Predictika · Optoelectronic sensors

An AI sales agent's slotted optical switch order, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares an order for slotted optical switches from the TT Electronics OPB range: the model, the quantity, the output type and termination the customer needs, the supply voltage, the temperature range of the application, the thickness of the flag that passes through the slot and the slot width it states. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the figures TT Electronics publishes in its product selection guide and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: 22 OPB slotted optical switch models from the TT Electronics Optoelectronics Product Selection Guide: supply voltage, temperature, slot width, output type, termination and emitter wavelength. See everything this validator covers

This validator models an order for one slotted optical switch model at a time, based on the figures in the public TT Electronics Optoelectronics Product Selection Guide (SSC-0620), not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Models covered — OPB120B, OPB200, OPB315L, OPB315WZ, OPB355T, OPB360L11, OPB365T55, OPB380T55Z, OPB460N11, OPB480L11Z, OPB610, OPB615, OPB620, OPB621, OPB628, OPB667N, OPB800L51, OPB800W51Z, OPB804, OPB815L, OPB817Z and OPB819Z.
  • Electrical and thermal fit — the application supply voltage must sit inside the supply range of the model, the hottest temperature of the application cannot exceed the maximum rating of the model, and the coldest cannot be below minus 40 degrees Celsius.
  • Mechanical and output fit — the flag in the slot cannot be thicker than the slot, the output type (phototransistor, photologic, photodiode or Rbe phototransistor) and the termination (through-hole or wire leads) must be the ones the customer needs, and the slot width the order states is compared with the model. A required emitter wavelength that differs from the model goes to a person to confirm.

Any order for these 22 models that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (TT Electronics publishes no list prices for these parts, so this page shows no price build-up), the other slotted switch models and the other TT Electronics sensor families, aperture sizes, packages and mounting, and the optical design of the application. The product selection guide remains the final authority.

The AI sales agentBuilds the switch order from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Supply voltage and temperature checked against the rating of the exact modelOnly with care
Each model has its own supply range and temperature rating that have to be kept as attributes and compared by validation rules written and maintained per attribute.		The ranges of every listed model sit in one declarative model and are compared on every call.
Flag thickness against the slot width of the modelOnly with care
A numeric comparison between a customer requirement and a catalog attribute, usually a separate rule that is easy to leave out.		The slot width of the model is looked up and compared on every call.
Output type and termination the customer needs against the model typed inOnly with workarounds
A product filter can narrow the list, but a model number typed or pasted into the order is not checked against the requirement unless a rule is written for each combination.		Output type, termination and model are in one request and checked together.
Slot width the order states against the catalogOnly with workarounds
A figure typed into the order is just text; comparing it with the catalog needs a custom rule and someone to notice it is missing.		The stated figure is a field of the request and is compared with the catalog value on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the order is saved or a step is completed, so one error is fixed and the next one appears.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1The order has 0 switches; at least 1 is needed.
2The application supply is 2.99 volts; this model accepts 3 to 30 volts.
3The application supply is 30.01 volts; this model accepts 3 to 30 volts.
4The application supply is 5.3 volts; this model accepts 4.75 to 5.25 volts.
5The application reaches 71 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 70.
6The application reaches 86 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 85.
7The application goes down to -41 degrees Celsius; every model in this family is rated down to -40.
8The customer flag is 0.126 inch thick; the slot of this model is 0.125 inch wide.
9The output type of this model is not the output type the customer needs.
10The termination of this model (through-hole pins or wire leads) is not the termination the customer needs.
11The application supply is 24 volts; this model accepts 4.5 to 16 volts.
12The order states a slot width of 0.375 inch; the quoted model has 0.125 inch.
13The customer asks for a 850 nm emitter; this model has 890 nm, so a person should confirm it suits the customer optics.
14The customer asks for a 890 nm emitter; this model has 850 nm, so a person should confirm it suits the customer optics.
15The application supply is 24 volts; this model accepts 4.75 to 5.25 volts.
16The application reaches 90 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 70.
17The application goes down to -55 degrees Celsius; every model in this family is rated down to -40.
18The customer flag is 0.300 inch thick; the slot of this model is 0.080 inch wide.
19The order states a slot width of 0.125 inch; the quoted model has 0.080 inch.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Termination: 2,000 OPB800L51 switches with wire leads for a 12 volt sorting line

