With all the process efficiency and energy savings benefits that variable frequency drives (VFDs) offer the production environment, it’s not surprising that operations of all kinds rely on them. In fact, some facilities run upwards of hundreds of VFDs, helping them precisely control nearly every motor they use.

As its name suggests, Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) cabling uses only one pair of wires to transmit data, as opposed to the two pair that have long been standard in the majority of Ethernet cabling in use worldwide.

As in other industrial environments, the rail transportation industry is being significantly transformed by digital technologies and the emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things—or as my colleagues in this industry often refer to it, the Railway Internet of Things. Like network operators in industries such as manufacturing or utilities, they are tapping into “Big Data” opportunities to fuel productivity—in this case, forwarding vital goals like keeping trains running on time, making them safer, and optimizing maintenance resources.

Power over Ethernet (PoE)—a technology that allows network operators to provide electric power to many types of devices through the same cable as data is transmitted—has become fairly commonplace in office IT environments. Unfortunately, industrial OT environments have not yet embraced it to the same extent. And that’s a shame, because the benefits of PoE may carry even greater weight on the plant floor. However, PoE in OT areas also carries some additional challenges—challenges that your IT folks may not be aware of. Here’s how to bring the “power” of PoE to bear at your facility—while maintaining optimum reliability in both data transfer and power flow. 

When it comes to industrial Ethernet network installation, field termination—the onsite preparation of each end of each cable and then joining it securely to an RJ45 connector—can be among the most vulnerable steps in the process. With eight conductors per cable and potentially hundreds of cables in a midsized installation, occasional errors are not uncommon, which can lead to intermittent data failure and interruptions that are often challenging to track, further adding to downtime and frustration. Of course, best practice dictates that every termination be tested upfront, and estimates suggest that resulting rework rates are as high as 8-10%.