The Balluff Engineering Tool

Configure IO-Link devices quickly and easily

Industrial networks with the IO-Link communication standard support versatile and efficient digital production, with IO-Link ensuring seamless communication from the sensor to the Internet.

With an increasing number of devices in use, configuration and diagnostics are very time-consuming and require special skills. To simplify the commissioning tasks of engineers, programmers, and maintenance staff, an increase plant efficiency, making use of powerful software such as the Balluff Engineering Tool offers considerable added value.

This is because it enables manufacturer-independent and centralized commissioning, configuration and parameterization of IO-Link devices according to the IO-Link standard for sensors and actuators.

Simple operation

This easy-to-use software provides central access to parameterize all IO-Link devices in a network. It provides an overview of the status of all IO-Link devices and informs you about events and errors. The user can easily document the current status of the network and, without a programmable logic controller (PLC), test inputs and outputs to avoid wiring errors.

Faster commissioning

In addition, the Balluff Engineering Tool IO-Link allows device settings and even entire machine or system configurations to be saved and reused. This simplifies and speeds up commissioning and helps to quickly change settings on a device when wiring problems are detected and when testing the machine.

Shortened maintenance times

The software also helps with the maintenance or servicing of IO-Link networks: missing or incorrectly connected devices can be quickly detected, and changes in the parameterization of a device can also be analyzed and easily rectified. And if a device should ever fail, the saved parameters can be restored after a device replacement. This reduces maintenance times and increases system availability.

The advantages of the Balluff Engineering Tool at a glance

reduced commissioning time due to faster setup of IO-Link devices, even without a PLC
avoid errors by testing the IO-Link wiring before commissioning
easier setup of IO-Link networks due to clear interface and intuitive operation
centralized access to parameterization of all IO-Link devices and overview of the connection status of the entire IO-Link topology
higher efficiency – only one software for all IO-Link sensors and actuators, independent of the manufacturer, and for all Profinet and Ethernet/IP-IO-Link network modules from Balluff
easy reuse of parameters for sensors
quickly and reliably integrate entire IO-Link topologies of series machines into the machine without the need for complex programming of PLC modules
increased system availability due to reduced maintenance times

"The more IO-Link devices there are in a plant, the more parameters have to be checked or even changed.

Diagnosis and troubleshooting become more complex for each machine and take up large amounts of time resources. This is exactly where our Balluff Engineering Tool comes in."

Heiko Mahr, Balluff Product Manager