One Chip Runs Three Factory Ethernet Protocols
Texas Instruments' TICS100MOD lets engineers select EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP or Profinet at boot, with availability slated for year-end 2026.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Semiconductors
Texas Instruments announced the TICS100MOD, a communications system-on-module supporting EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and Profinet, and the TIOM2212, a dual-channel IO-Link master. Preproduction quantities of the TIOM2212 are available now on TI.com, while the TICS100MOD will be available by year-end 2026.
Why it matters
Supporting multiple industrial Ethernet protocols has typically required separate hardware for each, adding cost, design complexity and time. TI's approach consolidates protocol support into a single module that is selected at boot through a firmware update, reflecting a broader push to simplify factory-automation hardware.
The TICS100MOD is built on TI's AM2612 microcontroller and DP83826AI Ethernet physical layer and integrates two Arm Cortex-R5F cores plus external memory. Benchmark or latency figures were not disclosed in the announcement.
The players
Texas Instruments
A Dallas-based semiconductor maker whose Sitara processors, AM13Ex real-time MCUs and PRU-ICSS hardware block form the core of its industrial networking portfolio.
electronica
A major international electronics trade show held in Munich, Germany, where TI is showcasing its multiprotocol technology.
The details
Industrial Ethernet protocols such as EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and Profinet are the networking standards that connect factory machines and controllers in real time. The TICS100MOD, a system-on-module (a complete compute board on a small card), lets engineers choose among these protocols during boot through a firmware update rather than redesigning hardware. The TIOM2212 is an IO-Link master, a device that connects simple IO-Link sensors and actuators to higher-level Ethernet networks, and TI says it pairs with its Sitara networking processors and its PRU-ICSS, a dedicated real-time hardware block for deterministic, low-latency communication.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: TI announced the TICS100MOD and TIOM2212.
November 10-13, 2026: TI displays the multiprotocol technology at electronica in Munich, Germany.
Year-end 2026: The TICS100MOD becomes available.
The Tech Race
TI is positioning its PRU-ICSS hardware block as the foundation for multiprotocol industrial networking, extending the approach across its MCUs and SoCs. The TIOM2212 is pitched as giving TI every hardware layer in the IO-Link ecosystem, a claim the company makes relative to fragmented multi-vendor designs.
Preproduction TIOM2212 units are available now on TI.com for engineers who want to evaluate IO-Link connectivity. Factory engineers may eventually need to buy only one module to run EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP or Profinet, though pricing for the TICS100MOD has not been announced.
The takeaway
Watch for pricing and volume-availability details for the TICS100MOD when it ships by year-end 2026. Its showing at electronica from November 10 to 13, 2026, may provide early performance or customer data.
What happens next
TI's multiprotocol technology will be shown at electronica in Munich from November 10 to 13, 2026, and the TICS100MOD is slated for availability by year-end 2026.
Further reading
For broader context on the chips powering factory networks, explore our Semiconductors coverage.
