Ethernet-APL — Industry 4.0 — Process Automation Applications
Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) were long a part of everyday life in industrial automation, but they weren't feasible in process automation due to the lack of a standard for fast, high-volume data transfer and end-to-end data transmission, seamless communication from the field level to higher-level information systems. The gap in Ethernet suitable for the process industry is being closed by Ethernet-APL: a project of renowned manufacturers and associations, unique to date in the process industry, whose goal is to standardize the physical layer of the communication system.
For the first time, Ethernet-APL opens up Ethernet as a core communication technology for process plants and enables the use of Ethernet-based components even in hazardous areas up to Zone 0/Class 1, Division 1. Output ports are available with intrinsically safe ignition types up to Ex ia IIC. This ensures barrier-free access at all hierarchical levels. Another new feature is that communication and power supply are carried over a single 2-wire Ethernet cable.
In addition, Ethernet-APL has all the advantages known from many years of experience in processing electrical signals in process plants:
- Easy installation or familiar 2-wire installation
- Simple connection technology
- Polarity independence
- Flexible topology planning
- Support for Trunk-and-Spur technology
FieldConnex components meet all process industry infrastructure requirements and combine this with highly reliable, IIoT-enabled plant monitoring.
