Factory networks rarely run on one protocol. A machine builder shipping to Germany may need Profinet, while the same design headed to North America needs EtherNet/IP. Supporting both has usually meant separate hardware, a higher BOM, and another round of certification.
Texas Instruments’ TICS100MOD communications system-on-module takes the firmware route. One board supports EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, and Profinet, and the protocol is selected at boot by loading a different firmware stack. The module pairs the AM2612 MCU, with two Arm Cortex-R5F cores, with DP83826AI Ethernet PHYs and external memory. TI calls it the smallest fully featured certified module in its class but has not published dimensions.
Real-time traffic runs on TI’s PRU-ICSS, a programmable real-time unit and industrial communication subsystem that offloads protocol handling from the Arm cores. TI quotes EtherCAT cycle times as fast as 31.25 µs and Profinet cycle times of 250 µs on the same hardware. Full MAC-layer access allows custom protocol implementations. The module comes pre-certified. TI handles baseline compliance and interoperability testing with the protocol consortia and takes part in industry plugfests.
The second device, the TIOM2212, works at the field level. It is a dual-channel IO-Link master transceiver that links sensors and actuators to the Ethernet network. An integrated frame handler manages IO-Link message sequencing and timing, controlled over SPI, so the design needs no external UARTs and the host processor stays out of the protocol loop. Built-in protection targets noisy factory environments. It works with TI’s Sitara industrial networking SoCs and AM13Ex real-time MCUs.
Preproduction quantities of the TIOM2212 are available now on TI.com. The TICS100MOD is expected by year-end 2026. Development support includes an industrial communication SDK with certified protocol stacks and the TIOL221 evaluation module. TI will demonstrate the module at electronica 2026, Hall C4, Booth 159.