Ethernet technology has expanded from commercial offices into industrial control and automation sites – but the modules, cables, connectors and switches used to support this protocol are very different. Products designed to work behind ceilings and walls in clean, temperature-regulated environments aren’t typically cut out for dirt, debris and moisture commonly found in industrial settings.

By now, most industrial network operators have heard about Time-Sensitive Networking, or TSN. We get a lot of questions from customers about its status and how it can benefit their operation. As someone who works as an editor for several TSN standards within the IEEE—the standards organization defining Ethernet—I’d like to provide a quick summary of what this technology is, where it stands and what you can consider doing right now to benefit from it.

IO-Link technology, based on the IEC 61131-9 standard for programmable controllers, allows for communication among smart sensors, actuators and PLCs of all kinds. It has played a major role...

Vibration and noise are common in industrial environments like manufacturing and rail transport. The rumble of assembly lines can interrupt data transmission and connectors can be jarred loose. Think about how much vibration occurs as a rail car travels to its destination. Environments like these require a ruggedized product.

The environment many industrial facilities operate in is significantly different from that of an office building or retail store. And yet, many (seemingly) basic functions are still expected to run smoothly, despite these conditions. Factories need to be able to transfer data from one machine to another and they need to be able to rely on their cable to perform in extreme conditions.