Vehicle detection sensors, commonly known as loops, offer various command options for different applications.
How do Loops Work?
Loops work off of inductance, not magnetism. This is why they are sometimes called inductance loops. They can detect any material that conducts electricity, such as metal. Detectors require a percentage of change to trigger a detection, that means enough metal needs to appear around the detection field to trigger detection.
Depending on how sensitive the system is an object as small as a metal trash can lid can trigger detection.
Many installers and customers believe that loops work off of magnetism or pressure. Most magnetic materials contain iron and can be detected.
Non magnetic materials such as aluminum and copper are excellent conductors of electricity and are also detectable objects.
People who mistake loops for pressure-sensitive devices may be confused when their horses or heavy objects aren’t detected.
Loops detect large metal objects like cars and motorcycles, not weight.
How many loops does my system need?
This is one of the questions we are asked the most, the answer depends on the type of gate:
Slide Gate/Cantilever Gate/Vertical Lift/Vertical Pivot Gate: 2 Loops are required.
- Inside Reverse or Exit Loop
- Outside Reverse Loop
(See photo for details)
If space allows, consider installing an additional Exit Loop further down the driveway to ensure the gate is open when the vehicle arrives.
Swing Gate: 3 Loops are required.
- Inside Reverse or Exit Loop
- Shadow Loop underneath the gate swing path
- Outside Reverse Loop
If space permits, consider installing an additional exit vehicle detection sensor loop further down the driveway to ensure the gate is open when the vehicle arrives.
What is the difference between a Reverse Loop and an Exit Loop?
Exit Loops automatically open the gate when a vehicle drives over them, they also will hold a gate open and reverse a closing gate which means they can used in place of an inside reverse loop.
A reverse loop will reverse a closing gate if a vehicle is detected. A reverse loop will also hold a gate open if a vehicle stops over the loop.
When the gate is fully closed and a vehicle drives over a reverse loop, the gate remains closed, and nothing happens.
Features and Benefits of preformed loops:
Exit/Free Exit/Automatic Open Loops:
“Do you want to wait 15-30 seconds to leave your property every day?”
“We can install a loop that will automatically open the gate for you as you are exiting, no remotes required.”
“With an exit loop guests on your property will be able to leave without you having to follow them out to open the gate.”
For added convenience, place exit vehicle detection sensors 40-200 feet up the driveway to ensure the gate is fully open when the car reaches it.
Shadow/Phantom/Center Loop:
Many installers don’t fully understand the function of this loop, which can make it hard to understand why it is so important on swing gates.
Place the shadow loop beneath the swing path of a swing gate.
This loop will check before the gate closes and/or opens to see if a vehicle is within the swing path, if a vehicle is within the swing path the gate will not move.
The shadow loop is very important, on a 12ft single swing gate there is 20ft of undetectable area between the inside and outside reverse loop that a car can easily fit into.
Not everyone checks how a gate opens, so guests and visitors might stop in the gate’s swing path while waiting to exit. Without a shadow loop, their car could be hit by the gate.
Reverse Loops:
Reverse loops keep the gate open or reverse a closing gate when they detect a vehicle.
They offer customers peace of mind, and prevent panic and risky actions when a gate is closing.
These are common scenarios where reverse loops are important:
Vehicle tailgating/follow-through, without a reverse loop the gate could close on vehicles following another car through an open gate.
You’re exiting and find a child’s bike blocking your driveway exit, you get out of the car to move the bike and the gate starts closing on the vehicle.
