Product Description

SICK S30A-6011CA — S3000 Advanced Safety Laser Scanner, 5.5m, 190°, SIL 2 / PL d

Machinery guarding used to be straightforward in principle but frustrating in practice. Fixed guards work until a process changes — then the machine stops production while the guarding is redesigned and rebuilt. Light curtains protect a single plane but leave floor-level and multi-direction hazards unaddressed. And older, fixed-configuration safety scanners demanded complete replacement when field geometry needed to change.

The S30A-6011CA from SICK is a third-generation S3000 Advanced safety laser scanner that solves the configuration problem directly. Four field sets, each with triple or dual field capability, give the scanner twelve individual fields and four monitoring cases — all stored in the device and switchable via static inputs or EFI commands without hardware changes. A 5.5m protective field range in a 190° scanning angle covers the majority of stationary machine guarding, AGV approach corridors, and perimeter access protection tasks within a single unit.

Safety ratings are IEC 61496 Type 3, SIL 2 per IEC 61508, Category 3 / Performance Level d per EN ISO 13849, with a PFHD of 8.0×10⁻⁸ and a 20-year mission time. Genuine SICK original. New in original packaging. In stock and available for immediate worldwide dispatch.

Technical Specifications (Official Datasheet — Part No. 1023547)

Parameter	Value
SICK Type	S30A-6011CA
SICK Part Number	1023547
Product Series	S3000 Advanced
Device Type	Safety Laser Scanner (indoor)
Protective Field Range	5.5 m
Warning Field Range	49 m (20 m at 20% reflectivity)
Distance Measuring Range	49 m
Scanning Angle	190°
Angular Resolution	0.5° or 0.25° (depending on range and resolution)
Resolution (configurable)	30 mm / 40 mm / 50 mm / 70 mm / 150 mm
Response Time	60 ms
Protective Field Supplement	100 mm
Simultaneously Monitored Protective Fields	≤ 4
Field Set Types	Triple field sets, dual field sets
Number of Field Sets	4
Number of Fields	12
Number of Monitoring Cases	4
Multiple Samplings	2–16 (configurable)
Automatic Reset Delay	2–60 s (configurable)
Supply Voltage	24V DC (16.8–28.8V DC)
Power Consumption	0.8A @ 24V (no load) / 2.3A @ 24V (max load)
OSSDs	2 × 500 mA
Application Diagnostic Outputs	3 × 100 mA (freely programmable)
Measured Data Output	RS-422
EFI Interface	Integrated
Safety Type	Type 3 (IEC 61496)
Safety Integrity Level	SIL 2 (IEC 61508)
Category	Category 3 (EN ISO 13849)
Performance Level	PL d (EN ISO 13849)
PFHD	8.0 × 10⁻⁸
Mission Time (TM)	20 years
Light Source	Pulsed laser diode, 905 nm
Laser Class	1 (IEC 60825-1 / 21 CFR 1040.10 & 1040.11)
Detectable Remission	1.8% to >1,000%; reflectors supported
Operating Temperature	–10°C to +50°C
Storage Temperature	–25°C to +50°C
Vibration Resistance	IEC 60068-2-6, Class 5M1 (IEC 60721-3-5)
Shock Resistance	50 m/s² / 11 ms; 100 m/s² / 16 ms
IP Rating	IP65 (EN 60529)
Housing Material	Aluminium die cast
Housing Colour	RAL 1021 (yellow)
Front Screen	Polycarbonate with scratch-resistant coating
Dimensions (W × H × D)	155 × 185 × 160 mm
Weight	3.3 kg
Protection Class	II (EN 50178)
Certifications	cULus, CE (EU DoC), UK DoC, EC-Type Examination, China GB, China RoHS, ACMA

Safety Classification — What Type 3, SIL 2, Category 3 / PL d Actually Mean

Specifying safety laser scanners requires understanding the relationship between the functional safety standards they reference, because the numbers carry precise technical meaning rather than being general quality grades.

IEC 61496 Type 3 is the product-standard classification for electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE). Type 3 devices can tolerate a single fault — one internal component failure — and still maintain the safe state. A second, independent fault is required before the protection function fails. This makes Type 3 appropriate for Category 3 safety function architectures, where a single fault must be detectable before the next machine cycle.

SIL 2 per IEC 61508 is the probability-of-failure classification for the scanner as a functional safety subsystem. SIL 2 requires a dangerous failure probability (PFHD) between 10⁻⁷ and 10⁻⁶ per hour. The S30A-6011CA achieves PFHD = 8.0×10⁻⁸ — comfortably within SIL 2 and closer to the lower boundary of SIL 3. This figure is used in calculating the PFH contribution of the scanner within an overall safety function.

