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.
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.
At the beginning of the year it’s a time to reflect a bit on the year gone by and look ahead to the new year. In 2016 we watched the continuing evolution of the concepts of Industrie 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)… and PROFINET’s place in them (we call that the PROFINET of Things).
PI offers many different social media channels: blog, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and even the old standby, RSS. Here are some examples and time-saving opportunities to participate.
Dr. Hassan Kaghazchi, the Chairman of PI Ireland, has published a new book on PROFINET and PROFIBUS diagnostics. This book outlines the research conducted into diagnosing industrial communications networks with particular focus on PROFIBUS and PROFINET: Today industrial communications networks are part of the fabric of most manufacturing plants globally. The upkeep of these networks is crucial to smooth plant operations.
"The SPS/IPC/Drives Show just closed its doors and I must say it was an exciting show. Of course, Industrie 4.0 and IIoT dominated the fair from the 30 thousand foot view, but the terms tend to be too vague and everyone has their own views about what these describe," reports Karsten Schneider, PI Chairman.
