3 questions “Funnel the Spec” to one product type.

Start at the top, follow the path down, end on the recommendation. Designed for distributors to send a customer ahead of a quote call.

Question 1

What does the machine need to sense?

Cylinder position · did the rod reach end-of-stroke

Air pressure · system setpoint or filter differential

Vacuum · did the pick-and-place gripper latch the part

The root question — what physical variable does the machine need to confirm — picks the device cleanly; the three don't substitute for one another. The call that actually breaks at commissioning is electrical, and it's the same for all three: match the output type to the PLC input card (PNP vs. NPN, switched vs. analog vs. IO-Link, and the supply voltage). Pull the input card spec before quoting any sensor on this page.