Endress+Hauser launches new line of equipment compatible with Ethernet-APL

Endress+Hauser employed nearly 240 of its own instruments as well as those of other manufacturers in a load-testing program that confirmed that networks based on Ethernet-APL, the two-wire physical layer for the process sector, is ready for full deployment.

With the recent emergence of Ethernet-APL as a means of fast, digital data transmission, Endress+Hauser Canada Ltd. is set to release a full portfolio of measurement solutions that work with this advanced physical layer, based on the PROFINET protocol. This product line follows on the success of the company’s multi-partner load-testing program.

Expectations are high for Ethernet-APL in the process industry, with load-testing results that confirm the technology’s groundbreaking potential for industrial communication.

High bandwidth over long distances

A ruggedized, two-wire application adapted for process measurements, Ethernet-APL enables quick digital communication with high bandwidth over long distances and in explosive atmospheres, and this easy access to information from field instruments will raise process automation to new levels of efficiency. It even allows field-to-cloud data networking to optimize processes and entire facility operations. The Endress+Hauser team conducted two load tests of a realistic Ethernet-APL setup, blending components from different producers and designed as per client specifications. The tests proved that parts from different sources can create reliable, robust Ethernet-APL systems.

The first test used nearly 240 Endress+Hauser products, including flow, pressure, temperature, and level sensors, all integrated into a system with field switches and a control system with Ethernet-APL and PROFINET. A second test substituted a different control system. Both tests were conducted with maximum network layout, with successfully verified scalability and fault tolerance. All relevant requirements were reached or exceeded. Conclusion: Ethernet-APL is usable in real-world conditions.

Traditional four- or eight-wire Ethernet has accomplished only limited penetration of field-level process measurement devices, due to the requirements of intrinsically safe operations, the limited range, and the expensive, bulky wiring. It is also inadequate for adding many low-power analytical and monitoring tools (including sensors, vision systems, and actuators) to transform field-level operations into a true Industry 4.0 environment. Ethernet-APL overcomes these limits and others.

There is no change in the analytical or measurement technologies in Endress+Hauser’s Ethernet-APL devices. The new line of solutions will give process operators the perfect entry point to begin converting operations to realize the advantages of a true Industrial Internet of Things environment.

For more information, contact Endress+Hauser.

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