Steute says that the box will be attractive for applications – particularly those involving moving parts – which, to date, have relied on cable connections and require costly power supplies that are susceptible to wear and tear. It could also be used in compact machines where cable ducts would be inconvenient.
The company says that the I/O-Box will simplify the construction of machines and increase their availability.
The box can both transmit and receive signals and is powered either by a battery or by a 24V DC supply. One possibility with the battery-powered version is to connect to inductive sensors from a range developed by steute that operate from 3.6V supplies. The 24V version can process signals from 24V PNP sensors.