Maxim Unveils Reference Design to Simplify PLC Cabling
MAX22000 analog IO, IO can be adjusted with SW
Minimize equipment repair time and plant downtime


Minimizing factory downtime is key to increasing productivity in the manufacturing industry.

McKinsey estimated that the average downtime for factories in 2018 was 800 hours per year, or 15 hours per week. This directly resulted in losses. For car manufacturers, the loss per minute when a factory is down is estimated to be as much as $25,000.

Equipment failure is the main reason for downtime. The same survey revealed that implementing end-to-end intelligence, where equipment itself determines and warns of abnormalities through sensors, can increase productivity by more than 10% and reduce maintenance costs by more than 20%.

However, even if end-to-end intelligence is implemented, if the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and numerous facilities within the factory are connected by cables, it is difficult to respond quickly and recover even if the facility with a problem is identified due to the complex tangle of cables.

On the 11th, Maxim Integrated Korea held a press conference and unveiled the 'MAXREFDES177# IO-Link® Reference Design' to solve the above problems. The software-tunable analog IO 'MAX22000' and the IO-Link single-channel transceiver 'MAX22515' were also introduced.

The MAXREFDES177# IO-Link reference design incorporates software-tunable analog input/output performance modes. The MAX22000 software-tunable analog IO and the ability to adjust parameters on the fly improve equipment performance and reduce factory downtime.

The MAX22000 has a footprint of 86mm² and integrates a 24-bit ADC analog input module and an 18-bit DAC analog output module. It also provides auxiliary inputs for resistance and thermocouple temperature measurements. Previously, equipment had to be connected to a fixed PLC terminal block, but with this IO, IO adjustment is possible through software, enabling rapid equipment replacement and inspection.

The MAX22515 is highly configurable and integrated. It has surge protection of ±1.2kV/500Ω with protection diodes, and the operating voltage range is 8V to 36V. The C/Q driver current is 50mA to 250mA, and the LDO can be selected between 3.3V and 5V. The control method can also be selected between ^I2C or pin mode. The installation area is less than 5mm².

Jeff DeAngelis, vice president of Maxim Integrated’s Industrial Communications and Industrial & Healthcare business units, who hosted the virtual meeting, said of the products announced that day, “They will help minimize the need to send out technicians to repair broken equipment and minimize equipment downtime.”

He also said, “In the future, we will expand our product line equipped with next-generation AI algorithms to open the Industry 5.0 era, where equipment can diagnose and respond to abnormalities on its own.”