Balluff has developed a system for detecting quality problems in manufacturing processes in real time, using versions of standard sensors that output not only switching and error signals, but also warning and trend messages. The dynamic information is modulated over the standard binary signal.

The sensors are connected via three-conductor cables to a hub that collects and condenses data from up to eight ports and transmits it via a four-port IO-Link Master to a controller. One Master can monitor up to 32 sensors.

The Dynamic Sensor Control (DSC) system can detect problems such as the increasing contamination of photoelectric sensors and targets wandering towards inductive sensors. The sensors, which cost much less than “intelligent” sensors, bridge the gap between basic sensors with error messages and configurable, diagnostics-capable sensors.

Balluff says the DSC system will make start-up and maintenance easier, and will cut downtime.