Single-Pair Ethernet vs. Traditional Ethernet: Which is Right for You?
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 Published On Oct 23, 2023

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⌚Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Ethernet as a physical protocol
03:11 - Ethernet as a communication protocol
05:03 - Enter the new kid: Single-Pair Ethernet
07:16 - Which Ethernet is right for you?

Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks and wide area networks such as is used for our cell phones.

It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first introduced as a standard in 1983 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as IEEE 802.3.

Ethernet has been used in industrial plant settings for decades for communication between PCs, PLCs, and HMIs, as well as to various devices and servo drives on the plant floor using communication protocols such as Ethernet/IP and Profinet.

The Ethernet standard describes the data transmission from one device to another over a cable, fiber, or wireless connection to a network of many devices. 

A network is the means by which this data is routed from one device to another. Ethernet networks typically consist of routers, switches, and network interface cards.

Ethernet can be described using the OSI model. The OSI model describes any communication protocol as a collection of seven layers.

The bottom layer is called the physical layer. The Ethernet physical layer describes the hardware required to connect the device to the network. 

OSI layers 2 - 7 that reside above the physical layer determine the structure of the Ethernet communication packets. 

An Ethernet physical layer requires an Ethernet data communication protocol. 

When we refer to Ethernet, it could refer to a number of data communication protocols, including Ethernet II, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, as well as others.

All of these protocols fall under the IEEE 802.3 standard.

These flavors of Ethernet can be called Traditional Ethernet since only data is transmitted over these physical and logical protocols. 

However, a new type of Ethernet physical layer has been introduced which has many advantages in an industrial manufacturing setting.

This new Ethernet physical standard is called Single-Pair Ethernet, or SPE, and uses only a single pair of wires to communicate data and may contain an extra 1 or 2 pairs of wires to supply power to the end device, like a transmitter or valve positioner. 

Instead of multi-pair CAT-5 or CAT-6 unshielded cable, SPE uses cables that conform to standard IEC 63171. These cables may be constructed from a single pair of wires for data communication. 

IEC 63171-6 SPE cabling may also include a separate pair for power, which can deliver up to eight amps to end devices arranged in a multi-drop configuration, called Power over Data Line.

So which Ethernet is right for your application? First, you need to determine your data needs and the requirements of your infrastructure. 

If you have an existing infrastructure that is based on traditional Ethernet network devices and cabling, it would be logical to extend that network with similar components.

If a new system is to be installed, it would be advantageous to explore a Single-Pair Ethernet infrastructure. 

For plants undergoing upgrades or modifications, gateways are available to link new SPE subnetworks to existing plant fieldbus networks.

The best news is: that you have a choice! Determine your data and network needs and plan for a successful installation of traditional Ethernet or Single-Pair Ethernet networks and devices on the plant floor.

@teconnectivity

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If you're eager to dive deeper and fully understand Ethernet's intricacies, remember there's the Single-Pair Ethernet Fundamentals course waiting for you: https://learn.realpars.com/courses/si...

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