event data Archives - AUTOMATION INSIGHTS

Automation Insights: Top Blogs From 2022

It’s an understatement to say 2022 had its challenges. But looking back at the supply chain disruptions, inflation, and other trials threatening success in many industries, including manufacturing, there were practical insights we can benefit from as we dive into 2023. Below are the most popular blogs from last year’s Automation Insights site.

1. Evolution of Pneumatic Cylinder Sensors

Today’s pneumatic cylinders are compact, reliable, and cost-effective prime movers for automated equipment. They’re used in many industrial applications, such as machinery, material handling, assembly, robotics, and medical. One challenge facing OEMs, integrators, and end users is how to detect reliably whether the cylinder is fully extended, retracted, or positioned somewhere in between before allowing machine movement.

1. Series: Condition Monitoring & Predictive Maintenance

By analyzing which symptoms of failure are likely to appear in the predictive domain for a given piece of equipment, you can determine which failure indicators to prioritize in your own condition monitoring and predictive maintenance discussions.

Read the series, including the following blogs:

1. Know Your RFID Frequency Basics

In 2008 I purchased my first toll road RFID transponder, letting me drive through and pay my toll without stopping at a booth. This was my first real-life exposure to RFID, and it was magical. Back then, all I knew was that RFID stood for “radio frequency identification” and that it exchanged data between a transmitter and receiver using radio waves. That’s enough for a highway driver, but you’ll need more information to use RFID in an industrial automation setting. So here are some basics on what makes up an RFID system and the uses of different radio frequencies.

1. IO-Link Event Data: How Sensors Tell You How They’re Doing

I have been working with IO-Link for more than 10 years, so I’ve heard lots of questions about how it works. One line of questions I hear from customers is about the operating condition of sensors. “I wish I knew when the IO-Link device loses output power,” or, “I wish my IO-Link photoelectric sensor would let me know when the lens is dirty.” The good news is that it does give you this information by sending Event Data. That’s a type of data that is usually not a focus of users, although it is available in JSON format from the REST API.

1. Converting Analog Signals to Digital for Improved Performance

We live in an analog world, where we experience temperatures, pressures, sounds, colors, etc., in seemingly infinite values. There are infinite temperature values between 70-71 degrees, for example, and an infinite number of pressure values between 50-51 psi.

We appreciate your dedication to Automation Insights in 2022 and look forward to growth and innovation in 2023.

IO-Link Event Data: How Sensors Tell You How They’re Doing

There are three types of IO-Link data:

- - Process Data – updated cyclically, it’s important to users because it contains the data for use in the running application, like I/O change of states or measurement values like temperature and position, etc.
  - Parameter Data – updated acyclically, it’s important to users because it’s the mechanism to read and write parameter values like setpoints, thresholds, and configuration settings to the sensor, and for reading non-time critical values like operating hours, etc.
  - Event Data – updated acyclically, it’s important to users because it provides immediate updates on device conditions.

Let’s dig deeper into Event Data. An Event is a status update from the IO-Link device when a condition is out of its normal range. The Event is labeled as a Warning or Error based on the severity of the condition change.

When an Event occurs on the IO-Link device, the device sets the Event Flag bit in the outgoing data packet to the IO-Link Master. The Master receives the Event Flag and then queries the IO-Link device for the Event information.

It is important to note that this is a one-time data message. The IO-Link device only sends the Event Flag at the moment the condition is out of range, and then again when the condition is back in range.

Event Data Types, Modes, and Codes

Event Data has three following three components:

- - Event Type – categorized in three ways
    - Notification – a simple event update; nothing is abnormal with the IO-Link device
    - Warning – a condition is out of range and risks damaging the IO-Link device
    - Error – a condition is out of range and is affecting the device negatively to the point that it may not function as expected
  - Event Mode – categorized in three ways
    - Event notice – usually associated with Event Type notifications, message will not be updated
    - Event appears – the condition is now out of range
    - Event disappears – the condition is now back in range
  - Event Code
    - A two-byte Hex code that represents the condition that is out of range

IO-Link condition monitoring sensor

To bring all these components together, let’s look at a photoelectric IO-Link sensor with internal condition monitoring functions and see what Events are available for it in this device manual screenshot. This device has Events for temperature (both warning and error), voltage, inclination (sensor angle is out of range), vibration, and signal quality (dirty lens).

By monitoring these events, you have a better feel for the conditions of your IO-Link device. Along with helping you identify immediate problems, this can help you in planning preventive and planned maintenance.

