Single Pair Ethernet
End-to-end IP communication
over long segments
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SPE: The technology and its advantages
Single Pair Ethernet is the new Ethernet standard for Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things. Thanks to numerous advantages, it is considered particularly efficient and future-orientated, making it suitable for a wide range of industrial, process and building technology applications.
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From sensor to the cloud
The biggest advantage of SPE technology is the ability to communicate uniformly at all levels of an application, where previously fieldbus systems had to be connected to the other process levels via gateways. This is because the SPE standard enables end-to-end IP communication via TCP/IP protocol across all process levels, i.e. from the field to the control unit, or in other words: from the sensor to the cloud. Standardized data transmission means immense simplification and therefore significant stabilization along with lessened susceptibility to errors in industrial data communication.
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Thanks to SPE, data communication is standardized across all application levels. This ensures drastically simplified, powerful and reliable industrial data communication. -
Bridge long distances
The SPE standard allows cable lengths of up to 1000 meters. This increases the potential extension of classic industrial networks many times over. The enormous range, along with a reliable and powerful data connection, reduces the complexity of existing applications and opens up new dimensions in industrial data communication in Industries that need to bridge long distances with data cables. Installations with cable lengths of over 100 meters used to rely on repeaters, which are no longer necessary thanks to the permissible SPE cable length.
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Power supply via SPE: PoDL or SPoE
Another advantage of the SPE standard, in addition to end-to-end communication, is the ability to supply peripheral devices with power - thanks to Power over Data Line technology or SPoE: Single-pair Power over Ethernet. The data cable simultaneously supplies power to connected (I)IoT devices, sensors and other components without additional cables. This means a significant reduction in the complexity of the application architecture as well as the amount of cabling.
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The SPE standard enables the simultaneous transmission of data and power so that terminal and peripheral devices no longer require their own power supply. -
Less material means cost and space savings
Thanks to its properties, the SPE standard enables significant material savings: the SPE cables themselves only require a quarter of the wire pairs traditionally needed in the field, and SPoE also saves additional power supply lines. This results in significantly less material being required overall, which above all reduces the space requirements. This is particularly advantageous in space-critical applications, but all other applications also benefit from the material and space savings. In the future, this will also make it possible to set up industrial networks much more cost-effectively. With the establishment of the new standard, it’s expected that the material savings will be reflected even more clearly in the prices for SPE technology, which are currently still considered as increased initial costs.
SPE cables & connectors: Classic Ethernet vs. Single Pair Ethernet
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The core of the SPE standard is the reduction in the number of wires to just one pair, the eponymous "single pair". In traditional Ethernet, four wire pairs (Gbit Ethernet) or two wire pairs (Fast Ethernet) are required. The new connectors are also designed to be significantly more compact than the previous ones.
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Turn 4 into 1: With just one twin wire, SPE manages with a quarter of the cables compared to conventional Ethernet. -
The differences & advantages at a glance
Traditional Ethernet vs. SPE
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SPE Fast Gbit Ethernet Wire pairs 1 2 4 Stand-alone cable length (approx.) 1000 m 100 m 100 m Saves gateways to the field level? yes no no Saves repeaters every 100 m? yes no no -
Ethernet vs. fieldbus systems
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SPE traditional Ethernet Fieldbus Power SPoE/PoDL PoE - Saves power line? yes yes no Communication TCP/IP TCP/IP various standards
W&T: From Ethernet pioneer to (I)IoT expert...
As one of the pioneers of the digitalising industry and the Industrial Internet of Things, W&T launched the first industrial-grade web thermometer on the market over 20 years ago. With more than 45 years of experience in the field of Industrial Ethernet, we are now dedicating ourselves to the next chapter of industrial data communication and a promising new standard with SPE. A close dialogue with customers and users allows us to gain a deep understanding of the requirements in the field and the special features at the interfaces to IT and management. This constant dialogue not only motivates us to continuously optimize our components to meet the needs of industry, building technology and other sectors, but also confirms our assumption that standardizing data communication from the field to management can make processes smoother, more transparent and faster overall.
... and to pioneer in SPE components
The first available devices in the growing SPE range from Wiesemann & Theis combine classic Ethernet with the new Single Pair Ethernet and make measurement values for temperature and humidity available. Access relative humidity over the network.
Media Converter SPE
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The new SPE media converter connects existing Ethernet networks with new SPE network components and also bridges long distances.
- Ethernet (10BaseTe) -> SPE (10BaseT1L)
- Cable length of up to 1000 m and SPoE
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Thermo-Hygrometer SPE
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With our SPE Thermo-Hygrometer, Wiesemann & Theis is the very first supplier of an SPE temperature sensor. The device measures temperature and humidity and makes the measurement data available via the network. Data monitoring works simply via the integrated LED traffic light and in the browser.
- Alerting: Push notifications to mobile phones in the event of limit violations
- Integration via HTTP requests, TCP socket and MQTT
- W&T Cloud
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Single Pair Ethernet terminal devices and peripherals
The roll-out of the new industry standard is based on a large number of SPE-capable components. While SPE cables and connectors are already available, only a few components such as media converters or SPE switches are already on the market. Many of the necessary peripheral devices, sensors and actuators are still under development. In the future, Industry 4.0 will need:
- SPE media converters
- SPE switches
- SPE I/O devices
- SPE device servers
- SPE sensors such as thermometers, hygrometers, barometers etc.
- and many more.
New key technology and universal standard
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The list of areas that can benefit from Single Pair Ethernet technology is long. Thanks to its complete compatibility, reliability and flexibility, which enables continuous data transmission across all levels, SPE is ideal for all manufacturing processes, Automation, management and control technology applications, building technology, infrastructure and intralogistics requirements as well as transport and logistics requirements.
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SPE is ideal for:
- Industrial manufacturing/production & factory automation
- Process automation
- Robotics, machine building
- Energy/utility industry
- Transport, aviation, rail
- Building technology & building infrastructures (such as lighting, ventilation, heating/cooling, access control, door/gate opening, monitoring and much more)