MQ Essence Edition Safety Light Curtain

Name: MQ Essence Edition Safety Light Curtain
Brand: DAIDISIKE
SKU: mq-essence-safety-light-curtain
Availability: InStock

TUV/CE-certified through-beam pair in a 29 × 30 mm profile — optical synchronisation with no wire between TX and RX, ≤ 10 ms response, 4–256 beams.

▶ Watch it in action: 3D Animation: How Light Curtains, Door Locks, Safety Mats & LiDAR Guard a Machine

🔍 Click to enlarge · 1/8

Technical Specifications

Curtain type	Through-beam (opposed) — matched transmitter and receiver pair
Certification	TUV / CE (stated in the series manual; certification covers design and manufacturing process)
Cross-section	29 × 30 mm extruded aluminium
Beam pitch	10 / 20 / 40 mm
Minimum detectable object	Φ15 mm (10 mm pitch) / Φ25 mm (20 mm pitch) / Φ45 mm (40 mm pitch)
Beam count	4, 6, 8 … 256 (even numbers); 4–60 tabulated as standard
Protection height	H = (beam count − 1) × beam pitch
Total housing length	L = beam count × beam pitch + 57 mm (top cap 12 mm + bottom cap/cable outlet 45 mm; blind zone ½ pitch at each end)
Sensing distance	0.2–7 m, ordered by band: 01 = 0–1 m · 03 = 1–3 m · 05 = 1–5 m · 07 = 1–7 m
Response time	≤ 10 ms
Supply voltage	24 V DC ± 10 %
Power consumption	3–8 W (depends on beam count and length)
Signal output	NPN or PNP, NO or NC — selected by ordering code (NC is the conventional choice for safety circuits)
Synchronisation	Optical (standard, no wire between TX and RX; separate supplies permitted) or wire sync via CP conductor (code W; common supply and 0 V required)
Ambient light immunity	10,000 Lux
Insulation resistance	≥ 100 MΩ
Circuit protection	Reverse-polarity protection on supply; short-circuit protection on output
Enclosure rating	IP65 (housing, end caps and front window)
Operating temperature	−10 °C to +55 °C
Storage temperature	−40 °C to +70 °C
Operating humidity	35–85 %RH
Standard wiring	Factory-terminated 3 m cable on TX + 3 m cable on RX, direct M12 aviation connectors — no field termination
Wire colours	Brown +24 V · Blue 0 V · Black NPN output (CP sync line on W version) · White PNP output
Mounting	Top-and-bottom fixing brackets (code E, default) or L-type side brackets (code L), fixing kit included
Ordering code	MQ + beams(2 digits) + pitch, then N/P (NPN/PNP), C/O (NC/NO), range band, bracket — example MQ-2010NC03E

Overview

The MQ Series "Essence Edition" is a through-beam photoelectric safety barrier: a matched transmitter and receiver pair in slim 29 × 30 mm extruded-aluminium profiles, projecting a fence of synchronised infrared beams across a machine opening. Interrupt any single beam with a finger, hand, arm or body and the receiver switches its output within 10 ms, signalling the machine control circuit to stop the dangerous motion — an invisible, non-contact barrier that never obstructs loading, visibility or material flow the way a mechanical guard does.

The series is the product of more than ten years of continuous development and field application across metal forming, automation, packaging and plastics machinery. Every unit is built around a self-monitoring CPU architecture that watches the curtain itself, not just the beams: loss of synchronisation, insufficient received light, emitter or receiver drive errors, cable faults and CPU errors are all detected and annunciated rather than silently ignored.

Its signature convenience is the proprietary cyclic optical synchronisation algorithm: transmitter and receiver lock timing purely through the light path, so no synchronisation wire of any kind runs between them — the two units may even be fed from completely separate 24 V DC supplies on opposite sides of a large machine. A wire-synchronised version (order code W) exists for specifications that demand it, with identical detection behaviour.

With beam pitches of 10, 20 and 40 mm, beam counts from 4 up to 256, sensing ranges of 0.2–7 m in four ordered bands, selectable NPN or PNP output in NO or NC logic, and IP65 sealing across a −10 to +55 °C operating window, one family covers finger, hand and body protection across virtually any machine geometry — and the whole set ships as a matched pair with factory-terminated 3 m cables and direct M12 aviation connectors, so there is no field termination at all.

Key Facts — MQ at a glance

TUV / CE certified — certification covers product design and manufacturing process (per the series manual; ask for the certificate scope for your conformity file)
Response time ≤ 10 ms from beam interruption to output state change
29 × 30 mm extruded-aluminium cross-section — one of the slimmest formats in its class
Beam pitch 10 / 20 / 40 mm → minimum detectable object Φ15 / Φ25 / Φ45 mm
Beam count 4–256 (even numbers); protection heights from 30 mm to 2360 mm in the standard 4–60-beam tables
Sensing distance 0.2–7 m, ordered in bands: 01 = 0–1 m, 03 = 1–3 m, 05 = 1–5 m, 07 = 1–7 m
Optical synchronisation standard — zero wires between TX and RX, separate 24 V supplies permitted; wire-sync version by order code W
Ambient light immunity 10,000 Lux; CPU self-check annunciates internal faults instead of hiding them

Features & Benefits

Applications

Models & Ordering Information

10 mm pitch — finger protection, min. object Φ15 mm

MQ0410MQ6010

Standard table: 4–60 beams (even). Protection height H = 30–590 mm, total housing length L = 117–657 mm. H = (beams − 1) × 10; L = beams × 10 + 57.

