Based on this diagram, if the NPN sensor fails and you only have a 24VDC relay with normally open and normally closed contacts, and a PNP sensor, how would you connect the PNP to act like NPN?
With some plc's and sensors you can connect 24v+ to brown and connect blue/black together, the sensor/prox then becomes a 2 wire, then you can connect brown to 24+ and blue/black to the plc.
Sometimes this wont work, esp if the prox needs more than a ma or so to sense.