Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
OT Parts ID — Parallax Forums

OT Parts ID

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2002-08-12 04:16 in General Discussion
The impossible just happened.

I bought 100 Vastec 21L900 retroreflective switches for a stamp project,
googled for a spec sheet to get the lamp or led voltage. Got nothing!

Has anyone experience with this device?

Lee Wiggers
--
Registered Linux user #223705

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-08-11 20:17
    I would hope the supplier could provide the data. If I bought 100 of
    anything I would expect documentation to be included. On the other hand, if
    you bought them surplus / cheap you can afford to blow up a few trying to
    figure out the hookup on your own.

    Original Message

    > The impossible just happened.
    >
    > I bought 100 Vastec 21L900 retroreflective switches for a stamp project,
    > googled for a spec sheet to get the lamp or led voltage. Got nothing!
    >
    > Has anyone experience with this device?
    >
    > Lee Wiggers
    > --
    > Registered Linux user #223705
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-08-11 21:00
    It's not the bucks that hurt........It's the dumb.

    Mfg is gone, parts are surplus, and I guess fireworks are in order.

    Just thought someone might have used them.

    Lee

    On Sunday 11 August 2002 03:17 pm, you wrote:
    > I would hope the supplier could provide the data. If I bought 100 of
    > anything I would expect documentation to be included. On the other hand, if
    > you bought them surplus / cheap you can afford to blow up a few trying to
    > figure out the hookup on your own.
    >
    >
    Original Message
    >
    > > The impossible just happened.
    > >
    > > I bought 100 Vastec 21L900 retroreflective switches for a stamp project,
    > > googled for a spec sheet to get the lamp or led voltage. Got nothing!
    > >
    > > Has anyone experience with this device?
    > >
    > > Lee Wiggers
    > > --
    > > Registered Linux user #223705
    >
    > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
    > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
    > Body of the message will be ignored.
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

    --
    Registered Linux user #223705

    Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-08-11 21:04
    If you get no hits on the internet either for the company name or the part
    number, I would say chances are slim that anyone around here has used this
    sensor.

    Original Message

    > It's not the bucks that hurt........It's the dumb.
    >
    > Mfg is gone, parts are surplus, and I guess fireworks are in order.
    >
    > Just thought someone might have used them.

    > > I would hope the supplier could provide the data. If I bought 100 of
    > > anything I would expect documentation to be included. On the other hand,
    if
    > > you bought them surplus / cheap you can afford to blow up a few trying
    to
    > > figure out the hookup on your own.
    > >
    > >
    Original Message
    > >
    > > > The impossible just happened.
    > > >
    > > > I bought 100 Vastec 21L900 retroreflective switches for a stamp
    project,
    > > > googled for a spec sheet to get the lamp or led voltage. Got nothing!
    > > >
    > > > Has anyone experience with this device?
    > > >
    > > > Lee Wiggers
    > > > --
    > > > Registered Linux user #223705
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-08-11 22:39
    g'day,

    Hmmm, I found your request a little intriguing, so I did a
    little digging. I couldn't find the datasheet for your part,
    but may be able to help with a pointer or two.

    One site in Google claims to have the 21L900 in their
    inventory, and claimed the manufacturer was "EG&G".

    This appears to be a company with *lots* of subsidiaries (as
    an aside, it was founded by the inventor of the
    strobelight). Among other things, they apparently worked on
    the original triggers for the first nuclear weapons and now
    do a ton of other government-related secret stuff. See:

    http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/egg.html


    They in turn have one subsidiary named "Vactec" (note: *NOT*
    "Valtec") which apparently makes (made?) optoelectronics. I
    suspect these may be the folks that made your part.


    Continuing the hunt, it appears this division may have been
    sold off to Perkins Elmer Opto, who I found at:

    http://opto.perkinelmer.com/index.asp

    Searching their site for 21L900 I couldn't find anything,
    but I *did* find lots of references to other retroreflective
    switches under the optoelectronics section, which seems to
    confirm these to be the folks responsible for the desired
    part. If you want some links to related to retroreflective
    parts, try:

    http://pki6.mondosearch.com/cgi-bin/MsmFind.exe?RESMASK=MssRes.msk&CFGNAME=MssFi\
    nd.cfg&QUERY=retro&ct=optoelectronics


    (if this link barfs because of line-wrapping or such, go to
    the Perkins-Elmer site, navigate down to the Optoelectronics
    page and do a search for "retro").

    Among other things, they reference parts such as the
    VTR16D1:


    http://optoelectronics.perkinelmer.com/Downloads/standard_refl.pdf


    I don't know if any of this is actually related to your part
    or not but it doesn't hurt to check it out. If nothing else
    it gives yo a starting point for experimentation.

    Good luck, and hope this helps...


    - peterd







    Lee wrote:
    >
    > The impossible just happened.
    >
    > I bought 100 Vastec 21L900 retroreflective switches for a stamp project,
    > googled for a spec sheet to get the lamp or led voltage. Got nothing!
    >
    > Has anyone experience with this device?
    >
    > Lee Wiggers
    > --
    > Registered Linux user #223705
    >
    > Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
    >
    > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
    > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and Body
    of the message will be ignored.
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

    --

    Peter Deutsch pdeutsch@g...
    Gydig Software


    The one who says it cannot be done should never
    interrupt
    the one who is doing it....

    - The Roman Rule

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-08-12 04:16
    I love this list. Thanks Peter. That was some good work!

    Lee

    On Sunday 11 August 2002 05:39 pm, you wrote:
    > g'day,
    >
    > Hmmm, I found your request a little intriguing, so I did a
    > little digging. I couldn't find the datasheet for your part,
    > but may be able to help with a pointer or two.
    >
    > One site in Google claims to have the 21L900 in their
    > inventory, and claimed the manufacturer was "EG&G".
    >
    > This appears to be a company with *lots* of subsidiaries (as
    > an aside, it was founded by the inventor of the
    > strobelight). Among other things, they apparently worked on
    > the original triggers for the first nuclear weapons and now
    > do a ton of other government-related secret stuff. See:
    >
    > http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/egg.html
    >
    >
    > They in turn have one subsidiary named "Vactec" (note: *NOT*
    > "Valtec") which apparently makes (made?) optoelectronics. I
    > suspect these may be the folks that made your part.
    >
    >
    > Continuing the hunt, it appears this division may have been
    > sold off to Perkins Elmer Opto, who I found at:
    >
    > http://opto.perkinelmer.com/index.asp
    >
    > Searching their site for 21L900 I couldn't find anything,
    > but I *did* find lots of references to other retroreflective
    > switches under the optoelectronics section, which seems to
    > confirm these to be the folks responsible for the desired
    > part. If you want some links to related to retroreflective
    > parts, try:
    >
    > http://pki6.mondosearch.com/cgi-bin/MsmFind.exe?RESMASK=MssRes.msk&CFGNAME=
    >MssFind.cfg&QUERY=retro&ct=optoelectronics
    >
    > (if this link barfs because of line-wrapping or such, go to
    > the Perkins-Elmer site, navigate down to the Optoelectronics
    > page and do a search for "retro").
    >
    > Among other things, they reference parts such as the
    > VTR16D1:
    >
    >
    > http://optoelectronics.perkinelmer.com/Downloads/standard_refl.pdf
    >
    >
    > I don't know if any of this is actually related to your part
    > or not but it doesn't hurt to check it out. If nothing else
    > it gives yo a starting point for experimentation.
    >
    > Good luck, and hope this helps...
    >
    >
    > - peterd
    >
Sign In or Register to comment.