There is no doubt that IO link is now regarded as the basis of the concept of intelligent factory and the strong technical support of industry 4.0. IO link provides all kinds of diagnostic data and device data, which can be widely obtained by using the upper layer protocol. IO link also establishes consistent two-way communication between the control level and the sensor / actuator field level - enabling the "next few feet" of the communication network to the field. Today, Pepperl + Fuchs experts will take you to understand the opportunities and competitive advantages of IO link intelligent interface.
IO link is becoming more and more mature. The IO link committee is expanding its capacity, and the IO link communication standard is initiated by the IO link Committee. Mr. Hartmut lindenthal, technical director of Pepperl + Fuchs IO link, said: "now the industrial site has more than 11 million network nodes, and point-to-point connection has a place in the industry, and the demand is increasing day by day." From the beginning, he has been involved with colleagues from Pepperl + Fuchs in studying the equipment requirements of IO link to achieve reliable two-way communication in an automated environment.
Since point-to-point connections can operate on three wire standard cables, IO link provides a backward compatible interface for binary standard sensors, which provides a series of advantages. As Mr. lindenthal confirmed, "the same wiring means that users can use digital signals and IO link signals to optimize the efficiency of the factory." "The main advantage here is that you can easily connect an IO link device to a conventional digital input without any additional cables," he added
Explaining the "plug and play" function of IO link devices, Ms. Sonja armbruster said: "with standardized device description files, devices can be easily integrated into existing networks. The technology is designed to be manufacturer and system Therefore, IO link is the ideal foundation for numerous applications in industry 4.0.
Strong data transparency
Nowadays, in almost all industrial fields around the world, IO link has become the protocol adopted by "the next few feet" at the sensor / actuator level. In this process, sensors and actuators have developed rapidly, no longer transmitting data through simple binary and analog standard interfaces: "since the late 1990s, microcontrollers have been installed in sensors as standard components," Mr. lindenthal explained“ It can be said that they are the key to the formation of sensors. " The IO link sensor has additional intelligent functions. In addition to transmitting measured values and switching points, it can also store parameters and provide a lot of additional information, such as signal quality and equipment health. In this way, more data is more transparent, users can diagnose, and pave the way for the state maintenance of the system.
"All of this information for process optimization and target maintenance was previously only available to users of sensor systems with high value in a closed fieldbus environment," Mr. lindenthal explained "The requirements for two-way communication between all field levels and higher it networks have been met," he added
Bridge to it level
The data continuity required in industry 4.0 starts with sensor data and extends to Intelligent Cloud solutions“ Using master station modules, such as piperl + Fuchs ice series multi protocol and Fieldbus module with multilink function, IO link field devices can be easily connected to higher level it infrastructure, "Ms. armbruster explained. Because the communication of Internet of things protocol and fieldbus are carried out in parallel, the data exchange at the field level will not be affected.
The selected sensor data can be analyzed and processed in cloud applications. In order to make this situation come true, software services can be developed, which can be used on various platforms. These platforms can take over the analysis of sensor data based on iodd. As a result, machine experts can easily access machine data, monitor plant conditions, and maintain them from anywhere through applications when necessary, without being familiar with the technical details of sensors.
"It's going to greatly simplify the day-to-day work of users," Ms. armbruster said of the advantages offered by neoception, a Pepperl + Fuchs start-up“ This corresponds to the concept of predictive maintenance, especially when you consider that future valuable analysis will be as important as the product itself. " She added firmly.
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