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In the last post about the Basics of Automation, we learned how distances, travel, angles and pressures can be measured contactlessly, whether linear or rotary. In this blog, let’s take a closer look at IO-Link technology. Throughout the history of manufacturing, as the level of automation increased, the demand for intelligent field devices grew. A …
Continue reading “Back to the Basics: IO-Link”
IO-Link is well-suited for use in measurement applications that have traditionally used analog (0…10V or 4…20mA) signals. This is thanks in large part to the implementation of IO-Link v1.1, which provides faster data transmission and increased bandwidth compared to v1.0. Here are three areas where IO-Link v1.1 excels in comparison to analog. Fewer data errors, …
Continue reading “IO-Link vs. Analog in Measurement Applications”
While IO-Link is well addressed in an automated production environment, some have overlooked the benefits IO-Link can deliver for machine vision products. PLC Gateway-Modus Any IO-Link device can be connected and controlled by the PLC via fieldbus interface. Saving installation costs and controlling and running IO-Link components are the key values. All the well-known IO-Link …
Continue reading “Set your sights on IO-Link for machine vision products”
In the first part of this series “Demystifying Class A and Class B Type IO-Link Ports” we discussed the two different types of IO-Link master ports and pointed out how they differ in operation and applications. The point of that blog was to ensure that when we choose one over the other, what is the …
Continue reading “IO-Link Master Differences – Part 3”
Users of IO-Link have long been in search of a solution for implementing the demands for functional safety using IO-Link. As a first step, the only possibility was to turn the actuators off using a separate power supply (Port class “B”, Pins 2, 5), which powers down the entire module. Today there is a better …
Continue reading “What Exactly is Safety Over IO-Link?”
Safety Over IO-Link makes it easier to align a robot’s restricted and safeguarded spaces, simplifies creation of more dynamic safety zones and allows creation of “layers” of sensors around a robot work area. For the past several years, “collaboration” has been a hot topic in robotics. The idea is that humans and robots can work …
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IO-Link as a standard for device level communication has been around for over a decade. It has started gaining huge momentum in the Americas with 60-70% growth in IO-Link integration in 2017 alone (awaiting official numbers from the IO-Link consortium). Due to this huge market demand for IO-Link, there has been an insurgence of IO-Link …
Continue reading “Not all IO-Link Masters are Born Equal!”
Digitizing the production world in the age of Industry 4.0 increases the need for information between the various levels of the automation pyramid from the sensor/actuator level up to the enterprise management level. Sensors are the eyes and ears of automation technology, without which there would be no data for such a cross-level flow of …
Continue reading “Smart IO-Link Sensors for Smart Factories”
With the demands for flexible manufacturing, efficient production & visibility in our factories, smart manufacturing is driving the way we work today. Analytics and diagnostics are becoming critical to our ability to perform predictive maintenance, improve equipment effectiveness and monitor the condition of the machine as well as the components inside the machine. Typically, our …
Continue reading “Back to the Basics: What is the Value of IO-Link?”
In industrial distance and position measurement applications, one size definitely does not fit all. Depending on the application, the position or distance to be measured can range from just a few millimeters up to dozens of meters. No single industrial sensor technology is capable of meeting these diverse requirements. Fortunately, machine builders, OEM’s and end-users …
Continue reading “IO-Link Measurement Sensors Solve Application Challenges”