Category 3 / Performance Level d per EN ISO 13849 is the machine-safety standard classification. PL d requires a mean probability of dangerous failure per hour (PFHD combined for the complete safety function) between 10⁻⁷ and 10⁻⁶. Achieving PL d with a Category 3 architecture requires two channels for the final switching output — met by the scanner's two OSSD outputs, which must both be monitored by the downstream safety controller or safety relay. The 20-year mission time (TM) confirms that the safety classification applies over the full intended service life without recertification.

Field Configuration: 4 Sets, 12 Fields, 4 Monitoring Cases

The S30A-6011CA's field management architecture gives machine designers flexibility that fixed-configuration scanners cannot provide. Understanding the terminology helps in planning the application:

A field is a single geometric zone defined in two-dimensional space within the scanner's scan plane. Fields are drawn during configuration using SICK's Safety Designer software. A protective field, when violated, triggers the OSSD safety outputs. A warning field, when violated, activates a programmable diagnostic output for early warning without stopping the machine.

A field set groups up to three fields (in triple field mode) — typically one protective field and up to two warning fields — that operate together. The S30A-6011CA stores four complete field sets, each independently defined with its own geometry and response behaviour.

A monitoring case defines which field set is active at any given moment and can include conditions for automatic reset behaviour, multiple sampling settings, and response time. The scanner's four monitoring cases are switched using the static inputs (physical wiring) or via the EFI interface from a connected safety controller.

This architecture directly supports the common requirement where a machine operates in different modes — manual loading, automatic production, maintenance access — each requiring a different protective zone geometry. Instead of physically relaying between separate scanners or reconfiguring the active scanner on each mode change, the host safety controller switches monitoring cases. The machine transitions between zone geometries in one control cycle, without any hardware change.

EFI Interface: Networked Safety Systems Without Extra Cabling

The EFI (Enhanced Function Interface) is SICK's proprietary serial safety bus running over standard two-wire twisted-pair cabling. Built into the S30A-6011CA as standard, it allows multiple safety devices — scanners, light curtains, safety switches — to communicate with a central SICK safety controller (Flexi Soft or compatible) over a single network rather than running individual safety-rated wiring from each device to the controller.

For the S30A-6011CA, EFI brings two specific capabilities: remote monitoring case switching (the safety controller can command field set changes across the network) and diagnostic data transmission (the scanner reports contamination warnings, ambient condition alerts, field status, and device health back to the controller without requiring additional analogue or digital wiring for each signal).

In multi-scanner installations — autonomous mobile robots monitored from multiple angles, or conveyor systems where different zones protect different machine sections — EFI significantly reduces the wiring complexity and cabinet terminal count compared to hard-wiring every diagnostic output from every scanner separately.

Protective Field Range Options Across the S3000 Advanced Family

The S3000 Advanced platform offers three protective field range variants: 4m, 5.5m, and 7m. The S30A-6011CA is the 5.5m variant — the middle of the three range options.

Range selection in safety laser scanner applications is not simply about choosing the longest range. The protective field range determines the size of the zone within which the scanner can be configured to stop the machine when an intrusion is detected. A longer range allows a larger protective zone with the same response time, which may be required when machine stopping time plus travel distance of the hazardous motion means that a person entering at the protective field boundary must be stopped before reaching the hazard. Conversely, using more range than the application requires may cause nuisance trips from reflective surfaces or structural elements outside the intended guard zone.

At 5.5m, the S30A-6011CA is appropriate for medium-to-large machine guarding, AGV approach path protection in standard-width aisles, and perimeter access protection for work cells where the hazard radius from the scanner mounting point is up to approximately 3–4m (accounting for protective field supplement, resolution, and safety distance calculation per EN ISO 13855).

Two OSSD Outputs: How They Connect to the Safety Circuit

The scanner provides two OSSD (Output Signal Switching Device) outputs, each rated at 500mA. Both OSSDs switch simultaneously: when the protective field is clear, both are HIGH (approximately supply voltage); when the field is violated, both switch to LOW (0V) within the response time.

The requirement that both OSSDs be connected and monitored by the downstream device is a core architectural feature of the Type 3 / Category 3 classification. The downstream safety relay or safety controller reads both channels and verifies that they switch in synchronisation. If one OSSD fails to switch while the other does — indicating a fault in the output circuitry — the safety controller detects a discrepancy and locks out. This cross-monitoring of dual channels is what enables the Category 3 fault-detection capability.

For applications requiring simultaneous monitoring of up to four protective fields (using the advanced monitoring features with a Flexi Soft safety controller), the individual field OSSD signals must be routed through the Flexi Soft's safe inputs rather than directly wired to machine contactors. The connection diagrams in the official documentation show both the standard two-OSSD wiring and the Flexi Soft-based multi-field configurations.

