What do angle of divergence and angle of acceptance mean and what are the application considerations that they imply?
Angle of divergence is the cone angle of the emitted light from the transmitter. Angle of acceptance is the cone angle within which the receiver will detect this emitted light. The wider the angles, the easier it is to align the light curtain. However, one must recognize that a wider angle of acceptance can result in possible interference from another photoelectric device emitting light energy within the receivers angle of acceptance. Contemporary light curtain standards (IEC 61496) require a maximum angle of divergence of 2.5 degrees for Safety Category 4 units. (SCHMERSAL Series SLC/SLG light curtains feature a coded signal, and hence are not affected by interference from other photoelectric devices).
