How to Interface a sensor using IO-Link

[Danl_B]

Does anyone have experience interfacing LabView with IO-Link? I have a distance sensor that is apparently programmable using IO-Link but the information on the IO-Link bus is rather sparse. I would be delighted if anyone could share their experience/advise.

[Jesse_D]

Hi Danl, 

I don't know if we support this actually, I can't find anything on it either. The DSC module or our OPC servers are the best bet. I will look into it futher and get back to you. 

However, it does look like Siemens sells adapter modules. Using an adapter module to switch to a more common industrial protocol, such as profinet, might be next best solution.

[Jesse_D]

Hi Danl, 

We don't have anything on that protocol. However, it appears that it requires a dedicated physical interface to integrate with a PC. I assume that there is a software api for any PC hardware you need to get. LabVIEW should be able to call into that api. 

Alternatey there are hardware modules for PLCs. If you are using a PLC, the PLC can act as a repeater for the sensor though an IO-Link module and communicate with LV through a protocol we do support. 

[Danl_B]

Jesse,

I was hoping for a simple inexpensive straight forward solution but it appears that is not in the cards. Thanks for looking into this for me.

Dan

[Jesse_D · Accepted solution]

Hi Dan, 

Sorry we don't have an easier solution. Let me know if you find a good way forward on this. 

[UrsL]

This thread is interesting in the way that it was started in 2013 and it's 2018 now. Even though IO-Link is promoted and sold as one of "the" standardized industry 4.0 tool of choice, it has never been followed up here. So it seems as if nobody cares about the IO-Link/LV for 5 years. Anyway, I have several laser distance sensors from Sick of the type DT35-B15251 and a Comtrol IO-Link Master 4-EIP. The 4-EIP has an IP address and the sensor's IODD file was uploaded to the master. With the connected sensors I can in fact see their parameters with the Comtrol web interface utility in a standard web browser. Now I would like to access the sensor data directly with LabVIEW and I wonder abou the best way do that. The master can apparently be accessed by the Ethernet/IP, ModbusTCP or OPC UA protocols. Are there any LabVIEW functions or libraries that would provide easy to use components to talk to an IO-Link Master? Any ideas on this topic is most welcome!

Regards

Urs, the Swiss wireworker on LV for MacOS since 1991

[Danl_B]

Hi Urs. Looks like we are the only two peple in the whole wide world that want to tackle an IO-link interface. I think the easiest way would be to use a microprocessor for the interface. Then talk to LabView with a serial to usb adapter. The first step would then be to send a wake up signal to the io-link device and see if you get acknowledgement. I would love to work on an interface but unfortunately it is two or three projects down the list. I wish I could do it sooner but if not. perhaps when I retire I will have time.

Best,

Dan

[UrsL]

Hi Dan,

Thank you for responding and yes, as a LabVIEW programmer that still uses LV natively on the Apple MacOSX platform I know how it feels to be part of the subculture;-). So many things are solved by microprocessors nowadays. It certainly feeds the flourishing adapter/interface culture but is this sustainable? In fact I always liked LabVIEW because it made many complicated things easier and because it was so universally applicable. Nevertheless, I would want to talk to that Comtrol IO-Link Master 4-EIP from my LabVIEW through a TCP network link. The master has an IP address and it is designed for easy interfacing with a common PLC. However, the Modbus protocol is rather involved and mostly targeted at proprietary industrial networking solutions. In any case I shall report back if I make progress with this off the tracks endeavor.

[dwisti]

Modbus TCP would be the simplest way to communicate to the comtrol IO-Link Master.  There are Labview libraries for Modbus TCP or you could write your own.  For Ethernet IP, you would need to be a Ethernet IP scanner (i.e. what a Allen-Bradley PLC is when using Ethernet IP) which could be very difficult to implement.

[LEHCR]

Hi Urs

You'are really not the only one looking for a IO-Link to LabView connection. I tried to make my IO-Link device talking via a cRIO EtherCat Master to LV using a Phoenix Contact Axioline FieldIO Slave. I failed because the protocol was finally not working.