Three Freely Programmable Diagnostic Outputs

Beyond the two safety OSSDs, the S30A-6011CA includes three application diagnostic outputs, each rated at 100mA. These are freely programmable during configuration — each can be assigned to report any of a range of status conditions: warning field state, contamination warning, reset required, device fault, or other diagnostic signals.

Typical assignments in real installations include: one output signalling warning field violation (amber indicator light on an HMI), one output signalling lens contamination requiring cleaning (maintenance call-out), and one output signalling reset required after a protective field violation (operator acknowledgement prompt). Configuring these outputs during commissioning replaces the need to run separate status monitoring cables from the safety controller back to every indicator and panel display.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between the S30A-6011CA and the S30A-6011CB or S30A-6011CD?

A: The SICK type code suffix after the base number identifies the specific variant and connectivity option. The S30A-6011CA is the standard variant without integrated system plug — field wiring is connected via individual conductors to the scanner's cable connection. Other suffix variants may indicate different connector configurations, pre-wired system plugs, or option combinations. Always verify the exact type code against the application's wiring and connector requirements before ordering.

Q: Does the S30A-6011CA require a safety controller, or can it connect directly to machine contactors?

A: For standard applications using a single protective field (one OSSD pair driving a safety relay or directly wired to Category 3 / PL d rated safety contactors), the S30A-6011CA can connect without a dedicated safety controller — using standard two-channel safety relay modules that monitor both OSSDs. However, if the application requires simultaneous monitoring of more than one protective field, monitoring case switching via EFI, or integration into a networked safety system, a SICK Flexi Soft safety controller or compatible EFI gateway is required.

Q: What does the 60ms response time represent and how does it affect safety distance calculation?

A: The 60ms figure is the maximum time from protective field intrusion to the OSSD outputs switching to the OFF state. It is the input used in the safety distance calculation per EN ISO 13855. The calculation combines response time with the machine's stopping performance (measured in ms) and the approach speed of a person (typically 1,600mm/s for the hand/arm model or 1,000mm/s for whole-body approach). A longer response time requires a greater minimum separation distance between the protective field boundary and the nearest hazardous motion. 60ms is a relatively fast response for a category of scanner supporting simultaneous multi-field monitoring — it is configurable via multiple sampling settings (2–16 samples), with higher multiple sampling improving immunity to transient false signals but extending response time proportionally.

Q: What is multiple sampling and why would it be configured above the minimum?

A: Multiple sampling requires an object to be detected in the same scan position for a set number of consecutive scan cycles before the OSSD triggers. At the minimum setting (2 samples), the scanner confirms an intrusion over two consecutive 30ms scan cycles before switching the output — producing the minimum 60ms response time. Increasing the setting reduces susceptibility to spurious triggers from dust particles, aerosols, or transient reflections, at the cost of a proportionally longer response time. The appropriate setting is determined during risk assessment: environments with high airborne contamination may need higher multiple sampling to prevent nuisance stops, but the resulting longer response time must be accounted for in the safety distance calculation.

Q: Is the S30A-6011CA suitable for outdoor use?

A: No. The S30A-6011CA is classified for indoor application only. Safety laser scanners operating on pulsed 905nm laser diode technology can be affected by high ambient light levels (direct sunlight at certain angles can exceed the scanner's optical noise immunity) and by precipitation. For outdoor or semi-outdoor applications — loading docks with open doors, outdoor AGV paths, covered but unheated structures — specific outdoor-rated variants or additional protective measures are required. The operating temperature range of –10°C to +50°C also excludes applications in unheated environments below –10°C.

Q: Can the S30A-6011CA detect a person lying on the floor?

A: Safety laser scanners generate a scan plane at a fixed height — the plane of the laser beam as it rotates through the 190° scanning angle. The scanner can only detect objects that intersect this scan plane. If a person is lying on the floor below the scan plane height, or if a person's extremity is above the scan plane, detection may not occur. Safety distance calculations, scan plane height, and supplementary guarding measures (additional scanners at different heights, physical barriers for low-level intrusion paths) must be evaluated during risk assessment. SICK's SISTEMA safety analysis tool and the S3000 Advanced application notes contain guidance on multi-layer installation configurations.

Q: What configuration software is used for the S30A-6011CA?

A: SICK Safety Designer is the configuration software for the S3000 Advanced series. It is used to define field geometries, assign monitoring cases to field sets, configure OSSD parameters, program diagnostic output functions, and commission the scanner via the USB connection (M8 4-pin to USB-A cable — accessory DSL-8U04G02M025KM1 for 2m or DSL-8U04G10M025KM1 for 10m). The integrated configuration memory stores all settings in the device, so configuration is retained through power cycling without requiring a connected computer in normal operation.

S30A-6011CA SICK 1023547 Laser Scanner New In Box