Inductive Couplers Explained | Working Principles and Application Examples

▶ C'mon over to realpars.com where you can learn PLC programming faster and easier than you ever thought possible!
▶ You can read the full post here
realpars.com/inductive-couplers
=============================
⌚Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - What is an inductive coupler?
02:27 - Different types and installation
03:25 - Applications
03:39 - 1) Rotating workstation
04:56 - 2) Workpiece frame
05:53 - 3) Robot’s end of arm tooling
=============================
In this video, we will be talking about inductive couplers. We will explain what an inductive coupler is, how it works, and give some examples of how they are used with automation.
An inductive coupler is a device that is used to transmit 24-volt DC power and 24-volt DC input and output signals over an air gap between its two components.
The components of an inductive coupler are called the base and the remote. Not all base components are compatible with all remote components.
The base is the component that gets connected to 24-volt DC power. The base will also need its input and output signal wires connected in order to work with its remote component.
When the base has 24-volt DC power connected, it creates a magnetic field that when aligned reacts with the remote.
Inductive couplers have circuitry that changes the magnetic field of the individual input and output signals. Inductive couplers can have up to eight individual signals.
The remote component gets connected to the input and output devices, to supply 24-volt power and to send or receive the input or output device signals.
A sensor distribution box can be used here for a cleaner installation. It also makes it easier to install the input and output devices to the remote component.
Inductive couplers come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are square or rectangular shaped and can be mounted by just bolting them into place.
Others are threaded cylindrical shaped and can be mounted by drilling and tapping a hole with the same thread as the inductive coupler and then using a jam nut to lock it into place. There are also brackets you can use to make mounting an inductive coupler easier.
To install an inductive coupler to optimize the 24-volt power transfer from the base component to the remote component, mount the base component and the remote component so that they are aligned.
After the base and the remote are mounted and aligned, set up the air gap between them per the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Inductive couplers are used in many different ways in automation.
1) On the rotating workstation example, let’s say they build two different parts at a workstation, part A and part B. To switch from building on the part A side to the part B side, they just need to turn the workstation table 180 degrees.
Sometimes inductive couplers can be used to help limit how many inputs and outputs are needed.
Instead of each side using its own unique inputs and outputs, the inductive coupler base can be wired to use the same inputs and outputs for both sides.
2) A workpiece frame is just a frame used to hold a part while it is being built during production. Let’s say we are building parts using workpiece frames on an assembly line.
At the first workstation, they install the main piece onto the workpiece frame and attach a bracket to this piece.
First, the workpiece frame is put into position and the inductive coupler turns on the sensors. They install the correct parts and the workstation sees that the correct sensors are on before enabling the tool that will connect these parts.
When the tool is done connecting the parts together, the workpiece frame is released from the workstation and is ready to go to the next assembly station.
3) An inductive coupler can be used to power the sensors on a robot’s end of arm tooling. The robot end of arm tooling is the part that gets bolted to the end of the robot arm.
Some reasons an inductive coupler might be used on a robot’s end of arm tooling might be the way the robot has to move or if the robot has a tool changer.
If the robot moves in such a way that the sensor cables might get pulled, pinched, or snagged an inductive coupler might be able to correct these issues.
=============================
Missed our most recent videos? Watch them here:
realpars.com/isa100-wireless-...
realpars.com/contactor
realpars.com/capacitive-sensor
=============================
To stay up to date with our last videos, make sure to subscribe to this KZbin channel:
bit.ly/realpars
=============================
TWEET THIS VIDEO ctt.ac/rFq0I
=============================
Follow us on Facebook: / therealpars
Follow us on Twitter: / realpars
Follow us on LinkedIn / realpars
Follow us on Instagram / realparsdotcom
#RealPars #Inductive #coupling

[@dekunet]

I didnt know this technology. Great!!

[@viniciusdemoraes5077]

Vídeo ficou sensacional! Parabéns a todos pela produção 👏

[@IngDzib]

Thank you, this video is very helpful!

[@jimbass924]

Great video, excellent detailed info. Easy to follow!!

[@realpars]

Much appreciated!

[@generalthinkingandjudgment2352]

Nice explain

[@pavunumuthu9510]

Great video very useful. Thank you sir

[@realpars]

Glad to hear that! Happy learning

[@user-qc2ci4uf5h]

Interesting a lot. 👍

[@realpars]

Glad you think so!

[@jessstuart7495]

I worked for an electronics manufacturer as a test enginner, and we had a customer who tried to design their own inductive-coupling system. IT WAS A FREAKIN' NIGHTMARE. The company had completely outsourced all their engineering, and they brought back ONE guy from retirement to design the inductive coupling communication system who had no business designing something like this. No EM modeling, no noise immunity testing, no error correction protocols, no modulation of the signal! Just driving a wire coil with a square-wave, and picking up the induced voltage on another coil using an opamp circuit (not even a differential amplifier). Of course the company tried to blame us (the manufacturer) for the poor performance of their flaky design, and as the test engineer responsible, I got pulled into this quagmire. Our final "resolution" was that we decided not to build this particular assembly for this company anymore.

[@FixItStupid]

Its Nut Now The $$$ Money Stupid What It is

[@ashrafmoftah5073]

Thank you

[@realpars]

Our pleasure!

[@nisaldilshan3220]

Great ✌️❤

[@alexandernorman5337]

I bet you could use these as an alternative for opto-isolators for separation between safety systems and non-safety systems. We use opto-isolators exclusively where I now work. But parts age and become obsolete. I'll have to investigate this technology (price and reliability) the next time an upgrade is needed. My initial thought is an optical isolator is cheaper, but it will be good for me to know for sure.

