Ethernet connectors to single-pair Ethernet (SPE), which transmits Ethernet over two twisted wires, resulting in lower weight and copper costs. SPE is a financially viable option for every device on an industrial network.
Ways that industrial connector manufacturers reduce connector size vary but can include removing latches for internal locking mechanisms or push tabs, reducing the overall profile of the connector, reducing the space needed between connection points, or combining functions like magnetics directly into the connector. All these design choices can enable device designers to do the seemingly impossible – reduce size while increasing functionality.
T1 Industrial is the standard mating face for SPE and allows the transmission of Ethernet over two wires.
INFORMATION TRANSPARENCY: SMALLER CONNECTORS ENABLE TRANSPARENCY WITHOUT INCREASING DEVICE SIZE Devices are becoming smaller. This is true for cellphones and other consumer electronics, and for the human-machine interfaces (HMIs) people use when programming a robot on a machine. The components inside a device often limit how small the device can be. For example, 3.5 mm headphone jacks have been eliminated from many cellphones because, in addition to the rise in popularity of wireless earbuds, this connection point is a limiting factor in how slim the phone could be. In Industry 4.0 networks, every device is expected to produce data, offer more functionality, and be connected to an operations center. This means the number of components is increasing on devices that are becoming smaller. Therefore, the components must become smaller. As a result, the demand for hybrid and smaller connectors has increased.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: CONNECTORS ENABLE COBOTS TO WORK ALONGSIDE HUMANS Collaborative robots, or cobots, were once the thing of science fiction. While that helpful at-home robotic butler is still some years out, workers in manufacturing plants may find themselves working alongside small cobots. In the past, robots tended to be fixed in place. Hardwiring a robot instead of using a connector was suitable for some applications where the robot was intended to perform the same function repeatedly for the duration of its lifecycle. Now, cobots are designed with flexibility in mind, both in the tasks they perform and the location they inhabit on the production floor. Connectors let the robot be moved quickly and without reliance on skilled labor. The PushPull uses an internal locking mechanism, which helps reduce the space required for a connector.
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