REC670 ASIX Electronics Corporation (ASIX Electronics Corporation) continues to deepen the industrial Ethernet chip and I/O interface bridge market, and in recent years, it is committed to the technology development of IO-Link communication software protocol stack. Since the successful launch of AX58400 EtherCAT to IO-Link gateway solution integrating IO-Link master software protocol stack developed by Asiainfo in 2022, Asiainfo Electronics has once again launched the new “Asiainfo IO-Link Device Software protocol Stack Solution”. This complete solution includes EtherCAT slave to IO-Link master gateway and IO-Link device software stack, enabling customers to easily import the latest IO-Link smart sensors and actuators into EtherCAT industrial Ethernet production environments. This enables a more resilient and efficient smart factory production environment.

REC670 In this era of vigorous development of AI technology, IO-Link intelligent sensor communication technology has become an indispensable key technology in the Industry 4.0 intelligent manufacturing and artificial intelligence Internet of Things (AIoT) industry through an efficient and flexible real-time two-way data exchange mechanism. IO-Link supports flexible device dynamic configuration, which can adjust the configuration of production equipment in real time according to the actual production needs of the plant, thereby accelerating the production process and improving production efficiency. At the same time, the IO-Link equipment status diagnosis and return function helps to achieve predictive maintenance of production equipment, reduce sudden equipment failures and downtime, and improve the stability and reliability of the production line. Through the introduction of IO-Link technology into intelligent production equipment, combined with AI edge computing technology, it can immediately analyze and feedback production data, fully implement the data monitoring and management of production equipment, and then realize the production automation management of smart factories.

REC670

REC670 The IO-Link device software stack was developed on the AXM-IOLS IO-Link device evaluation board, which is equipped with the ST STM32F469AI microcontroller and the L6362A IO-Link device transceiver. This software protocol stack adopts STM32CubeIDE development tool, based on ST STEVAL-BFA001V2 software development kit, and integrates IO-Link device software protocol stack library independently developed by Asiainica. The stack is designed to comply with IO-Link interface and system specification V1.1.3, is backward compatible to support IO-Link V1.0 master stations, and supports ISDU communication and data storage, as well as IO-Link and standard I/O operating modes. In addition, all cable types and different baud rates are supported, including 4.8Kbps (COM1), 38.4Kbps (COM2) and 230.4Kbps (COM3), and online firmware updates can be made through the IO-Link interface, which requires very little space, less than 1KB of RAM and less than 10KB of flash memory. This solution provides customers with an optimal cost performance and rapid import of IO-Link device software stack solution, which can be applied to a variety of IO-Link smart device product applications. Including IO-Link sensors (temperature, humidity, pressure, photoelectric, image, ToF gesture sensors), IO-Link actuators (valve actuators, motor controls, smart LED lighthouses), IO-Link hubs and IO-Link valve islands.

REC670 (Figure 1) Asiainfo Electronics IO-Link master station/device software protocol stack solution

IO-Link device software stack development kit includes IO-Link device software stack trial library, demonstration applications, AXM-IOLS evaluation board reference circuit diagram and printed circuit board wiring diagram. The IO-Link device software stack trial library is not able to support firmware upgrade functions, and customers can perform complete functional test evaluation on the AXM-IOLS IO-Link device evaluation board to speed up the product development design schedule. Asiainfo Electronics can provide diversified technical services according to customers’ product design needs.