The Omron EE-SPY302 is a reflective diffuse photoelectric sensor in a through-hole PCB-mount package. It detects a white paper target at up to 5 mm using an infrared LED, and switches an NPN open-collector output that goes dark-on — meaning the output transistor turns on when the reflected light is blocked. The 5 V supply and 15 mA switching current keep the power budget tight for a PLC input card or a low-side digital input.
Output type and PLC compatibility
NPN open collector dark-ON: the output sinks current to ground when the sensor does not see the reflected beam. This matches the sinking input common on most PLC families.
Sensing distance — 5 mm diffuse
The 5 mm sensing distance is measured against a white paper target. That is a short-range diffuse detection — the sensor relies on the target's reflectivity, so a dark or matte surface will reduce the effective range. For a longer reach or a through-beam application, the EE-SPW311 offers a 39.37 mm sensing distance but requires a separate emitter and receiver alignment. The EE-SPY302 is a self-contained unit for tight spaces like PCB edge detection or flag sensing.