Highlights and Benefits

Ethernet-APL enables fast and efficient communication of large data volumes at a rate of 10 Mbit/s. The two-wire cable transmits up to 92 W of data and power of simultaneously. It also sets new standards in terms of range, because trunk lengths of up to 1,000 meters are just as feasible as 200 meters at the spur to the field device.

For the first time, Ethernet can be applied in hazardous areas up to Zone 0 / Class 1, Div. 1 with the high degree of interoperability that users expect. The spur lines from the field switch to the field device can be designed to be intrinsically safe. A chapter for two-wire Ethernet (2-wire Intrinsically Safe Ethernet, or 2-WISE for short) is currently being added to the well-known IEC standard for intrinsic safety in explosion protection. Inspired by FISCO, the new standard ensures simple planning and validation without calculations.

Installation in the field is simple with screw-type or spring-clamp terminals. It is possible to transmit more than one process value and all device parameters, which allows easy plant asset management, predictive maintenance, configuration, and parameterization. A common physical layer for all devices and data enables seamless, transparent communication across all hierarchical levels—from hazardous areas to the cloud. This makes data accessible anytime and anywhere. The interoperability of the installation is ensured by certification of protocol and physical layer. This means that devices work together easily, even where technology from different manufacturers is in operation.

• Cable lengths of up to 1,000 m: spur up to 200 m, trunk up to 1,000 m 
• Power supply of up to 50 field devices. Up to 90 W possible.
• High transfer rates: 10 Mbit/s, full-duplex
• Download approx. 100 configuration parameters per field device in only a few seconds
• Intrinsic safety protection easy to apply
• Simultaneous transmission of data and power along the same two-wire cable