    
The agent's request. Please quote 2,000 OPB800L51 slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a phototransistor output with wire leads. The application runs from a 12 volt supply, at temperatures from -10 to 70 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.250 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.375 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Termination not the one the customer needs. The termination of this model (through-hole pins or wire leads) is not the termination the customer needs.
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2. Termination: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 2,000 OPB800W51Z slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a phototransistor output with wire leads. The application runs from a 12 volt supply, at temperatures from -10 to 70 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.250 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.375 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 2,000 switches; slot 0.375 inch wide; supply range 3 to 30 volts; rated to 80 degrees Celsius; emitter 890 nm.
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3. Supply, temperature and termination: 800 OPB480L11Z photologic switches on 24 volts for a hot enclosure

    
The agent's request. Please quote 800 OPB480L11Z slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a photologic output with through-hole pins. The application runs from a 24 volt supply, at temperatures from -20 to 90 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.060 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.125 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Supply voltage outside the model range. The application supply is 24 volts; this model accepts 4.5 to 16 volts.
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  • Application hotter than the model rating. The application reaches 90 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 85.
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  • Termination not the one the customer needs. The termination of this model (through-hole pins or wire leads) is not the termination the customer needs.
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4. Supply, temperature and termination: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 800 OPB480L11Z slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a photologic output with through-hole pins. The application runs from a 12 volt supply, at temperatures from -20 to 90 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.060 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.125 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Application hotter than the model rating. The application reaches 90 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 85.
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  • Termination not the one the customer needs. The termination of this model (through-hole pins or wire leads) is not the termination the customer needs.
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5. Supply, temperature and termination: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 800 OPB615 slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a photologic output with through-hole pins. The application runs from a 12 volt supply, at temperatures from -20 to 90 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.100 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.150 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 800 switches; slot 0.150 inch wide; supply range 4.5 to 16 volts; rated to 100 degrees Celsius; emitter 890 nm.
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6. Stated slot width: 1,500 OPB200 switches with a 0.375 inch slot stated

    
The agent's request. Please quote 1,500 OPB200 slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a phototransistor output with through-hole pins. The application runs from an 18 volt supply, at temperatures from 0 to 75 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.150 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.375 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated slot width does not match. The order states a slot width of 0.375 inch; the quoted model has 0.200 inch.
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7. Stated slot width: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote 1,500 OPB800L51 slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a phototransistor output with through-hole pins. The application runs from an 18 volt supply, at temperatures from 0 to 75 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.150 inch thick. The order states a slot width of 0.375 inch. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 1,500 switches; slot 0.375 inch wide; supply range 3 to 30 volts; rated to 85 degrees Celsius; emitter 890 nm.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares an order for slotted optical switches from the TT Electronics OPB range: the model, the quantity, the output type and termination the customer needs, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the figures TT Electronics publishes in its product selection guide and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote 800 OPB480L11Z slotted optical switches for a customer who needs a photologic output with through-hole pins. The application runs from a 24 volt supply, at temperatures from -20 to 90 degrees Celsius, and the flag in the slot is 0.060 inch thick. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with three findings, all in one answer. The application supply is 24 volts; this model accepts 4.5 to 16 volts. The application reaches 90 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 85. The termination of this model (through-hole pins or wire leads) is not the termination the customer needs.
    6. 
      
  6. The validator returned three blocking findings in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
    7. 
      
  7. What this shows: for supply voltage and temperature checked against the rating of the exact model, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
    9. 
      
  9. The corrected request. It changes the supply voltage to 1,200 hundredths of a volt.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
    11. 
      
  11. Still blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. The application reaches 90 degrees Celsius; this model is rated to 85. The termination of this model (through-hole pins or wire leads) is not the termination the customer needs.
    12. 
      
  12. One finding cleared. Still blocking: application hotter than the model rating and termination not the one the customer needs.
    13. 
      
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
    14. 
      
  14. The revised request. It changes the model to OPB615, the flag thickness to 100 thousandths of an inch and the stated slot width as to 150 thousandths of an inch.
    15. 
      
  15. It calls the validator once more.
    16. 
      
  16. This time the validator clears it.
    17. 
      
  17. Both earlier findings are cleared, and the validator's figure matches the quote.
    18. 
      
  18. Three problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.