All-metal, shock-resistant 480 mm wide magnetic track sensor

The MGSW4800 is a sensor capable of detecting and reporting the position of a magnetic field along its horizontal axis. The sensor is intended for line following robotic applications, using a magnetic tape to form a track guide on the floor.

The MGSW4800 is built into a rugged, watertight, all-metal eclosure. It uses a 8-pin waterproof M12-type connectors for its power supply and IO signals.

The sensor uses advanced signal processing to accurately measure its lateral distance from the center of the track, with millimeter resolution, resulting in nearly 160 points end to end. Tape position information can be output in numerical format on the sensor's RS232 or USB ports. The position is also reported as a 0 to 3V voltage output and as a variable PWM output. Additionally, the sensor supports a dedicated MultiPWM mode allowing seamless communication with all Roboteq motor controllers using only one wire.

The sensor will detect and manage up to 2-way forks and can be instructed to follow the left or right track using commands issued via the serial/USB ports, or using the state of two digital inputs. All of the sensor's operating parameters and commands are also accessible via its CAN bus interface.

In addition to detecting a track to follow, the sensor will detect and report the presence of magnetic markers that may be positioned on the left or right side of the track. The sensor is equipped with four LEDs for easy monitoring and diagnostics.

The MGSW4800 includes a 3-axis Gyroscope that can be used to provide additional stability and guidance to the vehicle.

The sensor incorporates a high performance, Basic-like scripting language that allows users to add customized functionality to the sensor. A PC utility is provided for configuring the sensor, capture and plot the sensor data on a strip chart recorder, and visualize in real time the magnetic field as it is seen by the sensor.

The sensor firmware can be updated in the field to take advantage of new features as they become available.