Back plate communication system based on IO-Link

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication systems, and discloses an IO-Link-based backboard communication system, which comprises a communication interface module and a plurality of extension modules, and is characterized in that the communication interface module performs data interaction with the extension modules through IO-Link; the communication interface module is used for receiving industrial communication protocol data and issuing setting parameters and control instructions to the extension module through IO-Link, and can also be used for receiving operation or measurement data uploaded by the extension module so as to realize real-time monitoring of the state of field equipment; the system comprises a communication interface module and a plurality of extensible function modules, and the modules are in modular cascade connection through blade type connectors. A communication link is established between the communication interface module and the first-stage extension module through the IO-Link, and the extension modules are cascaded step by step through the IO-Link, so that a standardized backplane communication topology is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication system technology, specifically to a backplane communication system based on IO-Link. Background Technology

[0002] In existing industrial control systems, backplane communication is mainly used to realize data exchange and collaborative work between multiple functional modules. Common communication methods include parallel bus and serial bus.

[0003] Parallel bus communication (such as VME, Q-Bus, PCI, etc.) typically requires multiple signal lines to transmit address, data, and control signals simultaneously, often resulting in dozens or more pins. In the complex electromagnetic interference environment of industrial sites, parallel switching of multiple signals is prone to crosstalk, leading to decreased signal integrity and timing instability. Furthermore, parallel bus interfaces and wiring structures are complex, occupy a large space, and require high standards for backplane routing, electrical isolation, and installation processes, hindering module miniaturization and system expansion.

[0004] Serial communication methods such as RS485, CAN, or E-BUS based on differential links often employ a shared bus architecture, requiring multiple nodes to coordinate access through a bus arbitration mechanism. As the number of system nodes increases or the data communication volume rises, communication latency accumulates significantly, making it difficult to meet the requirements of high real-time control systems. Furthermore, these solutions typically fix the number of nodes and addressing structure in the initial system design phase. When expansion modules are needed, node addresses must be reallocated and synchronization strategies configured, resulting in insufficient expansion flexibility. In particular, dedicated backplane communication solutions, such as E-BUS, rely heavily on proprietary protocols and communication chips developed by specific manufacturers, leading to high chip costs, weak ecosystem compatibility, and difficulty in achieving cross-system interoperability and module replacement.

[0005] Furthermore, both parallel bus and differential serial communication methods primarily focus on physical layer data transmission, lacking intelligent capabilities such as online device identification, automatic parameter distribution, status monitoring, and fault diagnosis. When equipment is replaced or the system is maintained, parameters often need to be manually reconfigured, resulting in long maintenance cycles, heavy workloads, and a high risk of human error. This hinders the evolution of industrial automation systems towards intelligence, visualization, and full lifecycle management of equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a backplane communication system based on IO-Link, which has advantages such as plug-and-play modules, automatic parameter matching, chain-based communication expansion, fully digital anti-interference transmission, and visualized monitoring of operating status. It solves the problems mentioned in the background technology, such as complex wiring, poor anti-interference performance, insufficient system scalability (requiring reconfiguration for adding or removing modules), inability to achieve automatic device identification and parameter configuration, lack of operating status monitoring and fault diagnosis mechanisms, high cost, poor versatility, and closed ecosystem.

[0007] To achieve the goals of plug-and-play functionality, automatic parameter matching, chain-based communication expansion, fully digital anti-interference transmission, and visualized monitoring of operational status of the aforementioned modules, this invention provides the following technical solution: a backplane communication system based on IO-Link, comprising a communication interface module and multiple expansion modules, wherein the communication interface module interacts with the expansion modules via IO-Link; The communication interface module is used to receive industrial communication protocol data and send setting parameters and control commands to the expansion module through IO-Link. It can also be used to receive the operation or measurement data uploaded by the expansion module to realize real-time monitoring of the status of field equipment. The expansion module is used to receive parameter distribution and control commands from the communication interface module via IO-Link, and to upload the corresponding operation or measurement data to the communication interface module via IO-Link.

[0008] Preferably, the communication interface module includes an MPU control chip, an Ethernet transceiver module, and an IO-Link communication module; The MPU control chip is used to convert industrial communication protocol data into IO-Link data frames and send them to the expansion module, and at the same time, it is used to receive response data uploaded by the expansion module; The Ethernet transceiver module is used for data communication between the external industrial network and the MPU control chip. The IO-Link communication module is used to enable bidirectional data transmission between the communication interface module and the expansion module.

