Communicating with IO Link

Hello all,

I am rather new to working with IO Link and have found it hard to get the full scope of everything. More so, i can't find too much documentation on it as its somewhat device specific. I will post below the specifics of what I am currently working on but the main thing I would like to get out of this is being directed to a source (online documentation, books, videos.. etc) that can help guide me setting up IO link devices that require both inputs and/or outputs.

To be more specific about my current application - I am using an AB controllogix PLC. I am using IFM AL1020 Master I/O block (w/IO link) and want to control a Banner TL50C4AKQ tower light. The tower light is IO link compatible but I've just been having a hard time matching up all the bits specified by the tower light, with the ones in the AL1020 manual.

Lastly, If anyone can tell me what the IO Link IODD file is used for and how to use it, I will be grateful!

Thank you all in advance.

Do you have the Startup Package | EtherNet/IP | AL1020
You can get it from this link:https://www.ifm.com/dk/en/downloadarea/IOMasterContent

you have to register

Yes I do have that and I went through it. I am able to startup the device, set the correct modes of operation and so forth. My issue is outputting the right bits to manipulate the tower light. More specifically, I have issues mapping the information in the below datasheet for the tower light (http://info.bannerengineering.com/cs/groups/public/documents/literature/202153.pdf) to the output process data of the Al1020 IO Block

IO link is quite slick. With three wires you can get a lot of data of a otherwise simple prox for example. They have some out there that you can get temperature of the prox with io link. IO link has two versions right now, 1.0 and 1.1. The only real difference is that 1.1 has paramter server so the io link master can store all parameters of your slave devices if you so wanted to. I didn't use that part much but I did use the bits you get like if the device is connected or not and you can get the model number of the device.

One use for the IODD file to get your index and subindex of all of your variables available to you within your IO link device and setup generic CIP messages to the device to either get or set data within those set variables. Just use any text editor to be able to see what's in the IODD file. For example I used this to tell my KEYENCE LR-T lasers to turn off/on the lasers or lock the local display on the laser.

MY experience is with Balluff io link masters so I do not know the setup for the IFM. You should be able to get a EDS file for the IFM, add the device to the IO tree and then have some inputs and outputs setup for the io link master. I was spoiled with using Balluff as I had AOIs that gave me all my tags and labeled all of them for my masters. Then if you used a Balluff io link device then you would map the ports data to that AOI for that device and you were good to go. For the Balluff io link masters I do beleive they had 480 SINTs for both in and out.

Sorry I cannot really help much with the IFM block.