IO-Link Interface

IO-Link is a communications system designed to simplify connections between large-scale fieldbus or industrial ethernet networks and sensor or actuator devices located on the factory floor. On one side of an IO-Link master gateway device is an interface to the plant-wide network, while the other side has multiple point-to-point connections to individual sensor devices. The IO-Link interface for end devices is relatively simple, eliminating the need to support complex communications protocols at the sensor/actuator level. IO-Link supports a variety of data types, including measurement data, device configuration instructions and information about operating condition parameters such as temperature.

Applications:

• Factory Automation

• Material Handling

• Manufacturing Engineering

• Access Control

• Mobile Hydraulic Machines

IXARC encoders, based on POSITAL’s high-precision magnetic measurement technology, are very well suited to IO-Link implementations. They are compact, easy to install, and provide highly reliable performance, even under harsh industrial conditions. Two versions of IO-Link connected encoders are available: singleturn (360 ° range, 14 bit resolution) and multiturn (up to 1 billion revolutions). Singleturn variants can be converted to operate in incremental mode easily. The incremental mode settings can be configured via IO-Link engineering tool simply by connecting the encoder to an IO-Link master.

Multiturn models have several exciting new features, including 16 bit resolution, the ability to output rotation speed directly to the controller and the addition of electronic cam/preset/reset functionality, making use of binary digital signals transmitted through pin 2 of the connector. There are also extended device diagnostics. A temperature and vibration sensor (coming soon) built into multiturn encoders enables monitoring this condition parameters. Rotation counters on multiturn models are powered by energy harvested from the rotation of the device’s shaft, ensuring that the rotation count is always up to date – even when movements occur when power to the device is unavailable. This eliminates the need for backup batteries and helps to reduce maintenance costs.