Test and registration services for Ethernet-APL infrastructure products
August 2022
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
FieldComm Group provides conformance testing and registration for leading industrial instrumentation technologies for the process automation sector. Now, Ethernet-APL solutions join the portfolio of registered products with the availability of physical layer conformance testing for Ethernet-APL infrastructure products – power switches and field switches.
Ethernet-APL is an enhanced physical layer for single-pair Ethernet (SPE) based on 10BASE-T1L. This new physical layer provides end-users with a resilient, isolated and powered Ethernet network for process automation. Ethernet-APL-enabled field devices connect directly to this network. Switches registered with FieldComm Group undergo conformance tests for crucial aspects of the physical layer of the new technology: EMC, data and power.
Gunther Rogoll, manager of fieldbus technology for Pepperl+Fuchs, expressed excitement for this milestone. “We are thrilled to have the first registered Ethernet-APL switches – the Rail Field Switches, including up to 24 intrinsically safe Ex ic spur ports – with FieldComm Group. We have recently been working with FieldComm Group to create test policies and procedures for infrastructure products like field switches and power switches usable by all test and registration authorities in the Ethernet-APL consortium, including ODVA, OPC Foundation, and Profibus & Profinet International. This effort will ensure conformance to the Ethernet-APL standards independent of the test agency.”
Ted Masters, president and CEO of FieldComm Group, adds: “As additional innovative products join the digital evolution of process automation, we will see HART-IP field devices and other infrastructure products completing our registration process, expanding the breadth of fast and secure process data delivery for cloud-based analytics and optimisation.”
FieldComm Group has developed a conformity assessment system to support Ethernet-APL switching hardware. It assesses products for overall conformity to the Ethernet-APL standards using a combination of test results from specialised laboratories and in-house testing services. Products are evaluated against the latest test specifications to ensure consistent EMC immunity and emissions of products; the functionality of the PMA, PCS, PHY control and auto-negotiation sublayer; and the correct implementation of Port Profiles electrical characteristics such as noise and power for intrinsic safety. Product owners who submit conformant Ethernet-APL infrastructure hardware receive a conformance report, certificate and listing on the FieldComm Group Product Registry.
Further reading:
Remote I/O modules provide flexible options for distributed applications
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Dinkle International is now stocking the iO-GRID NEMO industrial-grade remote input/output modules, offering support for five leading industrial Ethernet protocols and a range of discrete channel configurations for distributed automation applications.
Read more...
Local energy solutions rewiring resilience across Africa
News Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Engineers across Africa are developing practical, scalable energy and mobility solutions supported by the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
Read more...
Daudin expands fieldbus modular remote I/O series
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
: The Dinkle iO-GRID X modular remote I/O family is now available, offering fieldbus coupler modules for major industrial Ethernet protocols, and over 20 types of I/O modules to help integrators and equipment builders create flexible, efficient control systems.
Read more...
Siemens and HighByte partner to scale industrial AI
Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Siemens is expanding its Industrial Edge ecosystem through a partnership with HighByte, enabling customers to connect, contextualise and transform data from operational technology and information technology sources to build AI models and applications at scale.
Read more...
Automotive Ethernet media converter
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
HMS Networks has introduced its first automotive ethernet product under the PEAK brand. The PAE-Media Converter is a compact device designed to connect automotive Ethernet (100BASE-T1 or 1000BASE-T1) with standard Ethernet (100BASE-TX or 1000BASE-T) networks.
Read more...
3D electrical systems design workflow for electromechanical innovation
Siemens South Africa
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking IT in Manufacturing
Siemens has announced new 3D electrical design capabilities within its Capital software, enabling electrical and mechanical engineers to work concurrently in a shared 3D environment to reduce late-stage design changes and accelerate time to market for complex electromechanical products.
Read more...
Long-distance signal delivery is critical to rail safety
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
A remote monitoring specialist explains why fibre optic technology is increasingly replacing copper cabling in safety-critical railway signalling systems.
Read more...
Building efficiency into cement production with SCADA and IIoT
Adroit Technologies
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
For decades, Adroit Technologies has worked alongside leading cement producers, helping them gain greater visibility into their operations through advanced SCADA and IIoT solutions.
Read more...
Loop signature Part 2-5: Interactive control systems
Michael Brown Control Engineering
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Feedforward control was explained in the previous loop signature articles. One of the examples used was feedforward control of load changes on a heat exchanger when variations occurred in the flow of the process fluid through the exchanger.
Read more...
Integrated automation systems in poultry feed production
Adroit Technologies
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
South Africa’s poultry industry is increasingly turning to advanced automation systems to optimise operations. Working in partnership with Adroit Technologies, leading poultry supplier Sovereign implemented the Mitsubishi Adroit Process Suite across a key feed production facility, creating a scalable, integrated system capable of supporting both current operations and future expansion.
Read more...
printer friendly version