Key points
Ethernet has slowly but surely emerged as the preferred communications protocol for machine, robot, and other industrial automation applications. The use of industrial ethernet components is increasing as users explore new, innovative ways to leverage the protocol’s advantages over conventional fieldbuses. These include greater bandwidth, faster speed, wide vendor compatibility, higher levels of deterministic performance, and more.
When implementing communication networks, bridging computer-based control systems and associated production lines is a major challenge for industry operators.
Additionally, rapidly rising cost becomes a problem when decentralising control systems for highly complex production processes which can generated significantly higher amounts of data. Industrial ethernet serves as an effective solution for operators in tackling these challenges.
Driven by the need to improve network flexibility, the global industrial ethernet market is slated to generate over US$100 billion in revenue by the end of 2026. The growing adoption of Industry 4.0 and industrial internet of things (IIoT) will certainly reshape the business landscape in the future.
How is industrial ethernet fuelling Industry 4.0 and IIoT trends?
Industrial ethernet has now been in use in smart factory environments for some time now. However, a notable rise in its adoption has only been observed in the past few years. In fact, 2017 became the first year that Ethernet protocols such as PROFINET and EtherNet/IP accounted for over half of the installed capacity, surpassing fieldbus installations globally.
The proliferation of industrial ethernet has opened up tremendous opportunities for machine builders as well as machine users to work more closely during the design and planning stages of an industrial infrastructure. Ethernet protocols make this possible by providing instant access to detailed real-time status and diagnostics information remotely from anywhere around the world.
One of the biggest ongoing trends in Industry 4.0 and IIoT is the development of industrial ethernet technologies catering to the needs of automated process control applications. The integration of EtherNet/IP with the HART protocol and the emergence of new FDI standards are enabling manufacturers to maintain a cost-effective and sustainable production capacity in the process industries.
This approach could help streamline the exchange of diagnostic, configuration, and production data between field devices and higher-level systems used for data acquisition, plant asset management, and overall supervisory control.
In April last year, industrial automation company ODVA had announced the latest enhancements to the EtherNet/IP protocol to deliver improved network diagnostics. The company had also announced the addition of a new IIoT building block infrastructure along with new methods to reduce bandwidth and resource requirements for devices.
In addition to these enhancements enabling users to access device diagnostics in accordance with the NE107 standard, ODVA had updated the EtherNet/IP specification to provide detailed diagnostics of the overall system. This apparently would enable a better understanding of the total number of connections, number of ethernet errors, resource utilisation, overall CPU usage, missing packets.
These enhancements could serve as an important mechanism for factory automation and control users to connect with the existing infrastructure while leveraging the advantages of industrial ethernet.
Ongoing developments in Industry 4.0 and IIoT will continue to drive new standards in wired connectivity for smart factories which require highspeed and reliable data transmission from devices to the cloud, creating the demand for compact, space saving, and lightweight industrial infrastructure.
Notable developments in the industrial ethernet industry
ABB Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., Belden, Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Eaton Corporation, Schneider Electric Se, Honeywell International, Inc., Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, and Yaskawa Electric Corporation are currently some of the leading developers of industrial ethernet solutions.
With industrial ethernet gaining worldwide acceptance as the desired communications protocol in industrial settings, these companies, along with numerous other emerging players, are focusing on designing high-performance industrial ethernet components. In November 2019, for instance, Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics Corporation had unveiled the new R-IN32M4-CL3 IC for advanced industrial Ethernet communication.
Renesas’ latest innovation provides support for CC-link Industrial Ethernet Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), a next-generation communication standard for ethernet TSN technology. The R-IN32M4-CL3 IC is also capable of linking IT and OT seamlessly with CC-link Industrial Ethernet TSN, enabling ultra-highspeed and high-precision motion control.
Citing another recent instance, in March last year, Amphenol ICC had launched the ix Industrial™ range of next-generation highspeed ruggedised connectors for advanced industrial ethernet communication designs. The company had collaborated with Harting Technology Group and Hirose Electric to design and roll out the new IEC 61076-3-124 compliant connectors.
The connectors are designed for use in equipment for factory and process automation, robotics, human interface devices, machine to machine communication, sensors, and all other hardware component requiring ethernet IIoT connectivity in a highly automated industrial environment.
While new product development is a top priority among the industry participants, many are also adopting new strategies to gain a competitive edge in the Industry 4.0 and IIoT space.
In July last year, Molex Electronics Solutions had joined the Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) Industrial Partner Network to help advance its Industry 4.0 technologies. The company would join other technology suppliers in supporting the adoption of advanced ethernet technologies that could enable greater miniaturisation and reduce wiring requirements.
The SPE Industrial Partner Network is a group of companies that support and promote the adoption of SPE technology in Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications.
What does the future of industrial ethernet market look like?
The emergence and gradual rise of ethernet connectivity is constantly opening up new opportunities for creating more reliable and more productive workflows in industrial environments of all kinds. Machine builders can not only leverage it for their own operations but can also utilise industrial ethernet technologies to develop more useful products, interact with end-users more effectively, and form strong long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.
