Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) solutions

Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) is a new standard in Ethernet connectivity, enabling intelligent networking and integrated power over a single twisted pair connection.

Ethernet, defined by the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet working group, is one of the most widely used networking standards and is ubiquitous in building, industrial and transportation environments. Since being standardised in 1983, Ethernet has developed to provide reliable high-speed communications and become more prevalent in industrial applications with the arrival of features such as Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) and a wide range of robust industrial connector and cable options. Meanwhile, increasing levels of intelligence and automation are being developed across industrial equipment, leading to large numbers of devices which need to be networked as the Industrial Internet of Things accelerates.

In industrial networks, Ethernet has traditionally not been used at the edge device level where various BUS systems have prevailed, e.g. Fieldbus. These legacy systems typically have simpler and lower cost cabling requirements than standard Ethernet, which has a large impact when there are hundreds or thousands of sensors and actuators deployed. However, connecting these edge devices with Ethernet would bring the ability to support higher data rates, remove the need for gateways and protocol translation components in the network and provide more sophisticated networking features such as TSN. Single Pair Ethernet has thus evolved to bring the benefits of Ethernet connectivity in a simplified, lightweight infrastructure that enables mass deployment of the Industrial IoT.

In addition to providing data connectivity with Ethernet, SPE allows supply of power to end devices via Power over Data Line (PoDL), where previously this would require two or four twisted pairs. This will enable new possibilities for reliable, Ethernet connected end devices that require no additional power source via cables or batteries.