DIO Link Overview
The DIO Link is an Allen–Bradley communications network supporting high
speed transfer of control information. A DIO Link consists of a single
master device (the scanner) and multiple slave devices (the I/O blocks). The
scanner and I/O blocks are daisy chained together by a single twisted pair
cable (Belden 9463).
Each I/O block is assigned a I/O block number from 1 to 31 (excluding 16,
which is invalid) by setting the appropriate dip switches on the I/O block.
I/O block numbers must be assigned consecutively. For example, if 5 I/O
blocks are used, they must be assigned I/O block numbers 1 to 5. I/O blocks
do not have to be wired in a contiguous order. For example, I/O block 5 can
follow I/O block 2.
The inputs and outputs for each I/O block are mapped into the words in the
SLC processor’s input and output images. These words correspond to the
scanner’s slot number and the I/O block’s number. For example, if the
scanner is installed in slot 2 of the SLC Rack, I/O block number 1 will have:
• its input data reflected in word 1 of the slot 2 input image
• its output data reflected in word 1 of the slot 2 output image.
The scanner communicates with each I/O block in a round robin fashion.
The scanner initiates communications with an I/O block by first sending its
output data. The I/O block then responds by sending its input data back to
the scanner. After the scanner completes its I/O transfer with the last I/O
block, it begins another transfer with the first I/O block.