n° 6 - JUnE 2013

Easy Operation with all Fieldbuses and Controllers

With IO-Link, process data as well as parameter

and diagnostics data are transferred. Which

raises the question: How can this still be easy

to use? For comparison, let us take a new smart

phone that you have just purchased. You turn it

on and can immediately make calls. Only if you

want to use a more complex function, for ex-

ample GPS navigation, do you have to familiar-

ize yourself with the function to handle it safely.

It is just the same with the identification sys-

tem SIMATIC RF200 with IO-Link. If only the

UID (transponder number) of the transponder is

required, the IO-Link reader only needs to con-

nected to the IO-Link master using the ready-

to-connect, three-conductor, standard cable.

After switching on, the IO-Link master only

has to be told that an unknown IO-Link device

is connected to its I/O port. Via the autosense

feature of IO-Link, the IO-Link master automati-

cally recognizes the mode of operation of the

RF200 reader. If a transponder is brought into

the reading field of the reader, the eight bytes

of data of the UID are immediately shown in the

process image. Entirely without programming or

parameterization, the result is ready for further

processing. Achieving this commissioning was

easy, fast and complete – without programming

knowledge of the controller.

The offline configuration via the Port Configu-

ration Tool (PCT) works just as easily. For each

IO-Link device, the manufacturer provides a de-

scription (the so-called IODD file) containing a

photo of the device and its most important fea-

tures. This file can be imported into the catalog

of the PCT, if the SIMATIC RF200 reader cannot

be found in the folder “Ident systems”. now

simply drag the desired reader to an IO-Link port

of the IO-Link master and load the configuration

into the device.

The diagnostics capabilities of the RF200 IO-Link

readers seamlessly integrate into the proven

diagnostics system of the SIMATIC Manager. If

diagnostics data of the RF200 IO-Link readers is

required by the PLC program, it can be request-

ed with the block IOL call. The block IOL call

also makes it possible for the user to hot-swap

the IO-Link reader as needed, without having to

adjust anything. This saves costs in training the

maintenance personnel, since the device swap

can also be performed by non-skilled persons.

The programming interface to the RF200 IO-Link

readers is made so easy via the process image

that no further function blocks are needed. For

instance, the transponder number (UID) is dis-

played in the process image as soon as a tran-

sponder moves into the field of the reader. After

the transponder leaves the field of the reader,

the process image displays zero again. no con-

trol signals have to be set and no error messag-

es in the program need to be retrieved and reset.

Furthermore, by using the IODD file, the reading

result in the process image is displayed with

understandable variable names, which again

greatly simplifies the programming. During the

commissioning and programming, the manual

is therefore largely not needed.

Open to other Bus Systems

If a customer builds a new “greenfield” plant,

often only a single supplier for the control tech-

nology and electrical systems is chosen. This

minimizes the type and number of the inter-

faces and simplifies the handling of the devices,

which in turn increases the quality of the com-

missioning and lowers the risk of a non-func-

tioning interface. With Totally Integrated Auto-

mation (TIA), Siemens supports the interaction

of all automation components – these devices

are tested and checked for compatibility by Sie-

mens in configuration systems.

In reality, however, it is far more likely for sec-

tions of a plant to be modified than completely

new plants to be built. The difficulty often aris-

ing then: The RFID system is the backbone of

the production. The transponders (e.g., affixed

to system pallets or workpiece carriers) run

Leading providers of automation products have joined together in a consortium and defined an interface designated IO-Link for end devices – enabling an easy use across all controller and sensor/actuator manufacturers. With the identification system SIMATIC RF200 IO-Link, Siemens is offering the proven RFID readers with the connection variant IO-Link, which can thus be employed with all popular fieldbuses and controllers. Furthermore, this technology is very easy to operate and gets customers into a good cost position.

RF200 IO-Link system integration: Four

readers can be connected to each IO-Link

master.

Cover Story14 Control & Automation

» Autor: Heinrich Meyer, Product Manager Sensors and Communication, Siemens Industry Automation, Nürnberg, Germany

Acquisition level

Transponder(ISO 15693)

Control level

IT level

SIMATIC ET 200eco PNwith IO-Link Master

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

SIMATIC ET 200S with IO-Link Master

G_F

S10

_XX

_004

20

SIMATICRF210R

SIMATICRF220R

SIMATICRF260R

Industrial Ethernet

Ethernet

PROFINET/Industrial Ethernet IO-Link

PROFIBUS

SIMATIC S7-300

n° 6 - JUnE 2013

The new, compact readers SIMATIC

RF200 IO-Link are used with the

comprehensive Siemens portfolio of

ISO15693 transponders.

Control & Automation 15

HNY35709 IndstrlAd_IEN_Europe_June2012_Mech2.indd 1 5/24/12 2:07 PM

through the old as well as new plant sections.

A modification to the RFID system is gener-

ally not possible, since this would entail very

large investments and long plant downtimes.

It is therefore essential for the RFID system to

be as flexible as possible – so that it can eas-

ily be connected to all popular fieldbuses and

controllers.

The IO-Link readers from SIMATIC RF200 come

with the necessary flexibility for this. IO-Link

gateways are available from different manufac-

turers for virtually any major industrial fieldbus.

In addition, many of the large controller manu-

facturers already offer a direct IO-Link connec-

tion for their controller.

The RF200 IO-Link readers operate according to

the IO-Link standard V1.0 with a baud rate of

38.4 kBaud, which in the IO-Link specification

is also designated as COM2. The baud rate – as

stipulated in the IO-Link specification – is not

changeable in the IO-Link device. The baud rate

COM2 together with the standard V1.0 guar-

antees compatibility with all master modules,

since these requirements must be met by all

IO-Link masters.

Low Channel Costs per Reading Point

The costs for an RFID reading point mainly con-

sist of hardware costs (RFID reader, connection

cable, hardware share of the IO-Link master) and

engineering costs (commissioning, parameter-

ization, programming).

Concerning the hardware costs, it is primarily

the IO-Link master that considerably lowers the

price for a reading point – compared to conven-

tional connections to fieldbuses and controllers.

At an IO-Link master, usually up to four SIMATIC

RF200 IO-Link readers can be operated in paral-

lel. Image 1 depicts the configuration diagram

with IO-Link masters by Siemens. Per reading

point, only a quarter of the hardware costs of

the IO-Link master are therefore assessed. The

connection cabling also becomes cheaper,

since an unshielded, standard sensor cable with

three conductors is sufficient. The engineering

costs likewise drop, since the IO-Link readers

can be commissioned with minimal time and

knowledge.

Furthermore, the SIMATIC RF200 IO-Link read-

ers can be integrated very easily – and thus

cost-effectively – into all fieldbuses and con-

trollers, as shown in the table. This is especially

beneficial to machine builders that often have

to complete customer orders with different con-

trollers and fieldbus implementations.

An additional cost advantage lies in the mixabil-

ity of IO-Link readers with other IO-Link devices

at a single IO-Link master. If a production only

requires two RFID readers, the remaining free

ports of the IO-Link master can be occupied by

other sensors or actuators (e.g., SIRIUS motor

starters by Siemens).

Conclusion

For newcomers as well as longtime users of

RFID technology, the new RF200 IO-Link readers

by Siemens represent an excellent alternative

with advantages in many applications. Thanks

to the ease of use in all bus and controller envi-

ronments, IO-Link is a great addition to conven-

tional RFID communication interfaces.

43445 at www.ien.eu