These instructions describe the use and setting of the parameter server of a Balluff EtherCAT IO-Link master.

The configuration of the IO-Link port is described in the operating instructions and further technical notes.

The possible parameters of the EtherCAT device can be viewed and changed in the CoE register.
The settings of parameter 0x20n2 are required for the parameter server.
Where n = IO-Link port +1. e.g. the parameters of the first port at the top left are in 0x2002.

Once a port has been configured as an IO-Link port, these parameters are also automatically transferred to the startup.

Attention:
The changes to the basic settings in parameters 0x20n0 and 0x80n0 are only applied after a hardware download (startup).
Changing the values via CoE Online has no effect. The IO-Link master no longer uses this information after startup.

The validation is located in subindex 02 (Validation Type

The following values are possible for the validation setting:

0: no validation: validation deactivated, every device is accepted

1: compatible (VID + DID): Manufacturer ID and device ID are compared with the module data. IO-Link communication is only started if they match.

2: identical (VID + DID + serial number): Manufacturer ID and Device ID as well as the serial number are compared with the module data. IO-Link communication is only started if they match.

Setting 01 (compatibility) is recommended for the parameter server:

Vendor ID and Device ID are set in index 0x80n0 subindex 05:

Attention: reverse order of the bytes
The values specified in the operating instructions for the IO-Link devices must be entered in reverse order.

The parameter server setting is not clearly and comprehensibly explained in the operating instructions.
The following information is available:

The parameter 0x20n2:03 is used to set the parameter server property:

The settings are explained in the operating instructions as follows:
The following values are possible for the settings:
0x8X Switch on
0x0X Switch off
0x40 Delete
0xX1 Switch on upload
0xX2 Switch on download

Switched on: Data storage functions active, parameter data and identification data of the IO-Link device are stored remanently.

Switched off: Data retention functions deactivated, saved data remains saved.

Deleted: Data retention functions deactivated, saved data is deleted.

Enable upload: Selectable whether an upload of the parameter data to the data storage of the IO-Link master port should be carried out or not. If the upload is enabled, the master starts an upload of the parameter data as soon as a device requests an upload (upload flag set) or if no data is stored in the master port (e.g. after deletion of the data or before the first data upload).

Block upload: If the upload is blocked, no data upload is started. In the event of an upload request from the IO-Link device, a download (if activated) is started in the event of different parameter sets, as no upload may be carried out.

Enable download: You can select whether the parameter data should be downloaded to the IO-Link device or not. As soon as the parameter data stored in the parameter server of the port differs from the connected IO-Link device and there is no upload request from the IO-Link device, a download is performed.

Block download: If the download is blocked, an upload (if activated) of the parameter data takes place, regardless of the upload flag of the IO-Link device.

Block upload and download: If upload and download are blocked, no parameter data exchange takes place. The IO-Link device then still communicates with the IO-Link port.

Due to the poor description in the operating instructions, I tested all the setting options.
I was able to determine the following behavior:

0x00: Parameter server content is retained => With Profinet, the content is deleted here

0x40: Parameter server content is deleted

0x80: Not verifiable???

0x81: Not verifiable??? Led flashes for data storage, but nothing happens....

0x82: Set server parameter on first connection works, upload via system command does not, parameters are changed when different (download)

0x83: Set server parameter on first connection works, upload via system command works, parameters are changed if there is a difference (download)

0x84: Same behavior as 0x80 or 0x81

The parameter server can be operated with the setting 0x83.

To activate the upload flag of an IO-Link device, the value 0x05 must be entered in the parameter index 0x02, subindex 0. The upload flag is required to overwrite data already saved in the parameter server with new parameter data from the same IO-Link device

After the first configuration of the IO-Link master and activation of the parameter server, it is still empty. When a suitable IO-Link device is plugged in for the first time, its data is adopted. A change can now be made again via the upload flag.

The parameter server can be emptied again using the delete setting and reactivated.

This is how you could set the upload flag.

For more information on writing IO-Link parameters, see the operating instructions.