[@realpars]

You are correct. The 24VDC circuits are isolated from one another. And you are also correct that true optical isolators for digital signals is much less expensive than inductive couplers.

[@deepudeepak9498]

Sir,what is the signal strength of magnetic field? And how to convert magnetic field to DC output,what components are used at remote side.

[@realpars]

In the simplest since, the A and B sides of the coupler are both RC circuits. The magnetic field in side A (RC circuit through an inductor coil) induces a current in a matching side B inductor coil. www.researchgate.net/profile/Muhammad-Saad-17/publication/283265634/figure/fig3/AS:289178895695874@1445957029801/Equivalent-and-simplified-circuit-model-of-magnetic-resonance-coupling-3.png

[@thebeautyofuniverse4781]

Please, sir make some Input output hardwire connection in PLC

[@realpars]

Hey! Thanks for your comment and your suggestion. I will pass this on to our course developers! Thanks for sharing and happy learning!

[@ignacioandressokolargandon8982]

hello, thanks for that great videos, really help a lot. Can you tell me wich program do you use to make this animations ? i will like to make some to teach students

[@realpars]

Hi Ignacio, Thanks for your kind comment! I am actually not sure about this, our animations are created by our Graphic and Animation department.

[@ashwinmurali1911]

00:41 How is an inductor transferring DC power? according to faraday's law, if current through one coil is constant, 0 emf will be induced in the coupled coil.

[@alexandernorman5337]

Yeah, they didn't discuss that part. There has to be a pulse switching circuit built within the source side and a rectifier within the other side. You are converting DC to AC and back to DC.

[@issafifi]

@@alexandernorman5337 excellent

[@realpars]

Yes, there is more "magic" that happens inside the barrel of the transmitting device. Inductive couplers transfer power based on the principle of inductive coupling power transfer - ICPT. The 24VDC power connection is converted to low-voltage AC inside the device. The oscillation frequency is typically 200 kHz. This creates a changing magnetic field. And as Alexander notes, the receiver has a rectifier on the receiving side. The real magic is that there is a second circuit on each side that transmits and received 2.4GHz data that can be used to drive PnP digital signals or IOLink bus data.

[@ashwinmurali1911]

@@realpars ok, thanks 👍. How good is it at avoiding electromagnetic interference from nearby devices/wires? Optocoupling was simple and effective in this sense. What advantage does inductive coupling have over optocoupling?

[@abulfazibrahimov1990]

👍

[@Ravinder764]

👍👍👍

[@alexsaucedo76]

How new is this? I've never heard or seen this before.

[@ElektrikaCo]

Its not that new. I’ve seen it on a machine that is 15-20 years old. It has a turntable with 3 workstations that turns and the inductive couplers are used to connect part detect limit switches to the PLC

[@user-gb6wj6fn9x]

Ok interested idea, bat each sensor must be have unique ID...

[@jothain]

Why? You could have virtually anything to detect which "set" is used.

[@arthurflorencio38]

Thanks, what Company sell the indutive couple?

[@realpars]

IFM, Balluf, TTI. There are others, I am sure, but these are the ones that I know have couplers for use in automation.

[@arthurflorencio38]

Thanks a lot!

[@user-bh2ow5it1c]

I thought to power the sensors the couplers need 24 AC , not DC. How coupler circuitry is powered thru DC power, which cannot be transmitted via inductance ?

[@realpars]

In the reply to another reader, I explained that for inductive couplers used for control systems, the transmitter has an oscillator circuit internal to the device to create the inductive field, and the receiver has an AC/DC rectifier internally.

[@user-bh2ow5it1c]

@@realpars thank you, that's what I thought. Please explain how signals are transmitted: is it RF or still vis inductance ?

[@polycmike5052]

What is the purpose to use inductive couplers instead of optocouplers?

[@polycmike5052]

In addition why should I use inductive couplers instead of photoelectric barrier?

[@realpars]

inductive couplers are excellent for connecting and disconnecting multiple I/O at one time, using a simple, easily manipulated hardware interface. An example of the rotating table in the video is an excellent example. Up to 8 discrete I/O or a single connection to an I/O-Link device is common with Inductive couplers. Optocouplers are single-channel devices that require a chassis to be constructed to house the I/O, such as is the case with a PLC DI card. The connections, if portable, are going to be barrel connectors with many pins, that can easily break or corrode if plugged and unplugged often. Even though the application of inductive couplers is limited, in cases where they are applicable, they are by far the best technology to use for cost, maintenance, and reliability reasons.

[@longhungtruong7980]

Sorry RealPars, Can you make a new video to show how to connect this couplers to PLC? Thanks.

[@realpars]

Hey! Thanks for your comment and your suggestion. I will pass this on to our course developers! Thanks for sharing and happy learning!

[@samurock100]

Is there something wrong with the mobile app?

[@realpars]

Hi there, Thanks for your comment! We have recently optimized our learning platform which includes some highly requested features. We are happy to bring you these new improvements which will grant an even better learning experience, as a result we had to decide to no longer support the RealPars App. You can use our webpage to continue watching the video courses. Hope this helps! If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know - I’m more than happy to help!

[@rohitbhosale2931]

How the remote sensor is powered

[@unionse7en]

inductively across the air gap, must be converted to AC for the inductive transfer function