Wenglor Expands Industrial Connectivity with New IO-Link System Solutions
Wenglor Sensoric Group has significantly enhanced its connectivity portfolio with the launch of a new series of IO-Link masters, hubs, and converters. These additions are designed to facilitate seamless, bidirectional communication between factory-floor field devices and higher-level control systems, providing engineers with a more robust infrastructure for real-time diagnostics, parameterization, and centralized network management.
The new IO-Link masters serve as the backbone of this expansion, supporting the three primary industrial communication protocols: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, and EtherCAT. Each master is equipped with eight versatile ports that can be individually configured as standard digital I/O or IO-Link channels, ensuring maximum flexibility for varying machine designs. To support modern IIoT integration, the units feature integrated web servers for local configuration and status monitoring, while simultaneously supporting advanced communication protocols such as MQTT, OPC UA, and REST API. This level of connectivity allows manufacturers to feed high-fidelity sensor data directly into predictive analytics software without requiring extensive gateway hardware.
To address the need for high-density I/O in compact machine footprints, Wenglor has introduced two new IO-Link hubs. These units provide up to 16 digital inputs or outputs through a single IO-Link master port, drastically reducing the cabling burden in complex assemblies. Available in both M12 and M8 port configurations, the hubs are optimized for tight-fitting locations where space is at a premium. With an operating voltage of 18-30 V DC and individual port current ratings of 4 A, these hubs provide a scalable way to expand digital connectivity without adding nodes to the primary fieldbus network.
Recognizing that many legacy environments still rely heavily on analog measurement, Wenglor’s new IO-Link converters provide a critical bridge for modernizing existing infrastructure. These compact devices transform standard analog current or voltage signals into digital IO-Link data streams. By deploying these converters, designers can eliminate the need for expensive, localized analog input terminal blocks in the field, instead routing all data through the existing IO-Link master infrastructure. This approach not only simplifies the physical wiring architecture but also allows analog sensors to benefit from the same level of digital diagnostic monitoring as native IO-Link devices.
The implementation of this IO-Link topology offers a distinct competitive advantage for manufacturers looking to improve operational transparency. By consolidating field devices onto a single network node and enabling remote access to device status and configuration parameters, Wenglor’s solutions empower controls designers to build highly responsive, data-driven automation environments. As the industry moves toward deeper integration of AI-driven automation and automated quality assurance, these high-performance connectivity tools provide the necessary foundation for reliable data acquisition at the point of action.
Written by: Grant Holloway, an industrial systems architect with over 15 years of expertise in sensor fusion, fieldbus network optimization, and smart factory connectivity solutions.