World's first charge amplifier with IO-Link technology

Kistler says that its new amplifier complies with industrial communications networking standard (IEC 61131-9) and combines analogue and digital communication technology to pave the way for Industry 4.0. The new charge amp is stated to be well suited to  applications across a range of industry sectors including robotics, packaging and food and beverage, as well as for wider OEM’s. Its small size (L 38mm x W 25mm x H 31.4mm including the output connections) and low weight of 30g means that the amplifier can be installed where space is at a premium and mass needs to be minimised, such as robotic heads and other moving parts.

The 5028A charge amplifier is said by Kistler to be the first of its type to use IO-Link technology where analogue output signals from piezoelectric sensors sends digital communications data. The new amp delivers digital data that is resistant to interference from disturbance variables and end-to-end communication all the way through to sensor level. IO-Link technology opens the way to reliable, predictive maintenance allowing maintenance tasks to be initiated automatically when data is regularly outside a setpoint range. 

When the IO-Link component is replaced, the new parameters are transferred automatically. By incorporating a digital interface into the 5028A charge amplifier, Kistler is taking another step towards the fully networked factory in keeping with the goals of Industry 4.0. Users receive reliable data for immediate process evaluation as the raw analogue signal is digitized in the amplifier. The disturbance variables that occur in conventional analogue systems due to inductive or capacitive couplings are avoided and the need for complex and costly individual cabling for analogue and control signals is eliminated. 

The charge amp is said to be equally suitable for use as an analogue charge amplifier with reset/operate input: it delivers proven performance for controlling fast processes with low latency and jitter. Kistler reiterates that its new 5028A charge amplifier is the world's first amplifier for measurement data from piezoelectric sensors with communication based on IO-Link, and states that the device will fit easily into almost any industrial application that calls for small, lightweight components.