I would also like to be able to use IOLink directly with the robot so having an IOLink master would be desirable.
@mbush
I threw this post into a new topic, as this is a separate functionality from Profinet / EthernetIP master.
Can you please elaborate the use case?
Where would you need it (CB, Tool IO, how many channels, etc.) - and what is the benefit?
The benefit of using it is the ability to have remote IO without the need for a lot of wiring. Also, analog sensors are automatically transmitting the correct value versus just a 0-10V or 4-20mA signal. When we have sensors fail in the field, the new sensor is automatically set-up with all of the correct settings so that the customer doesn’t have to worry or even know what the settings on a sensor were. Most of the sensors that we use are available with IOLink capability at no or extremely minimal additional cost to us. We have a lot of cells with more IO than what is built into the robot and so have to rely upon expansion IO, the only real choice we have today is modbus, this would be another choice.
An IO-Link Master port inside the tool flange would be great, however. But we would also appreciate to have at least one or more IO-Link Master channels inside the control cabinet. Maybe as an upgrade to an already existing I/O-Port? As fara as I know, IO-Link should be compatible to the existing digital I/Os of the robot…
Karsten
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