FT100 & TOF100 Installation

Refer to the manual for your gate or garage door controller. Confirm the voltage supply is compatible and between 9-26V. Most controllers provide 24V AC or DC power output for safety devices.

If you have a multimeter, test the voltage before connecting the sensors. Monitor the voltage both with and without the gate or garage door operating. This is to check whether the voltage fluctuates — if it does, you may need to ground or earth the COM terminals of your control board.

Using the manual for your control panel, locate the safety terminals you wish to connect to. Many panels have two options: opening safety and closing safety. Some only have a single connection, in which case you will need to wire your sensors in series (see Step 3).

In this example we are using a CAME ZA3, which is a very common panel in the UK. Wire from the common terminal (terminal 2 on the ZA3) to one side of the safety relay on the sensor. Connect the other side of the safety relay (in this case C1) to the corresponding safety terminal on your control board.

Above the safety relay terminal on the FT100/TOF100 you will see a jumper section labelled NO/NC. Set this to match your system's requirements. Most safety systems require an NC (normally closed) circuit.

When using multiple photocells on the same circuit, take care in positioning your sensors so that transmitters and receivers are alternated on each side. Do not place both transmitters on one side pointing at both receivers, as this could cause false positives.

The wiring can be done from receiver to receiver or joined at the control panel end of the cables. You effectively have four terminals on the sensors and two on the panel that need to be connected. Join the receivers together using one terminal each, then connect one terminal from one sensor to the COM terminal and the other terminal on the receiver to the signal terminal on the panel.

On the TOF100, the NO/NC jumper is located at the top left of the sensor to the left of the lenses. The DIP switches allow you to customise the detection distance and provide the most accurate results with less interference. However, you can also set the distance using the arbitrary distance calibration method described below. The DIP switches are set for this method by default.

Calibration procedure

Before calibrating, place a board large enough to act as a person-sized object at a position 30cm beyond the final distance you wish to protect with the sensor.

1. Within the first 30 seconds of powering on the sensor, wave a hand in front of it 5 times. The unit will beep multiple times to confirm it has entered calibration mode.

2. The unit is now calibrating its detection distance up to the board. This takes 15-20 seconds.

3. When calibration completes, it will beep again. Both indicator lights will turn solid — yellow for signal and green for power.

4. Test the sensor by stepping in front of it. Remove the board and check where the detection beam ends to ensure you are satisfied with the coverage.