Question

discuss the connectors and cabling which are used in industrial Ethernet

Answer 1

Introduction

Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN).

Industrial Ethernet (IE) is the use of Ethernet in an industrial environment with protocols that provide determinism and real-time control.

Cabels in Industrial Ethernet

Ther are three types of cable used in Industry

A. Catagory 5

New Version a. Catagory 5e

Category 5 cable (Cat 5) is a twisted pair cable for computer networks. Since 2001, the variant commonly in use is the Category (Cat 5e). The cable standard provides performance of up to 100 MHz and is suitable for most varieties of Ethernet over twisted pair up to 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet). Cat 5 is also used to carry other signals such as telephony and video.

This cable is commonly connected using punch-down blocks and modular connectors. Most Category 5 cables are unshielded, relying on the balanced line twisted pair design and differential signaling for noise reduction.

B. Catagory6

CAT6 Industrial Ethernet category cables are suitable for large networks, data centers, offices and certified networks and provide 1 Gigabit Ethernet transmission speeds. Cat 6 has to meet more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise than Cat 5 and Cat 5e. The cable standard specifies performance of up to 250 MHz, compared to 100 MHz for Cat 5 and Cat 5e.

New version of CAT6 IS CAT6A which is

CAT6A Industrial Ethernet category cables are also suitable for large data centers, large offices, server farms, and future proofing new equipment while boasting a 10 Gigabit Ethernet transmission speed which is 10 times faster than CAT6

C. Catagory7

Category 7 cable, more commonly known as a Cat7 or Cat-7 cable, is a type of high-end data transfer patch cable used in delivering the core infrastructure of wired Gigabit Ethernet setups.

It’s a shielded twisted pair cable, used principally in achieving high-speed Ethernet connections at data transfer rates of 1 Gbps or higher between directly linked servers, switches and computer networks.

Maximum specified frequency for this cable is 600MZ.

Connectors used in Industrial Ethernet

There are mainly two types of connectors

A. Rj45 connectors

Which has three varients

a. Rj45 IP20

b. Rj45 IP 67

c. Rj45 push-pull

RJ45 is a type of connector commonly used for Ethernet networking. It looks similar to a telephone jack, but is slightly wider. Since Ethernet cables have an RJ45 connector on each end, Ethernet cables are sometimes also called RJ45 cables.

The "RJ" in RJ45 stands for "registered jack," since it is a standardized networking interface. The "45" simply refers to the number of the interface standard. Each RJ45 connector has eight pins, which means an RJ45 cable contains eight separate wires. If you look closely at the end of an Ethernet cable, you can actually see the eight wires, which are each a different color. Four of them are solid colors, while the other four are striped.

Selection between versions while using

Match the connector with the environment where it will be used. In most industrial applications, a connector with an Ingress Protection Rating of IP65 or IP67 is desired to protect against contaminants entering the connector and degrading performance. The RJ45 connector designed for industrial applications is typically a larger connector with a locking mechanism. It has an IP67 sealing gasket system to protect against contaminants and vibration. A smaller IP20 version is used in clean areas or inside of control cabinets.

B. M12

Three varients of M12

a. M12 4 pole, D-coded

b. M12 8 pole, A coded

c. M12 PCB

The M12 connector is a circular connector with a 12-mm locking thread that is used primarily in factory automation applications for actuators, sensors, industrial ethernet, and Fieldbus. M12 connectors are designed for washdown and corrosive environments. They are available with 3, 4, 5, 8, and 12 pins. Users must select the correct pin count for specific applications. Sensors and power applications require 3 and 4 pins; PROFINET and ethernet require 4 and 8 pin counts; Fieldbus, CAN bus, and DeviceNet typically use 4 and 5 pin counts; and 12 pins are used for signal requirements.