Innovation is, of course, partly about technology. But it is also about massive improvements in productivity through the empowerment of a business’s only untapped resource - its people. After all, a state-of-the-art plant provides exciting opportunities for graduates and engineers who are looking to the future for career advancement and inspired innovation.
A previous edition of PROFINEWS carried a PROFINET quiz drawn from new and old questions. This month there are all new questions! Challenge your PROFINET knowledge today...
Did you know that there’s a new IO-Link Design Guideline? A new Design Guideline from the IO-Link Community offers all interested users support during the planning of automation systems with IO-Link devices. In an action-oriented approach, the tasks required during planning are described step by step.
IO-Link continues to grow in number of devices installed and in advances to the technology itself. Read this article about IO-Link Safety, wireless connectivity, and a profile for smart sensors. Then read this issue's additional IO-Link articles., application stories, and product news.
PI North America is looking for an automation engineer with excellent oral and written communications skills. At PI North America we write white papers, make videos, teach free PROFINET one-day training classes, blog, tweet, Facebook, LinkedIn, edit PROFINEWS, and more. Help wanted.
Did you know that IO-Link can be integrated into any fieldbus system? One of the most important features of IO-Link is its fieldbus neutrality. It allows the IO-Link functionality to be connected to nearly any fieldbus. Either the standardized mappings in fieldbuses, e.g. for PROFIBUS, PROFINET, EtherCat, and Sercos, or manufacturer-specific mappings for EtherNet/IP, CANopen, Modbus, CC-Link, and AS-Interface can be used for this.
The IO-Link Community has launched a service that offers significant value for members and technology users. It is a central database for all IO Device Descriptions. It is free for both members and users.
The intelligence and complexity of sensors and actuators is constantly increasing. Today, even the smallest sensors have a powerful microcontroller and several thousand lines of software code. Firmware updates may occasionally be necessary to enable new functionalities or to add newly supported profiles. To meet these needs, the IO-Link community has specified a firmware update profile.
