December 6, 2019 - Pepperl+Fuchs will offer IO-Link masters with an OPC UA interface and is therefore paving the way for end-to-end, transparent communication from the lowest field level to the cloud
The automation specialist Pepperl+Fuchs has acquired the business of Comtrol Corporation. Comtrol is a specialist in the field of Ethernet-based industrial communication and a provider of IO-Link masters. Pepperl+Fuchs has therefore strengthened its position as a system provider in the IO-Link sector and has become the first company to be able to offer IO-Link masters with an OPC UA interface.
OPC UA is an Ethernet-based communication protocol and provides a method of communication between machines or between a machine and the cloud. OPC UA is characterized by its independence, which gives customers incredible flexibility when designing their IoT systems, and ensures that they have freedom, no matter which platform they choose to use.
By combining OPC UA and IO-Link, Pepperl+Fuchs has opened up possibilities for end-to- end, transparent, communication from the lowest field level to the cloud. If IO-Link functions as the interface for the identification, diagnostics, and parameter data from the sensor technology, OPC UA provides a solution for transmitting this data to PC- or cloud-based systems in full and in parallel with time-critical control communication.