IO-Link Device Stack
Today’s sensors and actuators are often equipped with small, powerful microprocessors that offer extended functionality, such as parameterization and diagnostic capabilities. However, these additional functions are often not visible in standardized control or monitoring systems.
IO-LinkTM, the digital, bidirectional communication standard (IEC 61131-9), now offers, among other things, the possibility to easily make these extended sensor and actuator functions available to higher-level automation systems.
Our IO-Link Software Stack for IO-Link Devices offers manufacturers of sensors and actuators a cost-effective and simple way to integrate current IO-Link technology into their products.
Would you like to test our IO-Link Device Stack?
Features Device Stack
- Complies with the latest IO-Link communication specification
- Enables synchronous and asynchronous process data access
- Data Storage, Block Transfer, and Event Support Included
- Optimized for short response times
- The modular stack design supports different MCUs and IO-Link transceiver chips and allows them to be replaced as needed.
- Footprint of the sample application, including RAM for example parameters with the maximum length: 14 kB Flash, 3.5 kB RAM
Implementation
We deliver our Device Stack fully operational on your selected hardware platform, including a sample application and example IODD. This allows you to start testing your IO-Link Device with an IO-Link Master immediately and adapt the application to your specific requirements. Please note the following:
- IO-Link parameters must be stored in non-volatile memory. In most cases, they are stored in an external EEPROM. The required storage routines and EEPROM drivers are not included in the scope of delivery.
- Real-time requirement: The IO-Link specification defines the maximum response time within which an IO-Link Device must respond to requests from an IO-Link Master. The maximum permitted response time depends on the baud rate used. For COM3 (230,400 baud), the maximum response time is 43 µs. For COM2 (38,400 baud), it is 260 µs. The IO-Link Device Stack must be executed within this response-time window. Particularly for COM3, the Device Stack generally requires the highest interrupt priority, or the system clock must be set sufficiently high. The exact timing behavior depends on several factors, including the system clock, compiler optimization, interrupt priority, and overall system architecture.
Processors and Transceiver ICs Supported by the Device Stack
Our flexible stack structure allows for easy porting of our IO-Link Device Stack to any microcontroller/ASIC to meet the requirements of our business partners.
The supported MCUs or PHYs listed here are examples of existing portings. All listed components have already been verified/used with our stack. If you wish to use a different MCU or IO-Link PHY not listed here, or if you require special hardware or an FPGA-based design, please contact us.
Examples of Existing MCUs
STMicroelectronics
- GD32F
- STM32C0
- STM32F0 – STM32F3
- STM32G0, STM32G4
- SM32H5, STM32H7
- STM32L0, STm32L4
- STM32MP1
- STM32U5
- STM32WB55
- STM8L151, STM8L152
- STM8S
Analog Devices
- MAX22522
- MAX32660
Renesas
- RA6M4
- RL78
- RX72M
Texas Instruments
- MSP430
- MSPM0G
- MSPM0L
NXP
- LPC17
- LPC54
- S32K11
- S32K144
Other
Infineon:
- PSoC4
- XMC1000
Microchip:
- ATM328
- ATSAMD51
- dsPIC33E
Examples of Existing IO-Link Transceiver ICs
STMicroelectronics
- L6362A
- L6364
Analog Devices
- LT3669-2
- MAX14820
- MAX14821
- MAX14826
- MAX14827
- MAX14829
- MAX22513
- MAX22515
- MAX22516
- MAX22522
Renesas
- CCE4502
- CCE4503
- RH4Z2501
- RH4Z2522
Texas Instruments
- SN65HVD101
- SN65HVD102
- TIOL112
Other
HMT:
- HMT7742
- HMT7748/li>
iC-Haus:
- iCGF
Compilers / Development Environments supported by the Device Stack
The Device Stack code is written entirely in C, allowing it to be used with any C compiler and development environment.
- KEIL-MDK
- SiLabs IDE
- ST Visual Develop
- Eclipse/GCC/NXP LPCXpresso
- IAR
- Cosmic
- Visual Studio Code
Device Stack Licensing Information and Scope of Delivery
- Developer License with Access to the Complete Source Code
- The Manufacturing License is royalty-free and depends solely on the number of Device IDs.
- No restriction to a Vendor ID / Device ID combination.
- One Year of Maintenance Included
- The IO-Link Device Stack is ported to the target hardware or to development kits.
- Driver for one processor architecture
- Driver for a selected transceiver chip
- IO-Link Device Stack API User Manual
- Installation manual and API description of the device driver.
- Demo – Application
- Compiler and Linker Example Project
Please contact our sales team for further details on licensing, the scope of delivery, and the practical implementation of your project.
Additional offerings for the Device Stack
- Evaluation Boards
- IO-Link Device Descriptor IODD Support
- Software/Hardware Development Support
- Performance of Conformity Tests or Provision of Test and Diagnostic Equipment
- IO-Link 1-Port USB-C Development Master
Add-on for the IO-Link Device Stack: simplifies ISDU parameter implementation through table-based definitions, automatic Data Storage handling, and a ready-to-use interface for non-volatile storage. Royalty-free, including the complete source code, and available only in combination with the Device Stack.
Add-on for the IO-Link Device Stack: enables secure firmware updates via IO-Link in accordance with the BLOB Transfer Profile. It can be extended with Verified Firmware Boot, providing cryptographic signature verification at every startup as a building block for compliance with the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
Add-on for the IO-Link Device Stack: transfers data sets of virtually any size—such as log files, FFT data, and calibration data—via ISDU using standard IO-Link Masters. Compliant with the BLOB Transfer Profile and used as the basis for the TEConcept firmware update bootloader.
Contact
- +49 761 21443640
- +49 761 21443636
- info@teconcept.de
Use our contact form for any questions about our IO-Link Device Stack, as well as for other project ideas or inquiries about our additional products. The more precise the information you provide, the more specifically we can respond.