The IO-Link Consortium is an organization in which key user companies from various industries and leading automation suppliers join forces to support, promote and advance the IO-Link technology. With over 120 members and strong support in Europe, Asia and the Americas IO-Link has become the leading sensor and actuator interface in the world. Founded in 2006, it is also the fastest growing sensor and actuator interface. The IO-Link standard stands for easy wiring, high-compatibility, high functionality and easy handling.
The IO-Link Community works as a Committee C IO-Link (C) organized within the Profibus Nutzerorganisation e.V. (PNO). The IO-Link interface is in principle to be seen as being independent of the fieldbus systems of the PNO (PROFIBUS and PROFINET).
IO-Link is the first standardised IO technology worldwide (IEC 61131-9) for the communication with sensors and also actuators. The powerful point-to-point communication is based on the long established 3-wire sensor and actuator connection without additional requirements regarding the cable material. So, IO-Link is no fieldbus but the further development of the existing, tried-and-tested connection technology for sensors and actuators.
Position to OPC UA
For IO-Link, the point-to-point protocol for sensors/actuators with now over 7,000 different masters and devices available, a fieldbus-independent integration via OPC UA is very interesting, as it increases the range of possible automation solutions: IO-Link masters that bundle the data from sensors and actuators can not only process this data as fieldbus participants, but also make it available to higher levels inside and outside the automation pyramid via OPC UA.
In this way, sensor data can be integrated into MES and ERP systems with little effort and seamlessly, which is often referred to as “sensor-to-cloud” functionality. For many applications, this opening to OPC UA means new flexibility in the use of sensors and actuators.
From https://io-link.com/de/Global/newsmeldung.php?showId=577
Video by Michael Tiegelkamp Integrating IO-Link into OPC UA
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