IO-Link, Europe’s popular industrial communications protocol, is increasingly gaining traction in North America — and it’s easy to see why. IO-Link connects sensors to an industrial fieldbus or Ethernet, closing the communication gap between control and field devices. In the wake of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), this ability to make machines “smarter” is critical, enabling seamless connectivity in manufacturing plants, improving machine availability and helping you stay ahead of maintenance. 

The Challenges of Getting Up and Running

Deploying IO-Link isn’t without its difficulties. Setting up and installing IO-Link masters requires skilled engineers to be onsite with a PC, driving up your production downtime. Engineers must also add each individual IO-Link device manually via multiple software settings, increasing the chance of human error. In many use cases, there is also the need to combine standard digital I/O and IO-Link on one block, restricting configurability and necessitating additional hardware. As the industry continues to experience labor shortages, these challenges become even more pronounced.

One way to overcome these challenges is to deploy a flexible, remote I/O platform with the right combination of features, including PC-less maintenance, ease of configuration and fully configurable digital I/O and IO-Link ports — 16 and 8, respectively — on the same block.

A system that checks these boxes is Omron’s NXR Series, which combines IO-Link and digital I/O in the same easy-to-use part, increasing your data collection abilities with minimal engineering time and effort. This system is easy to configure, doesn’t rely on skilled engineers with PCs to maintain, and can support various OT/IT applications, enabling you to more easily adopt IIoT technologies in your plant. 

Here’s a quick overview of this game-changing automation system:

NXR Series Features and Benefits

The NXR Series consists of fully configurable IO-Link masters and hubs, creating an IP67-rated distributed connectivity platform that lets you take advantage of all the IIoT has to offer. This system, which is available in both EtherNetIP and EtherCAT models, provides the connection between sensors/actuators and interface modules. As a result, it can collect additional data beyond just ON/OFF readings — such as process values and diagnostic messages — for additional analysis.

Thanks to these capabilities, the NXR Series can reduce sensor-related downtime by as much as 50 percent. Some of the other benefits you can expect include the following:

Less downtime and human programming errors. The NXR Series doesn’t require PCs or skilled engineers to set up and maintain. Operators of any skill level can set up all the I/O ports at once by setting switches on the IO-Link master to a preset pattern, reducing maintenance from an estimated two hours to 15 minutes. These features also mean manufacturers don't have to contend with chronic shortages of skilled engineers.

Quick to configure, the NXR also supports batch device setting, eliminating the time-consuming need to manually configure IO-Link devices one by one. It automatically detects and maps the configuration settings of connected IO-Link devices and generates process data structure and device variables, reducing programming time and human error.

An ability to monitor network health. The NXR displays Ethernet and IO-Link communication statuses so you can easily identify network cabling errors prior to operation. You can also monitor statuses during operation, enabling you to see if communication ever stops unexpectedly.

Reliability in harsh environments. With an IP67 rating, the NXR Series can operate reliably in environments with dust, dirt, grease, high temperatures and other challenging conditions. Its rugged design makes the NXR ideal for tooling, assembly and machining processes, packaging operations and automotive plants.

To learn more about the ways the NXR Series with IO-Link can help you implement IIoT technologies in your plant, visit: omron.com.