Interview Norbert Matthes

More and more RFID customers are choosing Contrinex’s HF RWMs with IO-Link. This comes as no surprise at all to Norbert Matthes, Technical Sales Manager with Contrinex Sensor GmbH in Germany and RFID workshop specialist. Who better then to answer our questions and explain the special appeal of the IO-Link RWMs?

1. Which features of our RWM with IO-Link are particularly appealing to customers?

The choice of operating modes is often the deciding factor. In addition to direct control of the RWM in IO-Link mode with read/write commands such as “scan UID”, “scan user data” and “scan read/write command”, the IO-Link RWM has a standard IO mode: SIO operation. In this operating mode, the 2 binary switching outputs are switched by predefined conditions, namely «tag presence» or «data block comparison». The sensor then performs this operation completely autonomously, which makes it a smart sensor.

2. What are the competitive strengths of our RWM with IO-Link?

These are certainly the operating modes IO-Link and SIO already described. The air interface communicates with ISO 15693 tags with both 4-byte and 8-byte block sizes. A further strength is the library of function blocks for easy integration of Contrinex IO-Link RWMs. Since these FBs are available as simplified blocks, no further knowledge of the exact protocol sequence or memory area is necessary. These are triggered automatically by the FB.

3. In your opinion, how important are RWMs with IO-Link for Industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 is all about taking automation to an even deeper level. For example, integrated communication in factory automation enables information to be gathered from or delivered to objects, machines etc. by means of key technologies like IO-Link or RFID. As a result, these technologies allow the digital transformation of value chains. IO-Link and especially RFID are known as enablers of Industry 4.0.

The same two communication technologies have now been linked together in one device. With RFID communication (ISO 15693) at the air interface and IO-Link (ISO 61131- 9) at the M12 connector, Contrinex’s IO-Link RWMs effectively unite two of the key communication standards for Industry 4.0.

They basically function as an IO-Link-to-RFID gateway for Industry 4.0.

4. What innovations are coming next from Contrinex?

Contrinex is constantly working on improvements to its sensor and RFID product ranges. To increase read/write distances and flexibility, an RWM in cubic C44 design (40 x 40 mm) will soon be available, a popular form factor in the RFID market. The size results in a greater read/write distance and the swivel head provides more flexibility for the user. These RWMs will also be available for IO-Link as well as for ContriNet. Function block libraries can also be used with the C44 RWM.