US 12,339,793 B2
Method and apparatus for operating a number of IO-link devices by means of an IO-link master
Sebastian Hagen, Bempflingen (DE); Ulrich Baur, Frickenhausen (DE); Matthias Beyer, Reutlingen (DE); and Manuela Schmidt, Filderstadt (DE)
Assigned to BALLUFF GMBH, Neuhausen ADF (DE)
Filed by Balluff GmbH, Neuhausen a.d.F. (DE)
Filed on Aug. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/232,021.
Claims priority of application No. 102022120529.0 (DE), filed on Aug. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0054086 A1, Feb. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 13/20 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 13/20 (2013.01) [G06F 2213/40 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Method for operating by means of a control system (300) an IO-Link system having at least one wirelessly connected IO-Link master (305) and a number of wirelessly connected IO-Link devices (310-320) being divided into at least two groups (310, 315), the at least one IO-Link master (305) capable of being configured with at least two different configurations, the method comprising the following steps:
configuring the at least one IO-Link master (305) with a first configuration (325) to operate the first group (310) of IO-Link devices;
by means of a first process loop (330), producing a connection between the at least one IO-Link master (305) and the IO-Link devices of the first group (310) of IO-Link devices as well as checking (332) a communication status of the IO-Link devices of the first group (310) of IO-Link devices that are connected in this way;
by means of an at least second process loop (340), reading out the IO-Link devices of the first group (310) and setting configuration values necessary for operation of the IO-Link devices of the first group (310);
configuring the at least one IO-Link master (305) with an at least second configuration (355) to operate the at least second group (315) of IO-Link devices;
by means of an at least third process loop (360), producing a connection between the at least one IO-Link master (305) and the IO-Link devices of the at least second group (315) of IO-Link devices as well as checking (362) a communication status of the IO-Link devices of the at least second group (315) of IO-Link devices that are connected in this way; and
by means of an at least fourth process loop (365), reading out the IO-Link devices of the at least second group (315) of IO-Link devices and setting configuration values necessary for operation of the IO-Link devices of the at least second group (310).