Molex, Inc. (www.molex.com) has introduced its new Brad HarshIO Ethernet I/O Modules with Fast Start-Up (FSU) and QuickConnect (QC) technologies that provide a solution in connecting industrial controllers to I/O devices within harsh environments where vibrations or liquids are present.

Molex said the Brad HarshIO Ethernet I/O Modules were effectively tested to start and operate in less than 500 ms with Rockwell controllers conforming to EtherNet/IP Quick Connect Class A and Siemens controllers conforming to Profinet Fast Start-Up requirements.

“As Ethernet flows from the office management level down to the factory floor, automation device manufacturers need to adapt products to the constraints of industrial applications,” said Eric Gory, Global Product Manager at Molex.

“When Ethernet is used to control sensors or actuators on robot tooling – such as on a welding robot – it is sometimes necessary to perform a quick change of tools. In the automotive industry, for example, manufacturers have defined that the swapped Ethernet field devices must be able to start and operate in less than 500ms.”

QC and FSU technologies allow the module to operate in less than 500ms meeting industrial applications requirements in factory automation and complex machines like in the packaging, printing, or textile industries.

Brad HarshIO Modules also support safety automation architectures through its separate power supplies to power the outputs (actuators) and the inputs (sensors). The HarshIO Ethernet power connector provides separate grounding isolation between the output ground and the input/logic ground.