# US 12,007,922 B2 · IO-link system with diagnostic channel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,922 B2 - Document ID: US12007922B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/712,832 - Filed: 2022-04-04 - Published: 2022-10-13 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-08 - Assignees: Balluff GmbH - Applicants: Balluff GmbH - Inventors: Norbert Magyar; Zoltan Kasa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007922B2 ## CPC - G06F 13/362: with centralised access control - G06F 11/3041: {where the computing system component is an input/output interface (interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00)} - G06F 11/3058: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206)} - G06F 11/3485: {for I/O devices} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The invention relates to an IO-Link system comprising at least one IO-Link master (1), at least one IO-Link device (2) and at least one IO-Link-capable infrastructure component (30). The at least one IO-Link master (1) and the at least one IO-Link device (2) are connected via the at least one infrastructure component (30) and exchange data via a data channel (K1). The infrastructure component (30) has an apparatus (61, 62) for recording diagnostic data. A diagnostic channel (K2) is provided in the IO-Link system, via which diagnostic channel (K2) the diagnostic data can be sent and received between the at least one infrastructure component (30) and the at least one IO-Link master (1) separately from the data channel (K1). ## Claims ### Claim 1 IO-Link system, comprising at least one IO-Link master; at least one IO-Link device; at least one IO link-capable infrastructure component, wherein the at least one IO-Link master and the at least one IO-Link device are connected via the at least one infrastructure component and exchange data via a data channel (K1), wherein the infrastructure component has an apparatus for recording diagnostic data, and a diagnostic channel (K2) is provided in the IO-Link system, via which diagnostic channel (K2) being adapted to transmit and receive the diagnostic data between the at least one infrastructure component and the at least one IO-Link master separately from the data channel (K1). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The IO-Link system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one IO-Link master has a plurality of IO-Link ports, and the data channel (K1) is fed to one of the plurality of IO-Link ports of the at least one IO-Link master and the diagnostic channel (K2) is fed to another of the plurality of IO-Link ports of the at least one IO-Link master (1). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The IO-Link system according to claim 1, wherein two IO-Link masters are provided, and the data channel (K1) is fed to one of the at least one IO-Link masters and the diagnostic channel (K2) is fed to the other at least one IO-Link master. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The IO-Link system according to claim 1, wherein a connection between the at least one IO-Link master and a primary side of the at least one IO-Link infrastructure component is realised as a 4-pole or 5-pole plug connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The IO-Link system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one IO-Link-capable infrastructure component is an IO-Link-capable inductive coupler. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The IO-Link system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data a current state of the infrastructure component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) IO-Link system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data is a current state of an environment of the infrastructure component. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The IO-Link system according to claim 4, wherein the data channel (K1) is routed via a pin (Pin 4) of the plug connection and the diagnostic channel (K2) is routed via another pin (Pin 2) of the plug connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The IO-Link system of claim 6, wherein the current state is at least one of an input voltage, an output current, an efficiency of energy transmission, an intrinsic temperature, and a signal quality. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The IO-Link system of claim 7, wherein the current state is at least one of a vibration, an ambient temperature, a humidity, a temperature gradient, and a humidity gradient. ### Claim 11 Method for operating an IO-Link system including at least one IO-Link master; at least one IO-Link device; at least one IO link-capable infrastructure component, the at least one IO-Link master and the at least one IO-Link device being connected via the at least one infrastructure component and exchange data via a data channel (K1), the infrastructure component has an apparatus for recording diagnostic data, and a diagnostic channel (K2) provided in the IO-Link system, via which diagnostic channel (K2) the diagnostic data being transmitted and received between the at least one infrastructure component and the at least one IO-Link master separately from the data channel (K1), the method comprising the following steps: a) providing the data channel (K1) of the connection between the at least one IO-Link device and the at least one IO-Link master; b) providing a description file (IODD1) for the device data of the data channel (K1); c) providing the diagnostic channel (K2) of the connection between the at least one IO-Link-capable infrastructure component and the at least one IO-Link master, which is separate from the data channel (K1); d) providing a description file (IODD2) for the diagnostic data of the diagnostic channel (K2); e) evaluating the device data and evaluating the diagnostic data independently of each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic data is a current state of the infrastructure component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic data is a current state of an environment of the infrastructure component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the current state is at least one of an input voltage, an output current, an efficiency of energy transmission, an intrinsic temperature, and a signal quality. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the current state is at least one of a vibration, an ambient temperature, a humidity, a temperature gradient, and a humidity gradient.