TECHNOLOGY n 21 www.drivesncontrols.com March 2026 TRIO MOTION TECHNOLOGY has launched an I/O system that extends the control and connectivity capabilities of its Motion-PLC controllers. The MS I/O System integrates high-speed I/O with Trio’s new Flexible Machine Controllers via compact slices, giving machine-builders flexibility over machine control connections and cutting the cost of machines. The system can integrate I/O slices directly with Motion-PLC controllers. Efficient data transfer is achieved using Trio’s new MS-Bus interface – a local communication protocol for MS I/O slice connections that provides high data throughput for responsive machine control. The I/O system can be tailored to a machine’s connectivity requirements, allowing any combination of digital and analogue I/O. The I/O slices are inserted from the front and click into place for fast, easy mounting onto DIN rails. Connections are made via spring clamp connectors for tool-free, secure installation, combined with pushbutton wire removal, making slice insertion and swapping fast and easy. The slices are 12mm wide, reducing footprints in cabinets or on machines. Up to 16 I/O slices can be integrated with a MotionPLC controller using one or more MS EC (EtherCat) couplers. Each coupler can integrate 16 more I/O slices. In total, a Motion-PLC controller can be expanded to host 1,024 digital ports and 128 analogue ports. Adding an MS EC coupler can also produce a distributed I/O system, keeping I/O close to the sensors, thus cutting cabling times and costs. Just one cable is needed to connect a coupler to a Motion-PLC controller. Multiple couplers can be connected to one EtherCat controller, including third-party controllers, to achieve complete control across a machine. The slices click into the MS EC coupler, communicating with it via the MS-Bus interface. The coupler acts as a high-speed bridge to EtherCat networks. With update times as low as 125us, this results in high performance for both motion and machine control applications. The MS EC coupler can be placed anywhere in an EtherCat network. The Motion-PLC controller I/O slice interface and the MS EC I/O coupler are synchronised with Trio’s MotioniX motion engine, resulting in deterministic behaviour across all motion and machine connections. This ensures high-speed, reliable control to optimise coordination. I/O integration and management is achieved via Trio’s MotionPerfect software for motion and machine set-up. The new I/O system is being launched alongside Trio’s new Motion-PLC range that provides advanced motion control with the simplicity of a PLC. The controller combines high-performance motion control over EtherCat with logic and I/O expansion, enabling faster developmentof machines with up to eight axes. “The MS I/O System provides device integration capabilities to extend machine control in a flexible and cost-effective way,”says Trio president, Tom Alexander. “The I/O slice approach means that machine-builders can just add the I/O connectivity they need, while the MS Bus protocol combined with EtherCat achieves high-speed, deterministic communications to ensure robust and reliable machine and motion control.” https://triomotion.com I/O system extends the control capabilities of motion-centric machines Trio’s I/O system gives machine-builders flexibility over machine control connections UNIVERSAL ROBOTS, SIEMENS and the robotic tooling specialist Robotiq joined forces at the recent CES show in the US to demonstrate a “groundbreaking” robotic palletising technology. The demo showed digital twin analytics being used to optimise gripper performance and suction points dynamically, highlighting how advanced robotics and digital twin technology can accelerate industrial transformation. The demo combined a Robotiq palletising cell with a UR20 cobot, integrated with Siemens hardware and its new Digital Twin Composer software. A simulated palletising cell was rendered photo-realistically in real time, and paired with a demo of boxes of snacks and beverages being palletised. Data captured using Siemens’ Industrial Edge was streamed to its Insights Hub Copilot. Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of Teradyne Robotics , which owns UR, said that the demo showed how digital and physical innovation can work hand-in-hand to transform production. Siemens, UR and Robotiq deliver next-gen palletising demo
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