SPE and WiFi 6 enable fast and reliable Industrial Internet of Things applications

The latest and most important developments in the field of industrial communication will be discussed during the Industrial Ethernet event on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Basilica in Veenendaal. During this event, our knowledge partners will discuss themes such as Single Pair Ethernet and various hardware and software that are relevant to modern Industrial Internet of Things applications.

Single-Pair Ethernet

Perhaps the most important development in the application of industrial Ethernet in recent years is the arrival of Single Pair Ethernet (SPE). Since around 2015, SPE has first become popular in the automotive industry. The cables are light, powerful and space-saving compared to classic two- or four-pair Ethernet cables. Dirk Kop from JUMO will tell you more about this during the Industrial Ethernet event the basics of SPE and demonstrates how this technology can be applied.

SPE has now grown into a standard within industrial applications. For example, this cabling is used in robotics, because SPE has thinner bending radii and the cabling takes up less space. Marian Dümke from Harting Electronics takes you into the current state of standardization and explains which standards are still being worked on.

For factory automation, in addition to the options for expanding or replacing SPE in classic sensor and industrial Ethernet cables, there are also options with a CAN bus that works with SPE 1000Base-T1. This cabling has a range of up to 40 meters. It is also possible to power SPE cables thanks to the Power over Data Line standard. These hybrid cables can supply up to 50W. SPE therefore offers many possibilities. Marc Schoeters from Hilscher will be happy to explain to you exactly what these options are during his presentation.

SPE is future-proof and makes the entire network IP-based. There is also no need for additional gateways to, for example, fieldbuses. This aspect is cost-saving, as is the fact that SPE cabling requires less material compared to older cabling. In a presentation, Simon Seereiner from Weidmüller explains why SPE is the key technology for the implementation of IIOT and Industry 4.0 and therefore also future-proof.

Industrial Internet of Things and gateways

There is also a lot of talk within the industry about the Internet of Things. The so-called Industrial Internet of Things requires the necessary (new) hardware. One of these is edge gateways. Via these gateways, certain devices – such as PLCs or sensors – can communicate within a company network and/or the cloud. But where do you place a gateway and what are the different options and deployment options? Bart Pape from Helmholz Benelux will give you answers to these questions during the morning part of the seminar program. 

Edge gateways essentially connect OT with IT. This link is necessary to make digitalization possible. In an interactive session, Edwin Slot and Martijn Krot from ifm electronic use a demo to show how the link between OT and IT can be made.  

Another development that plays a role within IIoT is WiFi 6 (or 802.11 ax). This standard promises better coverage, a low one latency and higher data rates. With the use of WiFi 6, IIoT applications in industry can also operate reliably. Sjoerd Hakstege from Phoenix Contact tells more about it the opportunities and possibilities that Wi-Fi 6 offers.

Despite all these new developments, disruptions can occur in any network. In the automotive industry, which works with various network architectures, downtime costs thousands of euros per minute. During the event, Clement Jense from PROCENTEC will also highlight this topic, because with the right one troubleshooting is about keeping downtime to a minimum. A result that makes every network architect happy.

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