A compact, energy-efficient reference design brings IO-Link-enabled optical proximity sensing to industrial automation, combining low power, high reliability, and easy system integration for next-generation smart factories.
In modern industrial automation, the need for smarter, more connected, and energy-efficient sensing solutions has become critical. As factories transition to Industry 4.0 environments, designers require compact and reliable reference platforms to accelerate sensor development and ensure seamless IO-Link communication. This reference design addresses that need by providing a ready-to-use framework for creating IO-Link–enabled optical proximity sensors. It is especially valuable for electronics engineers, embedded developers, and system integrators working on automation, robotics, and process control systems. By combining low power consumption, robust protection features, and flexible communication capabilities, the design helps professionals rapidly prototype and validate intelligent sensing modules that can be easily deployed in advanced industrial networks.
The MAXREFDES27 design by Analog Devices, is a compact and energy-efficient IO-Link optical proximity sensor reference design developed by Maxim Integrated in collaboration with TMG TE. Designed for industrial automation applications, it integrates several key components to provide a reliable and low-power sensing solution.It has IO-Link device transceiver, which ensures compliance with IO-Link versions 1.1 and 1.0. This transceiver offers configurable outputs (push-pull, PNP, or NPN), reverse-polarity and short-circuit protection, and extensive fault monitoring, all within a compact 2.5mm x 2.5mm WLP package . Power is efficiently managed by the high-voltage synchronous step-down converter, which converts 24V to 5V, and the low-dropout linear regulator, which further steps down the voltage to 2.85V. The proximity sensor integrates an infrared (IR) LED driver and receiver, enabling proximity detection via an I²C interface. This sensor is housed in a miniature 2mm x 2mm OTDFN package, making it suitable for space-constrained applications.
The system is powered by a Renesas RL78 ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontroller, which utilizes TMG TE’s IO-Link device stack to manage communication and data exchange. The firmware is pre-programmed to operate as a fully functional IO-Link proximity sensor, ready to connect to an IO-Link master. Upon receiving a wake-up signal from the master, the device synchronizes to a 230.4kbps baud rate and begins cyclic data exchange every 2ms, transmitting sensor process data to the master. If the sensor is removed, the master detects the disconnection.
It is designed with industrial robustness in mind, featuring transient voltage suppression and protection against reverse polarity and short circuits. It operates at an ultra-low power consumption of approximately 150mW, making it suitable for energy-conscious applications. The design is also field bus agnostic, ensuring compatibility with various industrial communication protocols .
Analog Devices has tested this refereA compact, energy-efficient reference design brings IO-Link-enabled optical proximity sensing to industrial automation, combining low power, high reliability, and easy system integration for next-generation smart factories.
nce design. It comes with a bill of materials (BOM), schematics, assembly drawing, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, and more. The company’s website has additional data about the reference design. To read more about this reference design, click here.
