Temperature sensor is more flexible, robust and lower-cost than discretes

Maxim Integrated’s new IO-Link smart temperature sensor reference design lowers cost and increases uptime for industrial control and automation, says the company. The MAXREFDES42# IO-Link resistance temperature detector (RTD) joins the company’s portfolio of other IO-Link reference designs for industrial control and automation. This design’s highly integrated analog front end (AFE) measures temperature, while detecting overvoltage, shorts, and open circuits. This is a set of capabilities not found in competitive discrete solutions. The reference design consumes minimal power and provides better than +/-0.5K accuracy. The temperature appears immediately on an LED display for a quick and convenient snapshot of temperature values. For user convenience, the MAXREFDES42# fits in a standard industrial form factor. For versatility, it supports all three IO-Link speeds—no other competing device can do this. The MAXREFDES42# is available for use with a 2-wire, 3-wire, or 4-wire PT100 RTD over a wide temperature range. Applications include air, gas, and liquid temperature measurement. The configuration software for this smart IO-Link temperature detector was developed in collaboration with ² Development. The MAXREFDES42# uses their IO-Link device stack to communicate with any IO-Link version 1.1-compliant master. This software control lowers operating cost because it enables fast setup, diagnosis, and event monitoring from a PC and without a trip to the installation site. Maintenance can be done at the PC and not on the floor, says the company.