Connectivity – The Backbone of Sustainable Automation
cabinets, sensors, switches, and gateways. This supplier's products include, for example, board connectors or cable assemblies for use in industrial IP20 to IP67 environments. The open-source tool provider SparkFun Electronics offers an SPE function board to support developers in designing applications with Single-Pair Ethernet (Figure 5). The board, called MicroMod COM-19038, includes an ADIN1110 Ethernet transceiver from Analog Devices, passive components from Würth Elektronik, and a HARTING T1 connector. An integrated MAC (Media Access Control) interface enables serial communication with
a host controller at 10 Mbit/s in full duplex mode. The board supports network nodes via 1700 m cable lengths, but it is not designed to supply power to the nodes via this cable. Kirk Benell, CTO of SparkFun, presents the development board in a demo video. End-to-end networking in process technology The technical advantages of Single-Pair Ethernet, for example, concerning condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, are also beneficial for process automation. However, an extended requirements profile for Ethernet
Products for Single-Pair Ethernet In the SPE segment, HARTING is taking a position with its T1 connector, including locking and 360° EMI shielding (Figure 4). The PoDL-capable T1 is available in circular designs, including M8 and M12. In terms of protection degrees, the product spectrum ranges from IP20 to IP67, and according to the manufacturer, the respective interface counterparts are designed to meet the protection classes and ensure interoperability. Phoenix Contact also provides a comprehensive SPE portfolio for field cabling to and from control
Figure 5: Demonstrator for an ambient sensor featuring a display. (Image source: SparkFun Electronics)
Summary
connectivity applies here. In addition to robust and broadband real-time communication, as it is also required on a shopfloor, wide- ranging process plants require data transfer over long distances. Furthermore, automation components must be intrinsically safe for use in potentially explosive environments. This is where the so-called Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet APL) enters the scene: it defines a physical transmission layer for Ethernet communication at 10 Mbit/s as well as for power supply via one twin wire – as with SPE – over distances of up to 1000 m. Like SPE, Ethernet APL is perfectly suited for universal, multipurpose field instrumentation.
Industrial Ethernet, and particularly Single-Pair Ethernet, support broadband networking of production equipment. They enable seamless communication from the field level to the cloud and allow real-time access to device data, which supports operators in plant and process optimization. Their benefits are clearly evident in reduced operating costs, higher availability, and optimized use of energy and resources. Advanced connection technologies such as ix Industrial interfaces and SPE connectors with PoDL capability ensure reliable data and power transmission between all network nodes. This makes them key components of Industry 4.0 and a backbone of sustainable automation concepts.
Figure 4: Shielded and equipped locking functionality – the PoDL- compatible T1 is offered for protection degrees IP20 to IP67. (Image source: HARTING)
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