Maxim Integrated Products has announced the Go-IO, which packs 17 configurable IOs in a space one-half the size of a credit card to optimize the full power of the industrial internet of things (IIoT), enabling productivity-enhancing self-diagnostic capabilities in automated factory subsystems.

Digital factories can dynamically adjust the manufacturing line on the fly based on new or changing requirements. To fully realize industrial convergence, automated equipment must also possess self-diagnostic and optimization capabilities. Go-IO pushes intelligence closer to the edge, enabling active monitoring and communication of equipment health and status information as well as higher throughput and productivity.

The reference design also meets the increasingly stringent size and power requirements of PLCs, providing a 10x smaller solution with 50 percent less power consumption compared to its industry-leading predecessor, the Pocket IO.

Go-IO contains the following technologies:

• MAX14819 low-power, dual-channel, IO-Link master transceiver with sensor/actuator power-supply controllers.
• MAX22192 8-channel octal digital input with isolated Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), wire break detection and accurate input current limiters in a 6mm x 10mm package. The MAX22192 was announced today as part of Maxim’s expanded Digital IO portfolio.
• MAX14912 8-channel digital output driver featuring 640mA high-side switches or push-pull configurable outputs, capable of achieving 200kHz switching rates while providing proprietary fast, safe demagnetization inductive kickback protection.
• MAXM22511 integrated 2.5kVRMS isolated power and digital isolated RS-485 transceiver module supporting 25Mbps data rates with +/- 35kV ESD protection in a compact 9.5mm x 11.5mm package.
• MAX14483 / MAX14130 6-channel, 3.75kVRMS  galvanic low-power digital isolator in a compact 20-pin SSOP package / 4-channel 1kVRMS galvanic digital isolator in a small 16-pin QSOP.
• MAXM15462 Himalaya uSLIC voltage regulator ICs and power modules for cooler, smaller and simpler industrial power supplies.

The flexible, rugged, open-source Go-IO reference design is ideal for industrial automation, building automation and industrial robotics applications. It has 12 highly integrated ICs, 17 IOs supporting multiple digital IO configurations, a 4-channel IO-Link master to provide a universal IO interface to both analog and digital sensors, and a robust 25Mbps isolated RS-485 communications channel that provides a reliable, multi-drop data network for uploading time-sensitive health and status information into a local data lake or the cloud.

The Go-IO is available as MAXREFDES212 at Maxim’s website for $495. The reference design consists of an application processor, baseboard and the Go-IO module.