Balluff GmbH (Germany) - Fiber-optic cables have now become established in industrial data communication also. Optical data transmission offers numerous advantages, particularly for data-intensive applications with a high demand on availability, such as are typical in the automotive industry. Balluff takes this into account with the new push-pull variants of its PROFINET IO-Link master modules. These are available with the choice of a fiber-optic cable or copper cable connection.

They all have the push-pull connection technology for fieldbus and power cables that is specified in the AIDA (Automation Initiative of German Automobile Manufacturers). A special, third variant combines both worlds and provides both a fiber-optic (SCRJ) and a copper (RJ45) push-pull connection. The particular attraction is that this module can be used for converting from a copper to a fiber-optic cable right in the I/O module, without needing an additional, external converter module.



Like all Ethernet-based IO-Link master modules from Balluff, the push-pull modules also have an integrated display for information and additional diagnostics as well as an integrated switch for setting up a PROFINET line structure. All functions based on IO-Link specification 1.1 are made available by the 8 integrated IO-Link ports. The user is provided with a real-time display of the module with all current statuses for extended diagnostics through an integrated web server.