from the sensor for operation. QUICK START setup completes all sensor programming in one simple step without complicated procedures, and gets you up and running in minutes.

The controller writes all programmed parameters to the sensor. After programming the sensor, the controller may be detached and used with another sensor. Programming options, monitoring options, and captured images are displayed on the controller’s LCD screen. Arrow buttons on the controller’s keypad are used to select options, adjust values, and navigate from screen to screen. Function buttons provide quick access to the most frequently used screens.

Depending on the sensing application requirements, programming the sensor involves up to three steps: SETUP, ROI, and TEACH. In the first step, the SETUP mode is used to adjust the target object within the sensor’s pixel array, run the auto-exposure routine, focus the sensor’s lens, and lighten or darken the image. In the second step, the ROI mode may be used to define a Region of Interest (ROI) within the array for judgment or to mask an area to exclude from judgment. In the third step, the TEACH mode is used to “teach” the sensor to recognize good and (optionally) bad images by presenting a number of product examples. The controller uses the pixel counts from these examples to determine judgment criteria for subsequent sensor operation.

Judgment criteria may be manually adjusted. If the application does not require defining an ROI, masking, or teaching bad product, the QUICK START option provides a simple one- step SETUP, TEACH, and RUN sequence. The resulting judgment criteria may be manually adjusted.

CONFIGURE screens are used to program parameters that typically only need to be set once. Configuration parameters include selecting the application type (to enable the most appropriate auto-exposure settings), which pixel color to count (white or black), lighting options, trigger settings, and output settings. Up to four different sets of parameters may be uploaded from the sensor to the controller and saved as files. This feature allows parameters to be downloaded to the sensor when setting up different product runs or programming more than one sensor.

After the sensor has been programmed and configured, the controller is used to put the sensor into RUN mode. While the sensor is in operation, RUN screens may be used to monitor PASS/ FAIL and pixel count statistics, view captured images, or adjust configuration settings and gray-scale thresholds.

Specifications: Model PRC1 Controller
Supply Voltage and Current: 22 to 26V dc; 200 mA max. supplied through connection to the P1B65Q sensor
Supply Protection Circuitry: Protected against reverse polarity and transient voltages
Display: 128 x 64 pixel LCD
Construction: Housing is black ABS or polystyrene; switches are polyester membrane
Environmental Rating: IP 20, NEMA 1
Connections: 6 loaded 4-pin modular jack for supplied coiled cord. Cord extends to 4 m (12')
Operating Temperature: 0 to 50° C (+ 32 to 122° F)
Maximum Relative Humidity: 90% at 50° C (non-condensing)