I/O Modules for Discrete Automation

The I/O Modules for Discrete Automation Market Research delivers current market analysis plus a five-year market and technology forecast. It is available in multiple editions including worldwide, all regions, and most major countries. 

Innovative Solutions Propelling Growth in Discrete I/O Modules Market

ARC’s research on the Discrete I/O Modules market shows that as industries embrace automation for enhanced efficiency and operational excellence, the market continues to grow, underpinned by technological innovations and changing industrial dynamics. Rising demand for real-time data insights, scalability, and performance is propelling the adoption of advanced IO modules. These modules serve as the lifeline of automation systems, providing seamless communication between sensors, actuators, and controllers, thereby fostering smarter decision-making and improved process control.

Discrete I/O Modules Strategic Issues

In addition to providing a five-year market forecast, the  I/O Modules for Discrete Automation market research report provides detailed quantitative current market data and addresses key strategic issues as follows.

Use Open Standards

Standardization is a key to success. However, standardizing on hardware alone is less important than standardizing on networks and semantics of operations. ARC recommends looking at open communications first and standardizing on connectivity rather than on a dedicated controller.

OPC UA for Cloud Connection

OPC UA has become the tool of choice for linking to a cloud platform, and most suppliers and OEMs support this protocol. There is already a wide range of products out there that support it, including barcode readers.

Engineering Tools

Having a powerful engineering/programming tool for PLCs and in addition IO modules can save huge amounts of engineering time. It is important that suppliers offer one tool for all controllers, as well as a single tool that can program logic, motion, safety, robotics, etc.

Engineering Toolkits: Automation suppliers now offer engineering toolkits capable of supporting machine builders throughout the entire engineering cycle from component selection, configuration, commissioning, program development, to documentation. Leading solutions are incorporating “object libraries,” which are prepackaged software solutions that allow machine builders to put together machine applications using standard components. This approach to automation deployment offers machine builders an opportunity to lower the cost of deployment.

Preconfigured Application-specific Templates: In several machinery segments, there is enough commonality in the application that machine builders can consider using templates to deploy applications. Automation suppliers that offer templates can lower the overall cost of deployment for machine builders as they provide the basic structure of the application, thereby eliminating much of the common development overhead. As a machine builder, the use of preconfigured templates is a good starting point for approximately 60 percent of the application development.