Single Pair Ethernet
Milestones in IIoT communication
-
-
SPE: The new Ethernet standard for building technology and Industry 4.0
Single Pair Ethernet - or "SPE" for short - is the new, much sought-after Ethernet standard for digitalized industry and the Internet of Things. And SPE also offers exciting prospects for building technology: Because PLC promises unhindered communication between two areas which have so far mostly relied on different languages and whose exchange is therefore dependent on the translation of the protocols used in each case.
-
Also the last mile:
Smooth communication from the control level to the field -
-
We are talking about the sensor technology and I/O points of the field devices at the lowest level of industrial applications or in building measurement technology on the one hand, and, on the other hand, about the various process levels that process the signals and measurement data and control data-driven automation. It used to be that consistent communication across all levels only worked via gateways, which levelled the transition to the respective fieldbus systems. The new standard enables consistent TCP/IP communication across all process levels, from the company and control level to the field level. Fieldbuses and gateways can be completely replaced by the SPE standard in favor of a uniform, efficient communication infrastructure. This not only reduces the complexity and therefore the error rate of automation applications, but quite simply the number of devices required and the associated configuration effort.
-
-
"From the sensor to the cloud...and back" is the slogan of this technology, which is considered to be the technology of the future. And indeed: continuous and bidirectional communication between management and sensor technology or I/O points brings industrial and building automation a step closer to the future vision of the Internet of Things, which is why SPE is also known as a pioneer or enabler of the (I)IoT.
-
Miles and miles: covering long distances with SPE
-
The new SPE standard also allows cable lengths of up to 1000 meters. This is around ten times the distance that can be bridged with a traditional Ethernet cable. For longer distances, applications have so far relied on switches or repeaters, which will no longer or less frequently have to be used in future SPE networks. Here, too, complexity in the network architecture and therefore the cost of setting up and maintaining obsolete components as well as potential sources of error can be minimized. There is great potential here, particularly for process control technology and other sectors in which long ranges have to be realized.
-
-
Not a centimeter too much: SPoE and compact connectors
-
Another advantage of the new technology is the ability to supply peripheral devices with power via the data cable. Thanks to Power over Data Line (PoDL) or Power or Single Pair Ethernet (SPoE), power is supplied simultaneously and via the same cable as data transmission. Although the power supply in traditional Ethernet is also possible as "PoE" (Power over Ethernet), additional power cables are still required in the field, which can now be saved. This further reduces the complexity of installations and saves weight and volume. The same applies to the SPE connectors, which are extremely compact and reduced in size. To summarize, these are a number of advantages that allow simplified installations and more efficient data communication:
-
Seven-league boots in development: first components ready for use
-
It almost sounds a little too good to be true. But the development of SPE hardware is in full swing and the first demonstrations show it: It works. In addition to cables and connectors, switches and converters are already available, and other components such as SPE sensors are also ready for use. The first available sensors include, for example, the W&T Thermo-Hygrometer, which provides temperature and humidity data via SPE using conventional network protocols.
-
The SPE Thermo-Hygrometer measures temperature and humidity and provides measured values via SPE on a clear web interface (integrated here in a demo from Weidmüller Germany).