[0009] Preferably, the expansion module includes an MCU control chip and an IO-Link communication module; The MCU control chip is used to control the internal functional units of the expansion module and process its own data, and to realize the functions of acquisition, caching and processing. The IO-Link communication module is used to realize bidirectional IO-Link data transmission between expansion modules and between expansion modules and communication interface modules.

[0010] Preferably, the MPU control chip has a built-in three-port gigabit Ethernet switch that supports TSN time-sensitive networks and an EtherCAT slave controller.

[0011] Preferably, the Ethernet transceiver module includes two Ethernet transceiver chips, which are connected to the MPU control chip via MII / RMII / RGMII interfaces respectively, for realizing level conversion and bidirectional transmission and reception between industrial Ethernet physical layer signals and data interface signals of the MPU control chip; The two Ethernet transceiver chips are electrically connected to the two corresponding Ethernet interfaces of the MPU control chip, respectively, to complete the transmission and reception of external industrial Ethernet physical layer signals, clock synchronization and signal conditioning, and realize real-time access and high-speed data exchange of multi-protocol industrial networks.

[0012] Preferably, the IO-Link communication module includes an IO-Link communication master transceiver chip; The IO-Link communication master transceiver chip is used to encapsulate the industrial communication protocol data sent by the MPU control chip into data frames that conform to the IO-Link standard, and send them to one or more expansion modules through the IO-Link interface; Meanwhile, the IO-Link communication master transceiver chip is used to receive IO-Link data frames uploaded by the expansion module and convert the received data into interface signals that can be processed by the MPU control chip.

[0013] Preferably, the MCU control chip has a high-speed 32-bit ARM Cortex-M core and rich on-chip peripheral interfaces, including GPIO, USART, SPI, I2C, ADC, DMA and timers, to realize data acquisition, processing, caching and uploading of internal functional units of the expansion module, and to ensure real-time response to IO-Link communication data.

[0014] Preferably, the IO-Link communication module in the expansion module also includes an IO-Link communication transceiver chip, which is used to receive data sent by the communication interface module or the upper-level expansion module, and to upload the data frame of the expansion module to the communication interface module or the upper-level expansion module, supporting chain-cascaded communication, fault diagnosis and data flow control, and ensuring the real-time performance and reliability of multi-module communication. It also includes an IO-Link communication master transceiver chip, model L6360, which is used to encapsulate the data sent by the MCU control chip into IO-Link data frames and send them to the lower-level expansion modules. At the same time, it receives the data uploaded by the lower-level modules and converts it into interface signals that the MCU can process.

[0015] Preferably, the multiple expansion modules are cascaded with adjacent expansion modules through their respective IO-Link communication modules to form a chain-like IO-Link communication network; The chain-like IO-Link communication network connects the IO-Link communication module of the communication interface module through the IO-Link communication module of the last extension module, realizing data frame interaction, sequential forwarding and unified management of each extension module in the system.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a backplane communication system based on IO-Link, which has the following advantages: 1. This IO-Link-based backplane communication system integrates industrial Ethernet multi-protocol communication with IO-Link backplane communication into the same communication interface module. The communication interface module supports industrial Ethernet protocols such as EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet / IP simultaneously through the MPU chip, and converts them into IO-Link data frames to be sent to the expansion module, realizing unified access of multiple protocols without the need for additional gateways, protocol converters or other adapter modules.

[0017] 2. This IO-Link-based backplane communication system uses an IO-Link master-slave cascading method to form a chain-like backplane communication network. Multiple expansion modules are connected tier by IO-Link master transceivers to the IO-Link slave transceivers of adjacent modules, ultimately forming a continuous data link with the communication interface module. This achieves modular expansion, hot-swappability, and reduces backplane wiring and interface complexity.

[0018] 3. This IO-Link-based backplane communication system integrates a TSN time-sensitive network gigabit switch and an EtherCAT slave controller into the MPU module. It achieves real-time industrial network timing synchronization and deterministic transmission through a single chip, resulting in low latency, high real-time performance, and strong multi-protocol integration capabilities.

