Direct answer: A photo eye uses a light beam to watch an area near the gate. A vehicle loop senses a vehicle through a wire loop in or under the driveway.
They solve different jobs. Photo eyes are commonly part of entrapment protection. Vehicle loops can be used for exit commands or to help keep a gate from closing on a vehicle.
Direct answer: Do not bypass a required safety device just to make the gate move. A photo eye or safety edge may be part of the system that helps prevent the moving gate from striking a person or vehicle.
If the gate will not close, troubleshoot the sensor, wiring, alignment, and control-board input using the exact manual.
Direct answer: The Eagle 1000’s Diamond control board supports photo-eye/non-contact sensor inputs, and EG360 is Eagle’s current monitored/non-monitored photo-eye product. The exact wiring and monitored-safety configuration still depends on the operator version.
#ad See the Eagle EG360 photo eye
Do not bypass a monitored input or change a normally-open/normally-closed setting just to make the gate move. Follow the exact manual for the board and operator version.
Direct answer: Eagle’s 1000/2000 manual says the Diamond control board supports all brands of photo-eye detectors and shows the photo eye connected through the Reverse Loop input.
That broad hardware statement does not cancel current UL 325 monitoring requirements. The correct sensor and wiring method depend on the operator’s UL version and the entrapment zone being protected.
Source checked: Eagle 1000/2000 manual