An IO-Link condition monitoring sensor uses Event Data similarly to report when conditions exceed the thresholds that you have set. For example, when the vibration level exceeds the threshold value, the IO-Link device sends the Warning event flag and the IO-Link Master queries for the event data. The event data consists of an Event Type, an Event Mode, and an Event Code that represents the specific alarm condition that is out of range. Remember this is a one-time action; the IO-Link sensor will not report this again until the value is in an acceptable range.

When the vibration level is back in range, the alarm condition is no longer present in the IO-Link device, the process repeats itself. In this case the Event Type and Event Code will be the same. The only change is that the Event Mode will report Event Disappears.

Within the IO-Link Specification there is a list of defined Event Codes that are common across all vendors. There is also a block of undefined Event Code values that allow vendors to create Event Codes that are unique to their specific device.

“I wish the IO-Link device would let me know….” In the end, the device might be telling you what you want to know, especially if the device has condition monitoring functions built into it. If you want to know more about condition monitoring in your IO-Link devices, check out the Event section in the vendor’s manuals so you can learn how to use this information.

What data can IO-Link provide?

As an application engineer, one of the most frequent questions I get asked by the customers is “What is IO-Link and what data does it contain?”.

Well, IO-Link is the first worldwide accepted sensor communication protocol to be adopted as an international standard IEC61131-9. It is an open standard, and not proprietary to one manufacturer. It uses bi-directional, single line serial communications to transfer data between the machine controller and sensors/actuators. No other communication protocol is manufacturer and fieldbus independent, and yet provides this level of communication down to the sensor/actuator level. It provides the user with three different data types: process data, parameter data, and diagnostics or event data.

Process Data

Process data of an IO-Link smart device is considered the latest state of that device. Containing both input and output data, process data is cyclically exchanged between IO-Link master and IO-Link slave device (i.e. sensor or actuator). The time interval or data update rate solely depends on amount of data, 1 to 32 bytes, and speed at which an IO-Link slave device communicates. IO-Link standard (IEC61131-9) defines three different communications speeds; COM1 is set to 4.8kBaud (slowest), COM2 is set to 38.4kBaud and COM3 is set to 230.4kBaud (fastest). Depending on the device, process data may contain status of inputs or outputs of remote I/O hub, position feedback of linear transducers, pressure feedback from pressure transducers, information from am RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader, and so on. For more information about process data content, refresh rate, and data mapping, one should reference an IO-Link slave device datasheet or user manual.

Lastly, process data is then buffered in memory of the IO-Link master device and passed to the controller via a specific fieldbus at request packet interval. Request packet interval is set in the controller settings.

Process Data

Parameter Data

Parameter data contains information and parameters specific to the IO-Link slave device. This data is exchanged acyclically, which means that it is requested from the IO-Link master or controller and not time based. Parameters can be read from a specific device or written to. Parameter data is primarily used for device configuration, or verification. A key advantage of IO-Link is that it gives the controller the full access to IO-Link slave device parameters, down to a sensor/actuator level. This means that your controller, PLC or PC based, can change the configuration of an IO-Link’s slave device dynamically without taking the device off line, and without use of proprietary cabling or configuration software.

Typical use of parameter data is for automatic machine configuration, recipe change, process tuning, maintenance, and easy component replacement.

Parameter Data

Diagnostics or Event Data

Diagnostic data provides the controller with events that affect the operation and performance of the IO-Link smart device. Content can vary depending on the device used, and the manufacturer. IO-Link smart devices can provide crucial data such as load, temperature, stress level, overload and short circuit diagnostics, error codes, configuration or parameter issues, access issues, etc., as part of diagnostic or event data. The event code size is 2 bytes, and in hexadecimal data format. This information can then be interpreted by the controller/user using a lookup table or IODD (I/O Device Description) file. User manual will have diagnostic data table that can be used as a reference.

Diagnostic and Event Data

Conclusion

In conclusion, IO-Link enables a plug-and-play relationship between the controller and the devices on the machine. Using IO-Link data, the controller can automatically recognize and configure an IO-Link slave device that is connected to its network. Process and diagnostic data provide continuous feedback on machine status and health down to a sensor level — the lowest level of the automation pyramid.

Keep in mind that the content of process data is specific to the device and will vary from device to device, and manufacturer to manufacturer. This makes IO-Link data one of the main differentiators between smart devices and their manufacturers. Luckily, IO-Link is an open standard, and fieldbus and manufacturer independent, so you can mix and match devices best suited for your application without worrying about device compatibility, special cabling, or third-party configuration software packages.

automation pyramid