[0019] 4. This IO-Link-based backplane communication system uses an Ethernet transceiver chip to achieve seamless access from the industrial Ethernet physical layer to the MPU digital interface layer, completing signal conversion through MII / RMII / RGMII standard interfaces. The system supports direct access to gigabit / megabit physical networks, thus achieving high speed and efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the communication interface module of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Please see the appendix Figure 1 This invention discloses a backplane communication system based on IO-Link. The system includes a communication interface module and multiple expansion modules. The communication interface module interacts with the expansion modules through IO-Link. The communication interface module is used to receive industrial communication protocol data (including but not limited to Profinet, EtherCAT, EtherNet / IP, etc.) and send setting parameters and control commands to the expansion module through IO-Link. It can also be used to receive the operation or measurement data uploaded by the expansion module to realize real-time monitoring of the status of field equipment. The expansion module is used to receive parameter distribution and control commands from the communication interface module via IO-Link, and to upload the corresponding operation or measurement data to the communication interface module via IO-Link; In this embodiment, it is clear that the backplane communication system comprises four main modules: a device backplane, and a communication interface module, an IO-Link extension module, and an extension module. The backplane is not a mechanical backplane structure as in existing technologies, nor is it simply connecting an IO-Link to a traditional physical backplane bus with long traces. The backplane integrates a communication interface module, an IO-Link extension module, and extension modules. A 24V backplane bus power supply powers the device backplane. The modules are modularly cascaded using blade connectors. A communication link is established between the communication interface module and the first-level extension module via an IO-Link. Each extension module is then cascaded level by level via an IO-Link, achieving a standardized backplane communication topology. This avoids the multi-port layout of existing parallel bus structures, which results in larger device space requirements, and also avoids the limitations of serial bus structures in terms of fixed node numbers and addressing structures. Each level of communication is mutually supportive yet does not interfere with each other. Each module is equipped with a set of IO-Link communication modules. Backplane communication typically requires a separate power layer. However, IO-Link generally uses the same cable to transmit data and power, which can easily introduce noise and voltage drop in long-distance, multi-node scenarios. Therefore, we have built an IO-Link communication module into each module and integrated it into the backplane device, avoiding long-distance transmission and thus avoiding noise and voltage drop. Furthermore, we have redefined the physical form of "backplane communication" by using standardized point-to-point connectors (such as blade connectors and M12 connectors) to achieve module cascading within extremely short board-to-board distances (typically on the centimeter level). This fundamentally avoids the signal attenuation, reflection, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems caused by excessive wiring on the backplane in traditional parallel buses or long-distance serial buses.

[0023] After receiving data from the industrial communication protocol, the communication interface module sends configuration parameters (such as threshold settings, sampling period, and filter coefficients) to the expansion module via IO-Link. The expansion modules can be flexibly combined according to actual needs, covering various types such as digital input / output modules, high-speed counting modules, and analog acquisition and output modules. Through a coordinated process involving the communication interface module and the "expansion modules," the IO-Link master chip (L6360) of each expansion module continuously monitors the electrical connection status of its downstream ports. When a new module is inserted or an old module is removed, the chip immediately detects changes in port impedance / capacitance. These status changes are reported as events to the MPU of the core communication interface module via the IO-Link link. The management software in the MPU then initiates a reconfiguration process: requesting device descriptions from the new module, matching and issuing configuration parameters from the parameter library, dynamically reallocating logical addresses or routing information for the entire link, and updating the internal topology mapping table. The entire identification and configuration process strictly adheres to the IO-Link standard protocol, ensuring interoperability between modules from different manufacturers. Therefore, automatic address reconstruction is a function built upon the intelligent features of the IO-Link standard and uniformly managed by the system's main control module (communication interface module).

[0024] As one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the appendix Figure 2 As shown, the communication interface module includes an MPU control chip, an Ethernet transceiver module, and an IO-Link communication module; The MPU control chip is used to convert industrial communication protocol data into IO-Link data frames and send them to the expansion module, and at the same time to receive response data uploaded by the expansion module; Ethernet transceiver modules are used for data communication between external industrial networks and MPU control chips; The IO-Link communication module is used to enable bidirectional data transmission between the communication interface module and the expansion module; The MPU control chip is model N2L, which has a built-in three-port gigabit Ethernet switch and EtherCAT slave controller that support Time Sensitive Networking (TSN). It is compatible with and supports multiple industrial Ethernet communication protocols such as EtherCAT, PROFINET RT / IRT, EtherNet / IP, and OPC UA. The MPU control chip features high-speed data processing capabilities and low-latency communication characteristics, enabling high real-time data exchange in multi-protocol industrial Ethernet environments. It also supports multi-port redundancy and multi-protocol parallel processing, allowing for parallel parsing and scheduling of different industrial Ethernet packets. The chip also integrates hardware-level time synchronization functionality to achieve deterministic communication under TSN networks, thereby ensuring that the system can still operate stably and reliably under multi-node and high-load conditions. The Ethernet transceiver module includes two Ethernet transceiver chips, both model YT8521, which are connected to the MPU control chip through MII / RMII / RGMII interfaces respectively, and are used to realize level conversion and bidirectional transmission and reception between industrial Ethernet physical layer signals and MPU control chip data interface signals. Two YT8521 transceivers are electrically connected to the two Ethernet interfaces corresponding to the MPU control chip, respectively, to complete the transmission and reception of external industrial Ethernet physical layer signals, clock synchronization and signal conditioning, and realize real-time access and high-speed data exchange of multi-protocol industrial networks. The Ethernet transceiver module includes two Ethernet transceiver chips, both model YT8521, which are connected to the MPU control chip through MII / RMII / RGMII interfaces respectively, and are used to realize level conversion and bidirectional transmission and reception between industrial Ethernet physical layer signals and MPU control chip data interface signals. Two YT8521 transceivers are electrically connected to the two Ethernet interfaces corresponding to the MPU control chip, respectively, to complete the transmission and reception of external industrial Ethernet physical layer signals, clock synchronization and signal conditioning, and realize real-time access and high-speed data exchange of multi-protocol industrial networks. Meanwhile, the two YT8521 chips support automatic rate detection, adaptive link control and low power management, and have electromagnetic interference resistance and differential signal driving capabilities, which can ensure signal integrity and communication reliability in complex industrial environments. By using two transceivers in parallel, redundant links or multi-protocol parallel communication can be achieved, improving system reliability and network throughput.

