December 12, 2013 – Linear Technology Korea (CEO Hong Sa-kwak) announced the launch of the IO-Link Master IC (product name: LTC2874), which integrates power and communication for four remote IO-Link devices (slaves). With its robust interface and rich feature set, the LTC2874 is ideal for large systems implementing IO-Link (IEC61131-9) in harsh industrial environments. Managing four slaves per Master IC, the LTC2874 improves reliability while reducing board space, design complexity, and costs.

The LTC2874’s proprietary features include automatic Wake-Up Request (WURQ) generation and an output power current boost function for slave startup. The WURQ generator produces self-time wake-up pulses of the correct polarity, reducing the need for a microcontroller. A safety mechanism manages multi-ports and repeats WURQs to prevent thermal overload and maintain error-free communication. The current boost pulse generator fully implements the startup current pulse requirements added to the IO-Link v1.1.1 specification.

The LTC2874 adds robustness and reliability to the physical interface specified in the IO-Link standard. The onboard Hot Swap™ controller and external N-channel MOSFETs in the power interface protect connected devices from inrush current during startup and fault conditions. The integrated ±50V blocking diode in the data line interface protects against faults and high-voltage excursions, making it highly suitable for harsh PLC environments driving cables up to 20 meters in length. The data lines withstand ±8kV HBM ESD without latch-up or damage, while all other pins guarantee ±6kV HBM. The SPI interface enables host configuration and allows monitoring of various parameters, including input power voltage, output power good status, and error events. Programmable control for hot-swap current-limited foldback, circuit breaker timers, noise compression filters, and current sinking functions add communication flexibility and error control capabilities to various systems.

With its other features, the LTC2874 is suitable for a wide range of applications. The 8V to 30V operating range supports legacy standard I/O (SIO) modes and other industrial applications. Driver outputs can be parallelized to achieve up to four times the drive performance required by the I/O link. The signaling pins are compatible with IEC 61131-2 Type 2 and Type 3 digital I/O. The cable sensing function ensures that the power supply output turns on only after the cable is connected, enabling hot-plugging without sparking. If sparking occurs, the connector lifespan may be shortened.

The LTC2874 supports an industrial operating temperature range of –40°C to 85°C and is available in RoHS-compliant 5mm × 7mm QFN or TSSOP packages. The LTC2874 is priced at $7.94 per unit for 1,000-unit quantities and is available in production quantities. The LTC2874 complements the LT3669 IO-Link device (slave) PHY interface. For more information, please refer to www.linear.com/product/LTC2874 .

Photo Caption: 4-Port I/O-Link Master PHY Interface