Smart sensors are configured via Profibus

At the recent Hanover Fair, Siemens unveiled a technology that allows sensors and distributed I/O to communicate with each other via Profibus DP networks. The technology, called IQ-Sense, makes sensor parameters and diagnostic data available anywhere in a plant.

Sensor parameters can be set from a PLC and copied to other sensors, avoiding the need to calibrate each sensor separately. The parameters can be modified via a control program to suit the current production requirements.

If a sensor is replaced, the PLC restores the settings to the new device automatically. There is no need to recalibrate or "teach" the sensor.

The IQ-Sense technology detects automatically if there are faults such as wire breaks, short circuits, contamination, or component failures. The diagnostic information and the state of the circuit are carried on a two-wire cable, eliminating the need for additional wiring or for diagnostic checks in the control program.

At Hanover, Siemens was showing optical sensors based on the new technology, but other types of sensor are planned .