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August 08, 2024  IO-LINK

The short answer to this is, no. IO-Link is so much more than this. While the technology did emerge from the field of switching sensors, it has now evolved into something far more sophisticated. In recent years, the IO-Link communication protocol has become the industry standard for digital sensors. In fact, today you can see all kinds of measurement sensors, actuators, and other kinds of control elements equipped with IO-Link interfaces.

So, what is IO-Link technology?

IO-Link is a globally recognised industrial communications networking standard that is perfectly suited to industrial applications. The solution itself comprises an IO-Link master, an IO-Link sensor or actuator device, and an IO Device Description (IODD) file. You use this technology to connect digital sensors and actuators from the field level to control level systems such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs). 

What is the IO-Link protocol, exactly?

The IO-Link communication protocol is realized by a bidirectional point-to-point connection from the sensor to the IO-Link master. The IO-Link master acts as a hub and allows you to exchange the sensor data with your control system and/or IT-level applications. This means you can get diagnostics information from your devices and adjust parameters efficiently, making connectivity simpler while improving the availability of data.

Why does this matter?

Enhanced data availability ultimately helps you improve your system diagnostics, boost efficiency, and reduce costs. As the manufacturing sector moves increasingly towards automation and decentralisation, it’s more important than ever to collect detailed information from production processes, so you can keep tweaking these processes to make them as optimal and efficient as possible, boosting productivity and staying competitive. IO-Link is designed to do just that in a standardised and scalable way.

Connecting digital sensors and actuators in the field-level to control level systems - main visual for SoMe and e-mail

White paper: Enhance your efficiency with strain gauge-based smart sensors empowered by IO-Link interface

Discover the full potential of our strain gauge-based smart sensors with the IO-Link interface in our white paper from HBK’s key experts.

Download now to gain invaluable insights into enhancing efficiency and precision in your operations!

How does it work in practice?

Thanks to cutting-edge, high-performance microelectronics, we can now integrate our domain-specific algorithms into the sensor electronics, enabling process specific pre-processing capabilities.  

That includes filters like Butterworth, Bessel, and multi-stage filter cascades; table and polynomial linearisation functions; compensation algorithms; sensor health monitoring (i.e. tracking variables that influence sensor mechanics); and process algorithms, such as filler, min/max, checkweigher, limit switches, and power calculations used for torque sensors.

These integrations give the sensor a wide range of process control and measurement data pre-processing capabilities. 

IO-Link’s communication interface then allows you to transmit your pre-calculated results, added value from data like alarms and events, and the measurement value data — all while using universally applicable, cost-effective interface technology.

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