Texas Instruments has introduced a multiprotocol Industrial Ethernet module and a dual-channel IO-Link master, extending its hardware and software offering for communication between factory controllers, machines, sensors and actuators.
The TICS100MOD system-on-module supports EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and Profinet through a common hardware design, while the TIOM2212 provides IO-Link connectivity for field devices. The products were announced on 5 November ahead of demonstrations at electronica 2026 in Munich.
Texas Instruments is positioning the two devices as complementary parts of an industrial communication architecture. The Ethernet module provides a connection to established factory networking protocols, while the IO-Link master addresses communication with sensors and actuators operating closer to the production process.
The TICS100MOD is based on the company’s AM2612 real-time microcontroller and DP83826AI Ethernet physical layer device. It incorporates two Arm Cortex-R5F processing cores and external memory to support industrial protocol software and related communication functions.
The module is designed to allow equipment manufacturers to use the same communication hardware when developing products for networks based on different industrial Ethernet standards. The required protocol can be selected at startup through a firmware configuration.
That arrangement differs from operating several industrial Ethernet protocols simultaneously. The announced capability allows a manufacturer to configure the module for EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP or Profinet according to the intended application, rather than requiring a separate hardware design for each standard.
Factory automation systems frequently contain equipment supplied by different manufacturers. Controllers, drives, input and output devices, sensors and other components must exchange information through interfaces supported by the wider installation.
Industrial Ethernet protocols address this requirement, but their communication structures, timing arrangements and software implementations differ. Equipment developed for one protocol cannot necessarily be connected directly to another network without compatible communication functions.
EtherCAT is widely used in applications involving distributed devices and tightly coordinated machine operation. EtherNet/IP uses the Common Industrial Protocol over Ethernet-based networks, while Profinet supports industrial communication between controllers and equipment operating in factory environments.
Supporting these standards within one module can reduce the number of communication hardware variants required by an equipment supplier. A manufacturer producing a drive or controller for several customer markets may be able to retain a common board design while configuring the appropriate protocol software.
The complete product still requires validation for the network in which it will operate. Compatibility depends on the firmware, application interfaces and requirements of the final equipment, not solely on the presence of the communication module.
Communication timing is particularly important where data is used to coordinate physical movement. A controller may need to exchange commands and status information with multiple devices at defined intervals so that the machinery operates as intended.
Texas Instruments’ wider industrial communication architecture uses programmable real-time processing resources to manage time-sensitive protocol functions. Dedicated processing can reduce the communication workload handled by general application processors, although system performance remains dependent on the selected hardware and software configuration.
The TICS100MOD combines those functions with software resources intended to simplify the development of compatible industrial Ethernet equipment. Texas Instruments describes the module as pre-certified and provides protocol software and supporting development tools.
The availability of certified protocol implementations does not eliminate the need to test a completed machine or controller. Electrical interfaces, application behaviour, network configuration and interoperability must still be assessed in the finished product.
At the field-device level, the TIOM2212 addresses a different communication requirement. IO-Link is a point-to-point digital interface used to exchange information between compatible sensors or actuators and an IO-Link master.
Unlike a basic discrete signal indicating whether a sensor is active, an IO-Link connection can carry process values, device parameters and diagnostic information. The available functions depend on the connected device and the capabilities implemented by the control system.
The TIOM2212 provides two IO-Link master channels and includes an integrated frame handler, analogue functions and protection features. It is intended to operate with supported Texas Instruments industrial networking processors and AM13Ex real-time microcontrollers.
Through this arrangement, information from IO-Link devices can be made available to higher-level industrial networks. The IO-Link master communicates with the field equipment, while the associated processor and network interfaces manage the connection to the wider automation system.
Integrating these functions can reduce the number of additional components required in a particular design. The actual reduction depends on the system architecture, the interfaces needed and the features supported by the selected devices.
Digital communication can also support maintenance and configuration activities. Where sensors provide suitable information, diagnostic values may help identify abnormal conditions or changes affecting the operation of connected equipment.
Using those functions effectively requires the automation software to interpret the available data and incorporate it into the relevant control or maintenance procedures. The communication interface alone does not establish a condition monitoring system.
Texas Instruments has provided development resources including its industrial communication software development kit, protocol stacks, evaluation equipment and application examples. These resources are intended to support integration and testing as manufacturers prepare new products.
Karim Jamal, director of Industrial Communication Solutions at Texas Instruments, said the company was combining hardware, software and engineering support to address the growing range of industrial communication requirements.
Preproduction quantities of the TIOM2212 are already available. The TICS100MOD is expected to become available before the end of 2026, so the products are at different stages of commercial availability.
Texas Instruments will demonstrate the multiprotocol module at electronica from 10 to 13 November, including an installation showing how the supported Ethernet protocols can be configured within the same hardware platform.
The new devices extend the company’s coverage from factory networking interfaces towards the sensors and actuators connected to industrial equipment. Wider use will depend on qualification by machine builders, compatibility with existing control architectures and the performance requirements of individual installations.
