Last Friday evening, after Shopbot was closed, I started having intermittent problems with my X-axis proximity sensor. I had some BALLUFF BES M12Mi-NSC40B-SO4C proximity sensors on hand, but they required 24VDC. The PRS-Alpha uses 24V sensors and feeds directly to input #2 and input #3, but without schematics and without being able to ask someone whether my PRT-Alpha had the same input circuitry, I decided to replace both sensors and to build a small interface board using opto-couplers to isolate the 24V from the 5V logic. At the same time, I added a 74LS08 AND chip so that input #3 would have only one device connected to it.
The BALLUFF sensors are rated for a distance of 4mm. With feeler gauges, I set the distance to 2.5mm. The higher voltage sensors are dead-on repeatable. Using a digital dial indicator, there is NO variation in the sensing location.
I'm attaching a schematic of the interface board (hand soldered on a 2" X 3" Radio-Shack proto board).
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