Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Ready signal
Also known as: Ready status
German: Bereitsignal
In industrial automation, a ready signal is a status signal by which a machine, device or controller indicates that it is able to perform a defined action or accept a request, for example that it is powered, error-free, in the correct mode and in its start position.
- System integration
In one sentence
A ready signal indicates that a machine or device can perform a defined action or accept a request now.
Example
The labeler sets its ready signal when it is in automatic mode, has labels loaded and has no active fault; only then does the line controller send products.
How it applies
- Engineering: Define exactly which conditions make up "ready"; vague definitions lead to transfers into a machine that then faults. Consider separate signals for "ready for automatic" and "ready for transfer".
- Commissioning: Test that the ready signal drops immediately when any condition is lost, and that the partner reacts correctly.
- Maintenance: Diagnostic displays should show which condition is missing when a machine is not ready; this is one of the most frequent service questions.
- Documentation: List the ready conditions in the interface specification and in the troubleshooting section of the manual ("Machine does not report ready: check …").
Ready signal vs. permission signal
A ready signal reports a capability of the sender. A Permission signal grants the receiver a right to act. A machine can be ready while its neighbor still withholds permission, for example because a shared area is occupied.