Why will SPE be in the DNA of the Industrial Internet of Things?

When it comes to the Internet of Things, the first thing that comes to mind may be the smart home. In fact, the Internet of Things has a wider range of applications in the industrial field, such as smart factories, smart transportation, smart energy, etc.

"Comprehensive perception, reliable transmission, and intelligent processing" are the key links of the Internet of Things. Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), which only requires a pair of wires to provide power and data transmission, has become a new trend in industrial automation data transmission applications and will become the DNA of the Industrial Internet of Things.

The history of Ethernet and industrial automation

Why does SPE have such great potential? Let's start with the history of Ethernet and industrial automation.

Ethernet was developed in the 70s of the 20th century for data transmission in wired computer networks (LAN-Local Area Network). The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) spent the next 20 years defining software protocols and physical layers (physical interfaces such as connectors, cables, etc.) and introducing various protocols that laid the foundation for the modern internet.

In the 80s of the 20th century, the spread of electrical automation technology promoted the gradual development of fieldbus technology, and with it, various fieldbus protocols such as INTERBUS, DeviceNet, and Profibus emerged to control and manage the serial or parallel connection of sensors and actuators.

The two transmission protocols form the form of a pyramid that represents the framework for industrial data transmission: high transmission rates and short distances via Ethernet, and low transmission rates and long distances via fieldbuses.

To Ethernet: Disrupting the pyramid

Industrial Ethernet, especially Single Pair Ethernet, is disrupting the traditional pyramid.

With the development of Ethernet-based protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Profinet or EtherCAT, real-time data transmission from the management level to the field level has been introduced.

Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) connects the IP20 world at the enterprise and operations level with the IP6x world at the control and field levels, thus opening up new areas of application and enabling seamless connectivity for all communication participants based on the same protocol language and unified interfaces.

SPE connectors from Phoenix Contact

Due to the complex application environment at the field level, the requirements for data interfaces are even more stringent to ensure efficient data transmission.

With this in mind, Phoenix Contact has developed an Ethernet interface with a higher degree of protection for industrial applications, enabling the construction of efficient networks and cabling structures from the sensor to the control level and even to the cloud with just a single pair of wires to meet the needs of connectors at the field level.

Advantages

Why will SPE be in the DNA of the Industrial Internet of Things?

Based on the IEC63171 standard, a transmission distance of 1000 meters can be achieved with a pair of data cables;

Data cabling can be carried out based on Ethernet protocol;

More compact than two- or four-pair connectors;

It can achieve transmission rates of up to 1Gbps and can also provide up to 60W of power to end devices.

With the demand for miniaturization and compactness of equipment in industrial automation, process automation, building automation and other industries, SPE will gradually become the DNA of the Industrial Internet of Things.

Together with our market partners, Phoenix Contact has developed SPE connector products, established the SPE Alliance, launched a variety of SPE products, and actively promoted the development of relevant standards to promote the high-quality leapfrog development of the Industrial Internet of Things with technological innovation.

Why will SPE be in the DNA of the Industrial Internet of Things?

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