ION8 EB
From the Ethernet port of your PLC to wireless field I/O. One device, two operating modes: Ethernet Bridge and ETH2BLE.
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No new cable, no change to the PLC program structure
On wire and cable machines, I/O points that rotate, move or sit far away cost cable, slip rings and maintenance. ION8 EB plugs into the existing Ethernet port of the PLC and carries field data over Bluetooth LE 5. On the PLC side you keep familiar tools: a tag in Studio 5000, a DB in TIA Portal, a Modbus address in SCADA, a node in OPC UA.
Ethernet Bridge
Connect field I/O to your PLC protocol
- Up to 8 ION8 remote I/O stations on a single EB
- Allen-Bradley EtherNet/IP, Siemens S7 PUT/GET, Modbus TCP and OPC UA
- RS485 Modbus RTU master (8 devices) or slave
- Tag selection in the web interface; DB structure ready to copy into TIA Portal
ETH2BLE
Extend an Ethernet or RS485 line without cable
- Transparent point-to-point bridge between two EB units
- TIA Portal discovery, online, upload and download work across the link
- RS485 serial tunnel, 300 to 230400 baud, each end with its own settings
- Pairing with one button; no IP, channel or role settings
ION8 units on different machines (up to 8 stations) connect through a single ION8 EB, over Ethernet, to the PLC and SCADA.
A wireless tunnel between two ION8 EB units links the PLC in the main panel to the devices in a remote panel without pulling cable.
Protocols
What you do on the PLC side
| Protocol | EB role | On the PLC side |
|---|---|---|
| Allen-Bradley EtherNet/IP | Client | CIP explicit messaging with tag read and tag write services. Define one integer array tag for reading and one for writing in ControlLogix or CompactLogix; EB reads and writes them by tag name. |
| Siemens S7 PUT/GET | Client | Create one DB for output commands and one for input data; EB reads and writes them itself. |
| Modbus TCP | Server | Read holding registers, write single or multiple registers. |
| OPC UA | Server | SCADA, HMI and MES connect directly as OPC UA clients, on Allen-Bradley and Siemens lines alike; read and write nodes are ready. |
| Modbus RTU | Master or slave | Poll up to 8 serial devices, or expose EB data to a serial master. |
Why ION8 EB?
Robust wireless
Adaptive frequency hopping avoids disturbed channels; adaptive transmit power sends only as much as needed.
Ready for TIA Portal
DB size is calculated from the tags you select; the DB structure is copied as SCL source or as a table.
One hardware, two jobs
Switch between Ethernet Bridge and ETH2BLE in the web interface. One item to keep in stock.
RS485 included
Drives, encoders and weighing indicators with Modbus RTU reach the PLC through the same box.
Field diagnostics
Signal strength, lost packets, link drops, power-up count and last reset reason are visible from the PLC and the web interface.
Compact and rugged
10–30 V DC supply, RJ45 Ethernet, internal or external antenna. Reverse polarity, overcurrent and overtemperature protection.
Documents
Downloadable PDF files for ION8 EB and ETH2BLE
Planning a wireless connection?
Tell us your PLC type and what has to be connected. We will propose the mode and the layout.
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