How many modules can solidot IO-link master cascade?

↑ Solidot IO-Link Master IOL-PN01B-8A, IOL-EC01B-8A

Solidot's IO-Link bus I/O series products are widely used in the automotive manufacturing industry. We currently offer two IO-Link Masters, namely IOL-PN01B-8A and IOL-EC01B-8A, which support the two mainstream protocols PROFINET and EtherCAT.

One of the main reasons customers purchase an IO-Link Master is the ability to bind various IO-Link Devices through it, enabling bidirectional communication between the control layer and field devices (sensors, actuators). Therefore, its Cascading capability is also an important reference indicator, and generally two aspects need to be considered: network and power supply.

Network

Solidot's IO-Link Masters themselves have no limitations; it mainly depends on the capability of the PLC. Taking the PROFINET protocol as an example: the Siemens 1200 series with firmware V2.0 supports 8 PN slaves; V3.0 and above support 16 PN slaves; the 1511 supports 128 PN slaves. The same applies to PLCs using the EtherCAT protocol — the PLC performance specifications generally list how many EC nodes are supported.

Power supply

Modules are daisy-chain powered via the OUT port. The total current consumption of the auxiliary power supply of each module must be <= 9 A, and the total current consumption of the system power supply and auxiliary power supply of all modules must be <= 9 A.

For example, as shown in the figure above, during daisy-chain power supply, the current consumption of the cascaded modules flows through the interior of each module. Therefore, to determine how many modules can be cascaded, you must calculate the total current consumption and ensure that the "1+2+3" <= 9 A rule is met. The following examples illustrate this.

[example 1] The current consumption of module 1 is 4 A, that of module 2 is 5 A, and that of module 3 is 6 A. When modules 1, 2 and 3 are daisy-chain powered simultaneously, the total current consumption is 4+5+6=15 A < 16 A, which complies with the established rule, so daisy-chain power supply is permitted for this configuration.

[example 2] The current consumption of module 1 is 5 A, that of module 2 is 6 A, and that of module 3 is 7 A. When modules 1, 2 and 3 are daisy-chain powered simultaneously, the total current consumption is 5+6+7=18 A > 16 A, which does not meet the criterion of less than 16 A, so daisy-chain power supply is not permitted for this configuration.

The above answers the question of how many modules the Solidot IO-Link Master module can cascade. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We will be glad to serve you!