[0025] As one embodiment of the present invention, the expansion module includes an MCU control chip and an IO-Link communication module; The MCU control chip is model STM32F103C8T6, which has a high-speed 32-bit ARM Cortex-M core and rich on-chip peripheral interfaces, including GPIO, USART, SPI, I2C, ADC, DMA and timers, etc. It can realize data acquisition, processing, buffering and uploading of internal functional units of expansion modules, and ensure real-time response to IO-Link communication data. The IO-Link communication module in the expansion module also includes an IO-Link communication transceiver chip, model L6362, which is used to receive data sent by the communication interface module or the upper-level expansion module, and to upload the data frames of the expansion module to the communication interface module or the upper-level expansion module. It supports chain-cascaded communication, fault diagnosis and data flow control, and ensures the real-time performance and reliability of multi-module communication. It also includes an IO-Link communication master transceiver chip, model L6360, which is used to encapsulate the data sent by the MCU control chip into IO-Link data frames and send them to the lower-level expansion modules. At the same time, it receives the data uploaded by the lower-level modules and converts it into interface signals that the MCU can process.

[0026] The MCU control chip is used to control the internal functional units of the expansion module and process its own data, and to realize the functions of acquisition, buffering and processing. The IO-Link communication module is used to enable bidirectional IO-Link data transmission between expansion modules and between expansion modules and the communication interface module.

[0027] As an embodiment of the present invention, the IO-Link communication module includes an IO-Link communication master transceiver chip, model L6360; The L6360 communication master transceiver chip is used to encapsulate industrial communication protocol data sent by the MPU control chip into data frames conforming to the IO-Link standard, and send them to one or more expansion modules through the IO-Link interface; Meanwhile, the chip is used to receive IO-Link data frames uploaded by the IO-Link communication module inside the expansion module, and convert the received data into interface signals that can be processed by the MPU control chip; The L6360 supports IO-Link link status monitoring, including detection of cable breakage, port short circuit and communication anomalies, enabling online fault diagnosis of expansion modules; The chip also supports chain-cascaded communication of multiple expansion modules, automatic hot-swap identification, and automatic address allocation, ensuring flexible networking of system expansion modules and sequential data transmission; In addition, the L6360 can perform priority scheduling and flow control on communication data to ensure the real-time performance and high reliability of critical control data.

[0028] Multiple expansion modules are cascaded with adjacent expansion modules through their respective IO-Link communication modules to form a chain-like IO-Link communication network; The chained IO-Link communication network connects the IO-Link communication module of the communication interface module through the IO-Link communication module of the last extension module, realizing data frame interaction, sequential forwarding and unified management of each extension module in the system; Chain-type networks support hot-swapping, automatic module identification, and automatic address allocation, ensuring automatic communication reconstruction when expansion modules are added or removed, thereby improving the system's modular expansion capabilities and operational reliability.

[0029] By adopting the above-mentioned technical means, the PLC can achieve centralized control of the communication interface module and several expansion modules and efficient information acquisition. While ensuring connection reliability, it can significantly improve the deployment efficiency of complex industrial sites and reduce the total system life cycle cost.

[0030] During system operation, the communication interface module transmits data and parameters to the expansion module link via IO-Link. Each module parses and forwards the data according to a preset data frame format, enabling data to be transmitted and processed step-by-step along the link. The system supports module-level hot-swapping; newly connected modules can be automatically identified and their parameters migrated without manual reconfiguration, significantly reducing maintenance costs.

