IO-Link Masters IFM Alternatives?

Greg Dake

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Join Date
Jun 2005
Location
Milwaukee, Wi
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550
Greetings!

I have used IFM IO-Link devices for a while now from IFM and they have worked out very well. Unfortunately, IFM is among the many still with electronics supply chain issues and the IFM IO-Link masters are now difficult to come by. I typically use the AL1222 style, but have checked all other similar versions from IFM and lead time is about 16 weeks.

Does anyone know of stock from alternate vendors for IO-Link masters? I've checked Turck, Banner, AB, and Automation Direct without much luck. (I am looking for field mount/wireable, not a rack mounted master.)

TIA,

Greg
 
Were lead times an issue with the brands you mentioned also? Seems like AB, Banner, Turck do have IOLink masters...

Siemens and Balluff are also big name brands I've used before. Not sure of their current lead times.
 
I would recommend Baluff, if you can get them. My colleagues down the hall did extensive Logix + Baluff + IO-Link testing for a Big Three automaker and found them to be compliant and robust.

I recommend against the "Snap Signal" products from Banner. They have some potential, especially in the IoT space, but I found them very difficult to use, configure, and document in their current incarnation.
 
We recently purchased some Keyence IO Link Masters as they were stock. Also, they have a model that has all three major comms (EtherNet/IP, ProfiNet, and Modbus/TCP) in the same part. NQ-MP8L. The configuration is a little different than what we were used to with IFM or Balluff.
 
My understanding is there are only a handful of manufacturers of the underlying IOLink ICs like TI, STM and Analog Devices and all are backordered until 2024 through the commodity supply chain. Pretty much anyone who makes a IOLink master is going to be requiring ICs from these vendors and is waiting on delivery, so the situation isn't much better than IFM anywhere else, either.

Also, I'm pretty sure Turck makes the Keyence IOLink masters. I ordered one as a sample because they said they had stock, which didn't end up being the case. When it arrived 6 months later, it was identical physically to the Turck units and is marked as "Made in Germany".
 
A couple of months ago when i was getting some pricing/availability on IO-Link masters, Balluff and Beckoff were the only ones that had good lead times here.
 
 
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