What's a pulse output?

What's a pulse output? (I am not a PLC programmer, but I do support a supervisory control system that sets pulse outputs to trigger a PLC to divert product riding a chain conveyor from the mainline to a warehouse aisle serviced by a stacker crane.)

Thank you.

An output that is on briefly and then turns back off. Kind of like flipping a light switch on and then off again, the lights are a "pulse output".

Thanks!

Thanks Ben.

Not necessarily and I would say unlike.
For me sounds more like a high-speed pulsetrain output.

Clarification

Mark is correct, a pulse is an output that cycles off to on for a specified period of time...same as your heart "pulse".

In automation etc a pulsed output can be used in many ways;
1. Flashing light; alarms etc
2. Heartbeat signal as an OK
3. Pulse train; used for stepper direction and velocity control..and more.
4. PWM: Pulse width modulation; a method of using a digital output to provide an analog signal.
5. Counter or count signal; in your case the pulses could be a count (or similar) to tell the plc which diverter to activate.

These are just a few of the possibilities, the limit is only in your imagination.

Clarification to the Clarification

Ron is correct, however, without the clutter...

Since GHESS1 is talking about a supervisory system, namely, an Operator Interface where the Operator Interface is capable of controlling the state of a particular bit in the PLC, he is talking about using the Operator Interface to apply control onto a particular bit.

By "Declaring", in the Operator Interface software, that the particular bit is to be a "Pulse", or "Pulsed", type, when the particular associated button is activated, that associated bit is caused to go ON for x-amount of time, and then OFF.

The "x" in "x-amount of time" should be decribed in the documentation. All in all, the duration of the pulse should not matter... it should be read and reacted to as if it was a REAL pushbutton.

Both Terry and Ron are correct. My answer was assuming the same things Terry is assuming; that you are essentially simulating a simple push button type operator.