Industry Connectivity Upgrade Based on 10BASE-T1L Ethernet PHY Standard

10BASE-T1L is an Ethernet PHY standard (IEEE 802.3cg) approved within IEEE on November 7, 2019, which enables extended connection distances between industrial equipment and is expected to play a pivotal role in the advancement of factory automation industry.

 
To date, Ethernet in the industry has been limited to process automation applications.

The 10BASE-T1L Ethernet PHY standard offers improvements over existing solutions in power, bandwidth, and cable connection distance, making it suitable for applications deployed in hazardous areas (Zone 0). Additionally, link loss detection functionality of less than 10 µs and packet detection capability for IEEE 1588 timestamps have been added.

Moreover, brownfield application upgrades and greenfield application installations are readily facilitated, and by combining process variables, auxiliary parameters, and asset status feedback, data can be seamlessly transmitted to the cloud, making it expected to play a significant role in smart factory construction.

 
To replace the existing 4-20mA HART and fieldbus protocols with Ethernet in process automation applications required 2 or 4 pairs of wires, imposing significant cost burden. However, 10BASE-T1L uses only 1 pair of wires, offering lower cost, smaller size, and easier installation.

 
10BASE-T1L can deliver up to 500mW of power to sensors and actuators located in hazardous areas (Zone 0) at distances of approximately 1,000m. This significantly surpasses the 36mW power delivered by the 4-20mA protocol. Greater power supply enables enhanced and additional functionality for applications.

The new Ethernet PHY standard supports improvements in process flow and asset management, reduction in the number of gateways, and network construction integrating information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). Additionally, it offers simple installation, easy replacement, and rapid network commissioning and configuration. This leads to simplified troubleshooting in the field and streamlined maintenance, enabling engineers to quickly perform software updates for industrial equipment and systems.

 
Ethernet is a very familiar technology easily found in our surroundings. Even newly graduated engineers can readily handle Ethernet-based networking solutions.

   
4-20mA HART and fieldbus protocols are technologies that have proven their performance in process automation applications for many years. 10BASE-T1L Ethernet is a well-suited technology to replace or complement these technologies and is expected to become an essential element in implementing industrial networks suited to the Industry 4.0 era.

The above concludes a brief overview of the 10BASE-T1L Ethernet PHY standard. We request the active participation of engineers interested in improving factory automation.