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With most sensors now coming out with an IO-Link output, could this mean the end of using traditional analog sensors? IO-Link is the first IO technology standard (IEC 61131-9) for communications between sensors and actuators on the lower component level. Analog sensors A typical analog sensor detects an external parameter, such as pressure, sound or …
Continue reading “IO-Link: End to Analog Sensors”
Famed physicist Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” When the topic of IO-Link comes up, whether a salesperson or technical expert is doing the explaining, I always find it’s too much for the layman without a technical background to understand. To simplify this complex idea, I’ve created an analogy to something we use in our everyday lives: highways. Prior to the Federal Highway Act …
Continue reading “What is IO-Link? A Simple Explanation of the Universal Networking Standard”
In a previous blog entry, I discussed IO-Link SPE (Single-Pair Ethernet). SPE, in my opinion, has two great strengths compared to standard IO-Link: cable length and speed. With cable lengths of up to 100 meters and speed of 10 Mbps, compared to 20 meters and max baud rate of 230.4 Kbps, what could be out …
Continue reading “IO-Link Wireless – IO-Link with Even Greater Flexibility”
20 meters. That is the maximum distance between an IO-Link master port and an IO-Link device using a standard prox cable. Can this length be extended? Sure, there are IO-Link repeaters you can use to lengthen the distance, but is there an advantage and is it worth the headache? I hope you like doing …
Continue reading “Is IO-Link with Single Pair Ethernet the Future?”
Using IO-Link allows you to get as much data as possible from only three wires. IO-Link communicates four types of data: device data, event data, value status, and process data. Value status data and process data are constantly sent together at a known rate that is documented in each device’s manual and/or data sheet. Device …
Continue reading “Use IODD Files with IO-Link for Faster, Easier Parameterization”
In my last two blogs, Rise of the Robots: IO-Link… and Realize Productivity Gains with Smart Robotic Tooling , I shared how implementing IO-Link and incorporating pneumatic and electric smart grippers can help maximize your use of robotics in your applications. In this blog, I will discuss how you can get more from your robots …
Continue reading “IO-Link Simplifies Connectivity on Robotic End-Effectors”
In my previous blog, Using Data to Drive Plant Productivity, I categorized reasons for downtime in the plant and also discussed how data from devices and sensors could be useful in boosting productivity on the plant floor. In this blog, I will focus on where this data is and how to access it. I also …
Continue reading “IO-Link Boosts Plant Productivity”
Manufacturers around the world are buying industrial robots at an incredible pace. In the April 2020 report from Tractia & Statista, “the global market for robots is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 26 percent to reach just under 210 billion US dollars by 2025.” But are we gaining …
Continue reading “Rise of the Robots: IO-Link Maximizes Utilization, Saves Time and Money”
Everyone working in the mobility industry knows that the tire manufacturing process is divided up into five areas throughout a large manufacturing plant. Mixing Tire prep Tire build Curing and molds Final inspection Naturally, conveyors, material handling, and AGV processes throughout the whole plant. All of these areas have opportunities for IO-Link components, and there …
Continue reading “Tire Manufacturing – IO-Link is on a Roll”
IO-Link data packets contain parameter data of an IO-Link slave device that is acyclic and is only transferred when read or write is requested by the machine controller. Having parameter data available on a device is not new or groundbreaking; however, the main advantage of IO-Link parameter data is that it is directly accessible by …
Continue reading “How to Take Advantage of IO-Link Parameter Data”