[0031] In addition, the expansion module has a self-diagnostic capability, which can detect abnormal power supply, signal wiring errors, sensor open or short circuits, and abnormal module communication, and report these conditions to the communication interface module in real time through its built-in IO-Link communication module, thereby enabling fault location and predictive maintenance.

[0032] The IO-Link-based all-digital transmission method not only boasts strong resistance to electromagnetic interference but also supports unified management of device identification, parameter backup, and operational data and status events. The system can flexibly expand the number of modules as needed, exhibiting excellent scalability and compatibility. It is suitable for various automation scenarios such as machine tools, intelligent production lines, logistics conveying systems, and industrial testing equipment, effectively improving system stability, configuration flexibility, and maintenance efficiency.

[0033] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link, characterized in that, It includes a communication interface module and multiple expansion modules, wherein the communication interface module interacts with the expansion modules via IO-Link; The communication interface module is used to receive industrial communication protocol data and send setting parameters and control commands to the expansion module through IO-Link. It can also be used to receive the operation or measurement data uploaded by the expansion module to realize real-time monitoring of the status of field equipment. The expansion module is used to receive parameter distribution and control commands from the communication interface module via IO-Link, and to upload the corresponding operation or measurement data to the communication interface module via IO-Link.

2. The backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication interface module includes an MPU control chip, an Ethernet transceiver module, and an IO-Link communication module. The MPU control chip is used to convert industrial communication protocol data into IO-Link data frames and send them to the expansion module, and at the same time, it is used to receive response data uploaded by the expansion module; The Ethernet transceiver module is used for data communication between the external industrial network and the MPU control chip. The IO-Link communication module is used to enable bidirectional data transmission between the communication interface module and the expansion module.

3. The backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion module includes an MCU control chip and an IO-Link communication module; The MCU control chip is used to control the internal functional units of the expansion module and process its own data, and to realize the functions of acquisition, caching and processing. The IO-Link communication module is used to realize bidirectional IO-Link data transmission between expansion modules and between expansion modules and communication interface modules.

4. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 2, characterized in that, The MPU control chip has a built-in three-port gigabit Ethernet switch that supports TSN time-sensitive networks and an EtherCAT slave controller.

5. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 2, characterized in that, The Ethernet transceiver module includes two Ethernet transceiver chips, which are connected to the MPU control chip via MII / RMII / RGMII interfaces respectively, and are used to realize level conversion and bidirectional transmission and reception between industrial Ethernet physical layer signals and data interface signals of the MPU control chip; The two Ethernet transceiver chips are electrically connected to the two corresponding Ethernet interfaces of the MPU control chip, respectively, to complete the transmission and reception of external industrial Ethernet physical layer signals, clock synchronization and signal conditioning, and realize real-time access and high-speed data exchange of multi-protocol industrial networks.

6. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 1, characterized in that, The IO-Link communication module includes an IO-Link communication master transceiver chip; The IO-Link communication master transceiver chip is used to encapsulate the industrial communication protocol data sent by the MPU control chip into data frames that conform to the IO-Link standard, and send them to one or more expansion modules through the IO-Link interface; Meanwhile, the IO-Link communication master transceiver chip is used to receive IO-Link data frames uploaded by the expansion module and convert the received data into interface signals that can be processed by the MPU control chip.

7. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 1, characterized in that, The MCU control chip has a high-speed 32-bit ARM Cortex-M core and rich on-chip peripheral interfaces, including GPIO, USART, SPI, I2C, ADC, DMA and timers, which realizes data acquisition, processing, caching and uploading of internal functional units of the expansion module, and ensures real-time response to IO-Link communication data.

8. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 3, characterized in that, The IO-Link communication module within the expansion module also includes an IO-Link communication transceiver chip, used to receive data sent by the communication interface module or the upper-level expansion module, and to upload data frames of the expansion module to the communication interface module or the upper-level expansion module. It supports chain-cascaded communication, fault diagnosis and data flow control, ensuring the real-time performance and reliability of multi-module communication. It also includes an IO-Link communication master transceiver chip, model L6360, which is used to encapsulate the data sent by the MCU control chip into IO-Link data frames and send them to the lower-level expansion modules. At the same time, it receives the data uploaded by the lower-level modules and converts it into interface signals that the MCU can process.

9. A backplane communication system based on IO-Link according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple expansion modules are cascaded with adjacent expansion modules through their respective IO-Link communication modules to form a chain-like IO-Link communication network; The chain-like IO-Link communication network connects the IO-Link communication module of the communication interface module through the IO-Link communication module of the last extension module, realizing data frame interaction, sequential forwarding and unified management of each extension module in the system.

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