Standardized IO-Link technology (IEC 61131-9) simplifies and economizes communication with sensors and actuators. This low-cost connection technology, developed through evolutionary advancements, utilizes three or five conductors for point-to-point connections, minimizing wiring complexity and material use.
IO-Link serves as a point-to-point communications interface that enhances fieldbus and Industrial Ethernet systems. It enables the transmission of process data, downloading parameter data from the control system to devices, and sending diagnostic information back. Previously, integrating a fieldbus interface down to the lowest field level was costly; now, digital or analog values can be sent using a simple 3- or 5-wire cable without special screening or impedance requirements. The gateway between the fieldbus and IO-Link devices is typically a fieldbus module with multiple master channels. In smaller systems, the PLC can function as the master.