Digitalization means that the amount of data generated in factories and individual machines is growing continuously. Fieldbuses such as Profibus and CC-Link as well as Ethernet derivatives such as Profinet and CC-Link IE are therefore being further developed to enable ever higher data transfer rates. The situation is similar for the classic Ethernet categories. While CAT5 was the measure of all things a few years ago and a quantum leap was achieved with CAT5e, CAT6A and CAT7 are increasingly in demand today. However, all developments to date have ended at the last "intelligent" component of the machine. Due to the size of the cable and the connector solutions, connections down to the smallest sensor could not be implemented until now. Cables that reduce the number of wire pairs to one offer a solution. With the CFBUS.PUR.042, Igus presented the first Chainflex single-pair Ethernet cable at SPS 2019, especially for moving, long-lasting use in the e-chain.

The key to smart industrial automation

According to the motto "What is not needed can go", the single-pair Ethernet cable only uses one pair of wires instead of the usual four. This reduces the data rate to transmission rates of ten Mbps to one Gbps. However, a higher speed is not necessary in many applications. Instead, the reduction in the number of cores in the CFBUS.PUR.042 enables a 25 percent smaller outer diameter. It is now at the level of an initiator cable.

The new cable is designed to fit the T1 connector interface, which was specially developed for SPE. This means that the durable shielding is reliably transferred, resulting in a high level of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The combination of cable and connector is extremely robust: Igus uses a highly abrasion-resistant, notch-tough PUR jacket and the connector has robust metal locking mechanisms with a PCB socket.

Long service life tested
The reduction in the size of the cable and connector creates additional space even in the smallest e-chain series. This makes single-pair Ethernet technology an alternative to classic serial bus systems in the automotive industry, railroad technology or industrial robots. The user does not have to compromise on quality. The oil-resistant and flame-retardant CFBUS.PUR.042 was tested in Igus' 3,800 square meter test laboratory. as