Sensors play an important role in driving production analytics in Essembi. They provide real-time feedback on what is happening on the production floor and minimize the amount of data entry required from production operators. Specifically, they help provide the following information to Essembi in real-time:
- Units Produced: Track the number of units that are produced in real-time.
- Downtime Incident Time: Multiple sensors can be deployed along the production line to determine which machine caused a downtime event to occur.
Recommended Sensor Hardware
| Component | Model | Key Specifications | Data Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLC | Industrial Shields mDuino 21+ | 21 I/Os, 12-24V DC supply, Ethernet, optoisolated I/O | Link |
| Sensor | Banner T18-2VPLPC-Q8 | Rugged washdown photoelectric sensor for harsh environment, 10-30V DC supply, Complementary PNP output, 4-wire, M12 connector | Link |
| Power Supply | 24V DC Industrial | 24V DC output, sufficient current for PLC + sensor | |
| Sensor Wire | M12 4-Pin Connector | Quick disconnect option |
Sensor Wiring Instructions
Sensor Pinout with M12 4-Pin Quick Connect Connectors
The M12 4-pin quick connect cables will give you the ability to quickly unscrew a sensor from the cable that connects it to the PLC in case a line needs to be reconfigured. Below is a breakdown of the wires in the M12 and their purpose with the Essembi PLC configuration:
| Pin | Color | Purpose |
| 1 | Brown | +24vdc (power supply) |
| 2 | White | PNP switching output |
| 3 | Blue | 0vdc (ground/common) |
| 4 | Black | not used |
Option 1: Optoisolated Input Connection (I/O 0-6)
The optoisolated input option (I/O 0-6) provides electrical isolation between the sensor circuit and the PLC internal circuitry, offering better noise immunity and safety. Whereas, the standard input option (I/O 7-12) uses a simpler 3-wire connection but shares a common ground.
Sensor to Power Supply
- Sensor Brown Wire to Power Supply +24vdc
- Sensor Blue Wire to Power Supply 0vdc
Banner Sensor to PLC:
- Sensor White Wire to PLC I0.0 (optoisolated input)
Power Supply to PLC
- Same Power Supply 0vdc terminal from Sensor Blue Wire to PLC I0.0 (-)
Option 2: Standard Input Connection (I/O 7-12)
Sensor to Power Supply
- Sensor Brown Wire to Power Supply +24vdc
- Sensor Blue Wire to Power Supply 0vdc
Banner Sensor to PLC:
- Sensor White Wire to PLC I0.7 (optoisolated input)
Additional Wiring Installation Considerations
- Ensure proper grounding of all equipment
- Use appropriate cable ratings for 24V DC applications
- Consider EMI/EMC requirements in industrial environments
- Install appropriate overcurrent protection
- Follow local electrical codes and safety standards
Programming the PLC
The PLC will need to be connected to the network at the facility. Each PLC will then need to be assigned a static IP address. The Essembi team will provide an Arduino program file that can be deployed to the PLC that includes this static IP address. At this point the PLC is ready to communicate with the onsite Essembi server.
The onsite Essembi server will run the Essembi Pulse application that will facilitate the communication between the PLC and the Essembi software and help reduce the risk of loosing production data if a facility drops internet connectivity at any point.
The PLC Deployment Utility is a Windows desktop application used to load Essembi software onto an Arduino-based PLC. It is designed for use by non-programmer technicians and handles all compilation and uploading automatically — no Arduino IDE required.
Download PLC Deployment Utility
What You Need to Get Started
- A USB-B cable (square connector — the same type used on most printers)
- The .ino sketch file for this PLC, provided by the Essembi team
- An internet connection is required to download the board package (~10 MB). This is a one-time step and subsequent launches will not require internet access.
Installation Steps
- Extract the zip file to a permanent location on the computer (e.g. your Desktop or Documents folder). Do not run the application directly from the zip.
- Connect the PLC to this computer using the USB-B cable. Ensure the PLC is powered on.
-
Launch the application using the Launch Essembi Arduino Installer file at the top of the extracted folder.
On first run, the app will automatically download the required board package. Progress is shown in the Output panel on the right — wait for it to complete before continuing. -
Select Sketch — click Browse and select the
.inosketch file provided by Essembi personnel. - Select Board — choose the board family and model from the dropdowns. For the M-Duino 21+, select M-Duino as the family and the appropriate CPU variant as the model.
- Detect Devices — click Detect Devices. The connected PLC should appear in the list. Click it to select it.
- Install — click the Install button. The application will compile and upload the sketch to the PLC. Progress streams to the Output panel on the right.
- When complete, a green confirmation banner appears at the top of the left panel. The Output panel will then display live output from the device, confirming it is running correctly.
System Requirements for PC Doing Deployment
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 or later (64-bit) |
| Microsoft Edge WebView2 | Required for the application UI. Pre-installed on Windows 11. For Windows 10, download from Microsoft if not already present. |
| USB Driver | CH340 or FTDI USB driver for the PLC connection. Typically already present on most Windows machines. |
| Internet Connection | Required on first launch only to download the board package (~10 MB). |
Troubleshooting Issues with Installation
| Issue | Resolution |
|---|---|
| No devices found | Confirm the USB-B cable is firmly connected at both ends and the PLC is powered on. Click Detect Devices again. Try a different USB port if the problem persists. |
| Installation failed | Check the Output panel for details. The most common cause is a loose cable or the wrong board family/model selected. Verify the correct model is selected and retry. |
| App fails to launch or shows an error on startup | Ensure Microsoft Edge WebView2 is installed. If the issue persists, contact Essembi support. |
| Output panel shows garbled characters | The PLC may still be booting. Wait a few seconds and the output should stabilize. |
Configuring Sensors in Essembi
Each sensor will be assigned to a line component via Settings > Lines. To learn more about how to set this up, see the details in the production module setup for sensors help page.
Sensor Configuration Overrides
Sensor Configuration Overrides allow you to customize how a sensor behaves for specific production runs, overriding the default rules set at the line level in Settings > Lines.
How It Works
By default, sensors inherit their incident tracking and line finish settings from the line configuration. Overrides let you tailor those settings on a per-formula basis — for example, disabling incident tracking for a specific product that runs differently on this line.
Setting Up Overrides
- Navigate to the sensor you want to configure and scroll to the Sensor Configuration Overrides section.
- Use the + Create Sensor Configuration button (or the dropdown) to create a new override, or click into an existing one to edit it.
- Assign the override to a Line Configuration using the dropdown. Line configurations are managed in Settings > Lines and assigned to formulas via Settings > Formulas.
Override States
Each override has three possible states for settings like For Incident Tracking and For Line Finishes:
| State | Appearance | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Checked | Filled checkbox | Overrides the line setting and forces it ON |
| Unchecked | Dark/filled border checkbox | Overrides the line setting and forces it OFF |
| Null | Light/empty checkbox | Inherits the setting from the line rule — no override applied |
Tip: The distinction between Unchecked and Null is important. An unchecked override actively turns a setting off, while a null state simply defers to whatever the line-level rule specifies.