Since the 1980s, industrial field buses have allowed smarter devices, quicker installations, reduced wiring, and easier maintenance. However, the lack of a single, universally accepted field bus has also created confusion, training challenges, high costs, and compatibility issues among equipment. IO-Link is the first open, field bus agnostic, low-cost, point-to-point serial communication protocol used for communicating with sensors and actuators that has been adopted as an international standard (IEC 61131-9). It finally standardizes interoperability with the industrial equipment from all over the world. IO-Link can exist directly from the PLC or can be integrated into all standard field buses, quickly making it the defacto standard for universally communicating with smart devices like the Santa Cruz (MAXREFDES23#). IO-Link, being simple yet intelligent, allows for the smallest low-cost smart sensors in the industry. For more information see reference design 5819, "Santa Cruz (MAXREFDES23#): IO-Link Light Sensor."

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