Learn about the latest Single Pair Ethernet standards being developed along with examples of how SPE Technology is being used in industrial and building automation applications.
What is Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) and why is it so important for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)? SPE is based on a two-wire cabling protocol offering secure communication over longer distances and with a smaller footprint. These features are central to the question of why SPE is needed. As more and more devices in commercial and industrial applications become “connected”, there are increased demands on space both inside the devices and in the cable ducts that connected them together. And while WiFi has its uses in these environments; it does not offer the security or reliability of a wired communications network.
A new standard for single pair Ethernet (SPE) is gathering speed with multiple companies joining the SPE industrial partner network to avoid making the same mistakes as the past with proprietary connector systems.
Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) technology is expected to be a significant driver of Industry 4.0, bringing transmission speeds from 10Mbit/s to 1GBit/s across simplified cabling infrastructure, while saving space and weight. SPE promises to save factories time in setting up, maintaining, and operating industrial networks, while enabling power supply and better reliability of terminal devices through its Power over Data Line (PoDL) capability. Cabling Installation & Maintenance recently sat for an interview with Peter Jones, Chair, Ethernet Alliance and Distinguished Engineer, Cisco; and Bob Voss, Senior Principal Engineer, Panduit and an industrial automation industry technical expert and association member.
Sensor City, a global hub for the development of sensor technology & rapid prototyping, is enabling businesses to undertake rapid prototype development and promote their sensor solutions and IoT applications to a global market.
The Ethernet Alliance has launched a new industry focus around Operational Technology (OT) networks found in building and industrial automation. With the development of Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) creating new opportunities for solving challenges in OT networks, the Ethernet Alliance says it is seeking to connect with more expertise in the building- and industrial-automation industries.
As Ethernet transmission speeds increased, the IEEE recognized the need for additional options to sup-port lower-speed transmission rates for specific applications and environments.As a result, the most recent addition to the IEEE Std 802.3 standard is the IEEE Std 802.3cg-2019 amendment specifying 10-Mbit/sec transmission over single balanced twisted-pair copper ca-bling. While initially targeted at industrial and automotive environments, there are also opportunities for building automation functions. This article will examine the network architecture and use cases made possible by the application of this new technology in support of published SPE standards.
Standardization of OT and IT onto a single protocol is critical to driving widespread adoption of digital transformation. Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) is viewed as the enabling technology that standardizes industrial control networks and digital buildings onto one Ethernet protocol. SPE provides the ability to operate a single, seamless network from cloud to edge and use new PoEvariants that power end devices over distances longer than traditional ethernet cabling. Join Panduit experts to discuss how SPE can impact future building automation system architectures, simplifying networks and providing greater access to the building system data that can drive efficiency and provide a more pleasant user experience through building technology.
Single Pair Ethernet is a technology that will reduce the barriers to adoption of Ethernet for devices that need both power and limited communications, which often use various 2-wire fieldbus protocols. It operates over a single twisted pair while delivering the full Ethernet stack. Single Pair Ethernet is unique in that it can deliver data with up to 1km reach – and delivering up to 10mbps speeds at that distance, plenty of bandwidth for many devices used in building or industrial automation.
Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) promises a consistent Ethernet connection from the sensor to the cloud. When it comes to the network infrastructure for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), users hope it will allow them to implement a consistent communication architecture in all applications where data is present by extending the Ethernet connection down to sensor level, i.e. wherever there are no data highways but where users need compact data transmission with a long reach.
