Master and Device Solution for IO-Link Applications

STMicroelectronics L6362A enables a master and device solution for IO-Link and general-purpose (SIO-mode) transceivers via a single 3-wire connection (PHY2) supporting COM1 (4.8 kBd), COM2 (38.4 kBd), and COM3 (230.4 kBd) modes.

The L6360 is a monolithic IO-Link master port compliant with PHY2 (3-wire), supporting COM1 (4.8 kBd), COM2 (38.4 kBd), and COM3 (230.4 kBd) modes. Great flexibility is given by the programmability of the C/Q0 output pin as high-side, low-side, or push-pull configurations are allowed. Overload and short circuit issues are taken into account thanks to programmable cut-off current, cut-off current delay time, and restart delay time values, combined with thermal shutdown and automatic restart functions. The L6360 communicates with the microcontroller through a standard 2-wire I²C interface by means of nine registers where IC status and fault conditions are stored and can be monitored (i.e., L+ line, overtemperature, C/Q overload, linear regulator undervoltage, and parity check). The L6360 transfers, through the PHY2 (C/Q0 pin), data received from a host microcontroller through the USART (IN C/Q0 pin) or to the USART (OUT C/QI pin) data received from PHY2 (C/QI pin).

The half-bridge output stages can be configured as high-side, low-side, or push-pull for maximum design flexibility. The two ICs meet all the remote service, standardization, functionality verification, diagnostics, and monitoring requirements of the latest sensors and actuators and are suitable for all automation systems. They represent a compact, efficient, and robust solution for the Smart industry (Industry 4.0 revolution).

The IO-Link architecture is simple. At the application level, ST provides the IO-Link solution composed of the STEVAL-IDP004V1, a 4-port master evaluation board mounting four L6360 transceivers, and STEVAL-IDP003V1, the device sub-kit with a variety of sensor boards including an accelerometer sensor (IIS328DQ), a proximity sensor (VL6180X), a temperature sensor (STTS751), and a vibration sensor (IIS2DH).

The STEVAL-IDP004V1 multi-port evaluation board is designed to provide a complete master unit with several communication interfaces such as IO-Link, SIO mode (Standard IO), RS-485, CAN, and USB. Each of these is supplied using low voltage reference obtained by DC/DC converter in buck configuration and handled by STM32F205RBT7 Cortex® M3 microcontroller. The block diagram below shows the STEVAL-IDP004V1’s main characteristics.

Another solution is the P-NUCLEO-IOD01A1. The P-NUCLEO-IOD01A1 is an STM32 Nucleo pack composed of the NUCLEO-L073RZ development board, the STEVAL-IOD003V1 evaluation board, and the X-NUCLEO-IKS01A2 expansion board. The STEVAL-IOD003V1 offers an IO-Link device PHY layer (L6362A) while the NUCLEO-L073RZ runs the IO-Link stack v1.1.3 included in the STSW-IOD01 (developed by and property of TEConcept Gmbh) and the firmware controlling the X-NUCLEO-IKS01A2 sensors. The STM32 Nucleo pack provides an affordable and easy-to-use solution for the development of IO-Link and SIO applications, L6362A communication features and robustness, together with the STM32L073RZT6 computation performance.

O-Link Demonstration Kit Firmware