20 mm pitch — hand protection, min. object Φ25 mm

MQ0420MQ6020

Standard table: 4–60 beams (even). H = 60–1180 mm, L = 137–1257 mm. The most common general-purpose pitch, typically held in stock.

40 mm pitch — arm/limb protection, min. object Φ45 mm

MQ0440MQ6040

Standard table: 4–60 beams (even). H = 120–2360 mm, L = 217–2457 mm. Beam counts 62–256, non-standard pitches, shielded cable (S20n), cross-beam scanning (X) and custom cable lengths (Cn) are available to order.

How to Select

Step 1 — pitch from the smallest object: fingers reach the hazard → 10 mm (Φ15); hands/palms → 20 mm (Φ25); arm or body presence → 40 mm (Φ45).
Step 2 — protection height from the opening: H must cover the whole reachable opening; remember a blind zone of ½ pitch exists beyond the first and last beam, so position the housing so those margins overlap solid guarding.
Step 3 — range band from the installed separation: order the band containing your actual TX–RX distance (01/03/05/07). Do not over-specify — the correct band improves signal margin and reduces crosstalk between neighbouring curtains.
Step 4 — output from the machine input: NPN (sinking) for common-positive input circuits, PNP (sourcing) for common-negative — the usual European convention. Check the machine schematic, not habit.
Step 5 — logic: NC (code C) is the safety convention, because a broken wire or lost supply then produces a machine stop, not a false clear. Choose NO only when the existing input logic demands it.
Step 6 — check total length L = beams × pitch + 57 mm against the mounting space, allowing clearance below for the cable to exit and bend without strain.

📘 Need the full method? How to Choose a Safety Light Curtain · Type 2 vs Type 4 Safety Light Curtains

When NOT to specify the MQ — and what to use instead

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Specifications we do not publish yet

We only publish a figure once we are confident it is true. The items below are still being validated through further testing and real-world customer feedback, so for now we would rather leave them open than guess. If one of them matters to your design, ask us for the latest validated status.

IEC 61496 Type class (2 or 4), ISO 13849 PL/Category, PFHd and mission time are not printed in the Essence Edition manual — the TUV/CE statement covers design and manufacturing process; request the certificate and its scope for machine-file documentation.
EMC test standards and levels are not itemised in the manual.
Unit weight per model is not published.
M12 connector pin assignment table is not printed (wiring is by wire colour on the factory-fitted cables).
Indicator LED states are described functionally (steady operating / stable clear / fault annunciation) but a full LED table is not included.
Wire-sync (W) version: only the CP conductor and shared-supply requirement are specified; any further pin differences ship with the order documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the MQ series really need no cable between transmitter and receiver?

Correct — in the standard optically synchronised version, timing is carried inside the light beam itself, so no conductor of any kind runs between the two units, and they may be powered from completely separate 24 V DC supplies. Only the wire-sync variant (code W) runs a CP conductor, and that version must share one supply and 0 V reference.

What does the ordering code MQ-2010NC03E mean?

20 beams at 10 mm pitch, NPN output, NC logic, range band 03 (1–3 m), top-and-bottom brackets (E). Protection height works out to (20−1)×10 = 190 mm and housing length 20×10+57 = 257 mm.

How do I compute protection height and housing length?

H = (beam count − 1) × pitch, measured beam-centre to beam-centre. L = beam count × pitch + 57 mm, end cap to end cap — the 57 mm constant is the 12 mm top cap plus 45 mm bottom cap/cable outlet, with the two half-pitch blind zones absorbed into the formula.

Which pitch should I choose?

Match the smallest object that must be detected: Φ15 mm objects (fingers at the die) need the 10 mm pitch; Φ25 mm (hands at a feeding opening) the 20 mm pitch — the most common choice; Φ45 mm (arm/body at a perimeter) the 40 mm pitch, which buys the tallest heights per housing length.

Why is NC logic recommended for safety circuits?

With NC (code C) the output conducts while the field is clear and opens on interruption or loss of supply — so a cut cable, unplugged connector or dead supply produces the same machine-stop state as an intrusion. NO logic would read those failures as "all clear".

Can two MQ curtains work close to each other without interference?

Yes, with the measures the manual specifies: alternate the orientation of adjacent pairs (TX up / RX down on one, reversed on the next) so no two transmitters face the same way, and order different sensing-distance bands for neighbouring units. Verify each curtain with the test rod after installation.

What test rod do I use at commissioning?

Match the rod to the pitch: Φ15 mm for 10 mm, Φ25 mm for 20 mm, Φ45 mm for 40 mm. Pass it slowly through the field near the transmitter, at mid-span and near the receiver, top to bottom — the output must indicate blocked at every point with no gap, and the machine-stop must be verified under controlled conditions.

Is the MQ curtain enough on its own to make a machine safe?

No light curtain is. The output must feed a control chain capable of stopping the hazard — typically a safety relay such as our [DA31](/products/safety-relay/), a safety controller or a safety PLC input — and the whole chain, including the machine's measured stopping time and the resulting mounting distance, must be verified together. The curtain also gives no protection against ejected parts or approach from unguarded directions.

What arrives in the box?

A complete matched set: transmitter and receiver (pre-fitted 3 m cables with direct M12 connectors), one set of mounting brackets (top-and-bottom type E by default, or side type L per the code), the full fixing kit, and the instruction manual. TX and RX are a matched pair — never mix units from different sets.

What options exist beyond the standard tables?

Beam counts from 62 up to 256, non-standard pitches, a shielded-cable version (suffix S20n) for cable runs that must move or pass near noise sources, cross-beam scanning (X), and custom cable lengths (Cn) — all configured at order with your protection height, sensing distance and machine input type.