Infineon Technologies (Korea Representative Director Matthias Ludwig) has launched a design evaluation kit for developing communication systems that support the IO-Link V1.1 standard, utilizing its 16-bit XE166 and 8-bit XC800 microcontrollers. As an industry-first solution, it leverages the real-time performance of the XE166 MCU and cost-effective XC800 devices to design a system supporting up to eight IO-Link channels on a master that provides a FIFO buffer for each channel. Developed in collaboration with companies experienced in industrial automation, Infineon's IO-Link evaluation kit enables equipment manufacturers to easily evaluate full IO-Link-based master-device integration capabilities.

IO-Link is a standardized point-to-point communication system designed to facilitate the easy integration of sensors and actuators into factory automation systems. It offers various benefits to end users, such as improved convenience regarding cable connections, cost reduction, and remote diagnostics and configuration. An IO-Link system consists of an IO-Link master and one or more IO-Link devices (sensors or actuators). The IO-Link master provides an interface to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and controls communication between connected IO-Link devices. IO-Link supports robust communication capabilities through features such as built-in error detection and easy integration with stable fieldbus systems that reduce cable connections and eliminate the need for shielding. IO-Link, an open interface, can be integrated into all common fieldbuses and automation systems.

Easy-to-use turnkey evaluation kit
Infineon has developed a low-cost USB kit that allows customers to easily evaluate IO-Link master and device configurations by using the high-performance 16-bit XE164 as the master and the low-cost 8-bit XC822 as the device node. With the support of Hitex Development Tools, the IO-Link software stack provider Technologie Management Gruppe, and the leading IO-Link PHY device supplier ZMDI (Zentrum Mikroelektronik Dresden AG), Infineon provides a complete solution including toolchains for both the master and device, as well as an evaluation IO-Link software stack. The kit includes a physical transceiver PHY and a USB stick serving as an XE164-based master node supporting four IO-Link channels, a single 8-bit XC822-based device node, cables, demos, documentation, and more. We have also completed the development of additional projects using the 8-bit XC800 as a device, together with partners such as HMT Microelectronic, an IO-Link physical transceiver and IP supplier, and MESCO Engineering, an IO-Link device software stack supplier.

About XE164
The master node of the Infineon IO-Link solution is based on the XE164, a 16-bit microcontroller family from the XE166 family. The XE166 real-time signal controller delivers 32-bit performance on 16-bit devices and provides an integrated MAC unit with up to 100 MIPS and a complete DSP library. The scalable product family includes various devices offering flash sizes from 128 KB to 1600 KB and packages from 64 to 176 pins.