The Realities for the Future of Ethernet-APL

Oct. 3, 2024
Ethernet-APL, based on the new IEEE two-wire standard, provides power and communication over long distances, supporting multiple protocols like HART-IP, EtherNet/IP and Modbus/TCP.

Automation engineers face challenges with diverse bus technologies like Profibus, DeviceNet, HART and Modbus/RTU, each requiring different cables, interfaces and formats.

While each bus excels in its niche—Profibus and DeviceNet in motor controls, HART for field instruments, and Modbus for miscellaneous devices—this diversity forces users to deploy multiple infrastructures and vendors to support various product lines, Control reported.

Engineers seek a unified solution where a single infrastructure handles all devices, and vendors desire a standard interface across products. Ethernet-based solutions, including the emerging Ethernet-APL, promise to bridge this gap by supporting multiple protocols, allowing for integration of field instruments, motor controls and other devices over a single network.

The move toward Ethernet-APL offers automation engineers a way to consolidate systems. To learn more, read the full article from partner publication Control.

Sponsored Recommendations

Food Production: How SEW-EURODRIVE Drives Excellence

Optimize food production with SEW-EURODRIVE’s hygienic, energy-efficient automation and drive solutions for precision, reliability, and sustainability.

Rock Quarry Implements Ignition to Improve Visibility, Safety & Decision-Making

George Reed, with the help of Factory Technologies, was looking to further automate the processes at its quarries and make Ignition an organization-wide standard.

Water Infrastructure Company Replaces Point-To-Point VPN With MQTT

Goodnight Midstream chose Ignition because it could fulfill several requirements: data mining and business intelligence work on the system backend; powerful Linux-based edge deployments...

The Purdue Model And Ignition

In the automation world, the Purdue Model (also known as the Purdue reference model, Purdue network model, ISA 95, or the Automation Pyramid) is a well-known architectural framework...