The $64,000 question is: Has copper finally outlived its usefulness? The short answer is no. There will continue to be certain low-bandwidth, short-reach applications for smaller data centers where copper’s low price point outweighs its performance limitations. So too, there will likely be a role for CPOs and front-panel-pluggable transceivers.
DAC Cables Shine in the Cloud
High speed direct attach cables (DACs) are keeping up with increasing requirements in data centers, ensuring that switch-to-server network interface connections don’t become the weakest link. DACs have the lowest latency of all short-reach connection options. This is due to measurable delays in optical connections that actively change copper signals to optical signals and then back to copper signals.
Single Pair Ethernet | Single Pair Ethernet App Note
Download the app note to learn about the advantages of using Single Pair Ethernet, the perfect solution for low bandwidth, long-distance, secure, powered bidirectional communications.
Key topics that are covered in the app note include: Use Cases Status of Standards Connectors Testing Requirements and much more
What You Should Know about Single Pair Ethernet (SPE)
The latest generation of SPE offers Ethernet data transport rates of 10 Mbps, full duplex. This may not seem like much considering CAT6A can run at speeds up to 10 Gbps full duplex. Yet, in many situations, a 10 Mbps max is more than enough throughput required. Additionally, the 802.3cg Ethernet specification uses the 802.3bu standard for power transport. This is also known as power over data line — or PoDL. The PoDL standard can power compatible devices belonging to 1 of 10 different power classes that range from 0.5 to 50 W of power to the end device. In many cases, 50 W of power is more than any single device would need.
SPE also has a second benefit that will be crucial for some enterprise deployment situations. Instead of a 100-meter distance limitation for both data and power over Ethernet (PoE) that’s common in 4-pair Ethernet standards, SPE supports cable lengths for data and PoDL up to 1 KM in length.
SPE and the Future of Industrial Networking
As application areas transition to Ethernet protocols and field devices continue to require increased transmission capacities, single pair Ethernet (SPE) is becoming an attractive option. It delivers fast and gigabit Ethernet combined with power over a simple two-wire interface. In addition, SPE can be used with standard industrial grade housings designed for the harshest environments.
SPE and Smart Buildings: A Smart Pairing
Fieldbus applications have developed over the past decades from simple analog communication to digital communications over serial networks. These serial networks often operate over a single twisted pair. With the increasing scrutiny on security of fieldbus systems and the increasing desire to simplify the data flow from sensor to cloud, the advent of Single Pair Ethernet technology seems both well-timed and well-planned. Single pair cabling with LC-style connectors make sense, adding simplicity and reducing time to work for data transmission to the edge.
There are four areas where SPE generally can match or improve upon fieldbus technology: topology, security, power, and data.
The 3 reasons hackers attack operational technology systems in smart buildings
While smart building technologies enable efficient, safe, healthy, and productive environments, they also expand the digital attack surface for cybercrimes that threaten to jeopardize business, endanger lives, and disrupt critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, the risk increases as more information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems and devices come online, making cybersecurity a critical issue for smart building owners and operators.
AEM, Superior Essex address smart building infrastructure, sustainability at GITEX in Dubai
AEM and Superior Essex Communications hosted a technology forum on Tuesday, October 19 in conjunction with GITEX Global in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. GITEX Global is the UAE’s annual technology event, highlighting innovations and digital advancements of the region.
The forum, titled PowerWise Technology Forum, included AEM’s manager of technical services Steve Cowles and Superior Essex’s vice president of marketing Brian Ensign, along with Superior Essex international sales director Paul Weintraub, Sinclair Digital chief executive officer Farukh Aslam, and Sinclair Digital chief business officer Luis Suau.
PowerWise is Superior Essex’s product line that supports Power over Ethernet transmission. The forum addressed a broad collection of topics related to smart building infrastructure, including a focus on sustainability.
The Cabling Podcast, Ep. 1 — Interview w/ Patrick McLaughlin, Chief Editor, CI&M
n the first episode of The Cabling Podcast, Cabling Installation & Maintenance (CI&M) editors Matt Vincent and Patrick McLaughlin chat about the Fall (Sept./Oct) issue of the magazine (00:42), where the recipients of CI&M’s 2021 Cabling Innovators Awards winners are honored (1:01).
Single-pair cabling systems poised to support next generation industrial networks.
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