Products in the analog output reflective optical sensor family incorporate an optical emitter and light sensitive element (typically a phototransistor) mounted adjacent to each other and facing the same direction, such that light from the emitter that is reflected by an object in the sensor's field of view can be detected by the sensing element within the device. Analog output sensors of this type deliver the signal produced by the photosensor directly with minimal processing, requiring the user to provide their own interpretive mechanism to determine object detection.