Can anyone identify this mystery photo-interrupter?

Question

Dear All,      Can anyone identify this  mystery photo-interrupter for me?  It comes from a custom laboratory instrument made at a German university, for which I have no documentation :-{.  The interrupting device is a 'spoked' code wheel. That and the device's six pins make me fairly sure it must be an encoder type.  The closest looking devices I could find browsing RS, Farnell, Mouser & DigiKey websites are the Honeywell HOA0901 & HOA0902 () but their 4 sensor side pins are arranged to define a parallelogram rather than truncated pyramid mine has.  Any ideas? Many thanks Tom Crane Ps. The email address in the header is just a spam-trap. --  Tom Crane, Dept. Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, England.  Email:  T dot Crane at rhul dot ac dot uk

N_Cook · Accepted Answer

If there are no markings at all, could it be a home-brew.Easy enough to make a casting rubber mould from a commercial device and then cast your own variant after precisely placing the 3 opto devices and then dunking in the resin

Kevin McMurtrie · Answer

Interrupters as single component are a fairly new thing. You probably won't find an exact match.

You might be able to operate without the case - just naked parts on the PCB - if there's little stray light.

isw · Answer

Probably is a two-phase pair. If you're more interested in just getting the instrument running again, rather than finding an exact replacement, you can probably find some useful parts in an older (non-optical) computer mouse.

Isaac

John Robertson · Answer

At a guess I'd say that has two opto-receivers in the four pin end. Then  it can do direction with only one opto module. Your selection part at  Mouser looks like a good option to replace it. You may have to modify the PCB slightly to allow the device to fit, and  figure out the wiring. I have a bunch of old optos as used in early video games, but I only  have a three pin device which is a single opto transistor AFAIK. John :-#)# --  (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup) John's  Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9 (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)                                "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

<Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header · Answer

: > Dear All, : >       Can anyone identify this : >  mystery : > photo-interrupter for me?  It comes from a custom laboratory : > instrument made at a German university, for which I have no : > documentation :-{.  The interrupting device is a 'spoked' code wheel. : > That and the device's six pins make me fairly sure it must be an : > encoder type.  The closest looking devices I could find browsing RS, : > Farnell, Mouser & DigiKey websites are the Honeywell HOA0901 & HOA0902 : > () but their 4 : > sensor side pins are arranged to define a parallelogram rather than : > truncated pyramid mine has.  Any ideas? My thanks to all who followed-up.  I tried an HOA0901 which proved to be  workable stand in. Tom. Ps. The email address in the header is just a spam-trap. --  Tom Crane, Dept. Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, England.  Email:  T dot Crane at rhul dot ac dot uk

Can anyone identify this mystery photo-interrupter?

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