Sensor technology of tomorrow for consistent communication Single Pair Ethernet: Lean communication through to the field level of automation.

White Ethernet switch with a green SPE cable that connects a JUMO sensor in the background

Brief summary

The consistency of Ethernet for Single Pair Ethernet is essential for greater sustainability in production. The benefits result primarily from the new possibilities that simplify troubleshooting. By collecting status information, condition-based maintenance is also possible.

The example of sensor technology from JUMO illustrates how this whole host of advantages can be used to improve the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) – in other words, the overall system availability. It also makes it easier to connect to cloud-based services.

Manfred Walter, product manager at JUMO in Fulda, Germany

Convinced by SPE: Manfred Walter works as a product manager at JUMO in Fulda, Germany

Information generates added value

Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) has what it takes to make connections more sustainable and smarter through to the field level. It is for good reason that sensor manufacturer JUMO relies on SPE as the future-oriented communication medium for its measurement technology. The connection technology required for this comes from Phoenix Contact – and is the result of close collaboration at the project level.

“With Single Pair Ethernet, we are able to make better use of our intelligent sensors”, says Manfred Walter, product manager at JUMO. “I get real added value by being able to transmit more sensor data with SPE”. Having more data is the key to extracting useful information from it. This is simply not possible if a 4 to 20 mA sensor only transmits a bare current value – for example, as an equivalent for a temperature.

Two conductors are sufficient: this is what the mating face with SPE communication looks like for JUMO

Safe monitoring

The transmission technology with SPE represents an important step on the way to convergent networks. While the Time Sensitive Network (TSN), for example, is primarily designed for time-critical tasks in the disciplines of functional safety or motion control, 5G is used for applications that require cellular communication. The same applies to WLAN 6 and 7 in the field of license-free, wireless transmission technology.

Single Pair Ethernet, on the other hand, is ideal for communication through to the field level. The common denominator for all technologies is the convergent Ethernet network – the standardized world for industrial communication. If the stakeholders in automation, electrical engineering, systems manufacturing, and machine building manage to agree on this path in the medium term, then the fieldbus wars with their industry-specific developments will finally be a thing of the past.

Hygienically clean IP67 connector solution

Install, connect, and you’re done: With SPE connectivity, installing a JUMO sensor is a breeze. Thanks to the Ethernet layer, there is no need for gateways or time-consuming interface programming. With the aim of achieving the Single Pair Ethernet transmission distance of 1,000 m in practical applications without limiting attenuation, the connector developed by Phoenix Contact is designed in the M12 size.

“In the M8 format, we wouldn’t have had enough space to connect a two-wire data cable in 18 AWG, which is used for distances of 1,000 m”, explains Manfred Walter. The design of the connection itself is optimized for maximum robustness and hygiene. Flow and pressure sensors from JUMO’s “flowTRANS MAG H20” and “DELOS S02” series are widely used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. A high level of operational safety over long distances can only be achieved if the connections are also able to withstand demanding production processes or CiP (Clean in Place) cleaning. The Phoenix Contact solution conforms to the requirements for hygienic design and provides IP67 degree of protection.

Conclusion

Connecting sensors with SPE paves the way for incorporating additional measured variables into communication. It also opens up new possibilities for connecting sensors directly to the cloud, as the devices already have a functional gateway, eliminating the need for an additional gateway. This saves components and money. Typical areas of application that JUMO envisages for its SPE multisensor “hydroTRANS S20” include temperature, humidity, and CO₂, for example, for the monitoring of sensitive storage rooms, general monitoring tasks, and complex tasks relating to operational safety and the safety of personnel.