With the continued growth of the industrial automation market and the need for sophisticated monitoring and sensing technology, Industrial Ethernet has become the preferred method for integrating industrial automation control devices.
Content provided by Christian Achimov, Business Development Manager at Hirose Electric Europe & Willem Rodenburg, Marketing Manager at Hirose Electric Europe Mc4 Connector
Compared to other technologies like Fieldbus, Industrial Ethernet offers a wide range of benefits. These include lower costs, higher data rates, and data transmission volume enhancements. Industrial Ethernet is also designed for harsh environmental conditions. This is often found in Industry 4.0 applications like factory automation, robotics, and machine vision.
As industrial automation systems expand in complexity and sophistication, so do the demands for higher-density connectivity solutions. High bandwidth Industrial Ethernet connector solutions must now combine rugged, EMC-resistant performance with smaller footprints. This is required to meet Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) requirements in today’s smart factories.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the Industry 4.0 market was valued at USD 73.90 billion in 2022. It is expected to reach USD 165.50 billion by 2026. IoT, IIoT, AI machine learning, 3D printing, cloud services, and 5G in manufacturing processes are driving market growth. These technologies enable OEMs to create smarter factories with more connected automated devices that transfer higher volumes of data.
Implementing a reliable network of industrial equipment responsible for complex operations and data transmission speeds at upwards of 10 Gbps is no easy task. Most industrial applications operate in harsh environmental conditions of some kind. Industrial facilities and equipment are often subject to signal or data interference, dust and moisture contaminants, extreme temperatures, shock and vibration, and other challenges.
Size constraints, particularly in IoT, robotics, and machine vision applications, are also a considerable design hurdle. Not only are devices getting smaller, but higher data throughput requirements typically equate to more connection points in a connector. Simply put, smaller connectors offer more design flexibility on the board to add functionality or decrease the size of the device. However, smaller connectors often come with a compromise in ruggedness.
Previously, standard I/O connectors could be employed in industrial processes and automation equipment. However, modern industrial hardware features increased I/O requirements and mechanical robustness demands that legacy connectors cannot meet. Many legacy I/O connection points are prone to damage during handling and installation.
Modular jack solutions, which dominated the data and networking market, were employed instead to meet many Industrial Ethernet application requirements.
Sealed RJ45 connectors enable point-to-point connectivity for uploading and downloading data without requiring machine shutdown.
The rugged RJ45 housing protects against exposure to dust, dirt, liquid, and other harmful substances present in industrial environments.
However, standard RJ45 connectors are not resistant to shock and vibration. Contact-to-contact motion from vibration can cause micro-fretting, leading to premature failure.
RJ45 jacks, and particularly the high-density connector versions, are susceptible to crosstalk. The signal and return arrangement of a standard RJ45 jack causes two current loops to overlap. This affects signal integrity and reliability. RJ45 connectivity also limits the miniaturization of devices.
Specialty industrial RJ45 connectors are available to reduce micro fretting, but the versions are expensive and still sensitive to interference. As a result, new connector technologies have been established to meet design requirements.
Since its release in 2017 by Hirose Electric, the ix Industrial Ethernet connector has been used in a variety of industrial markets. Multiple suppliers offer a wide range of availability and a second-source strategy to customers.
The ix Industrial connector has been adopted for smart factory equipment due to its space-saving and durable Ethernet connection design. Offering a receptacle volume reduction of 75% compared to conventional RJ45 modular solutions, the ix Industrial connector supports 10 mm pitch parallel mounting.
The narrow width of the receptacle is particularly beneficial when multiple connectors are positioned on a single PCB side-by-side. The reduced mounting space enables a high degree of board design freedom in applications like servo drives and robot controllers. Either more functionality can be added to a device in the same footprint or the entire device can be made smaller.
The ix Industrial can be used as a drop-in replacement for RJ45 connectors, as they utilize the same cables (6.3 to 7.2 mm diameter cables). The ix Industrial connector plug comes in straight and right-angle versions, while the receptacle is available in vertical, upright, and horizontal right-angled versions to offer even more design flexibility and space-saving options.
The connector is also offered in three keying options (A, B, and C type) to meet highly functional application requirements such as having signal and Ethernet transmission on the same device without accidental incorrect mating.
Unlike many other miniature connectors, the ix Industrial connector features a rugged and reliable design. The snap-in I/O connector has a positive metal lock with a preload spring mechanism that provides a clear tactile click and ensures complete, secure mating. The preloaded springs are designed to prevent unintended cable removal and extend the operating life to 5,000 mating/unmating cycles.
The receptacle shell is mounted on the PCB via a through-hole solder leg to enhance PCB retention and to resist the wrenching of the cable assembly, protecting the SMT leads. The wire-termination unit and cable clamp are integrated into a single plug shell, which prevents the connecting part of the cable assembly from being affected by the load on the cable.
Because the ix Industrial connector’s receptacle supports THR soldering as a substitute for manual soldering, the receptacle can be mounted on the PCB containing both THT and SMT components in a single SMT process. This also contributes to the high PCB retention force.
The ix Industrial connector technology features an EMC-resistant IEC 61076-3-124 design supporting Cat.5e (1 Gbps) and Cat.6A (10 Gbps) high-speed performance. Handling up to 90 Watts (3 Amp per contact), the connector passes Power over Ethernet (PoE++) IEEE802.3bt testing requirements.
The PoE capability and the optimized 360° shielding design, which eliminates EMC and ensures secure high-speed data transmission, make the ix Industrial an ideal solution for factory and process automation, machine-to-machine communication, robotics, sensors, human-machine interfaces (HMI), and other devices needing Ethernet IIoT connectivity in an automated industrial environment.
In the machine vision market, the ix Industrial has been certified as a GigE Vision standard connector. This global interface standard developed by the Automated Image Association (AIA) is widely adopted for Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) communication standards.
Created by PROFIBUS and PROFINET International (PI), PROFINET is one of the most popular Industrial Ethernet protocols. The ix industrial connector was first introduced to the PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation (PNO) Guideline on June 2021 Version 5.0. It is still in the latest Version 5.3 from May 2023.
The June 2021 Version 5.0 PROFINET Guideline offered updated standards for PROFINET-compliant cabling use in industrial environments. The ix Industrial interface is a vital component in the SPC (Specific Passive Components) section for Ethernet transmission.
Using the ix Industrial connector, manufacturers of PROFINET-compliant devices can create smaller and more compact devices. This saves installation space in the control cabinet.
CC-Link open fieldbus communication network is a global standard established in 2000 by the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA). The high-speed network can simultaneously handle both control and information data.
In 2018, CLPA released the specifications of CC-Link IE TSN, the first open industrial Ethernet to combine gigabit bandwidth with Time-Sensitive Networking. The ix Industrial connector is now listed in the CC-Link Guidelines for passive components that can be used in CC link applications.
As industrial automation systems continue to expand in complexity and sophistication, so do the demands of connectivity solutions. The importance of reliable communication and data exchange between industrial systems is paramount to an optimized smart factory. Developed for use in industrial automation and manufacturing environments, the rugged ix Series combines high-speed performance and a compact design with high reliability and design flexibility.
With an innovative design that is ideal for daisy-chaining applications, the space-saving ix Series connector can facilitate a significant size reduction of Industry 4.0 manufacturing equipment.
Visit HIROSE ix Industrial landing page for further information
Visit Hirose’s cable assembly partner Sinbon to purchase ix Industrial connector samples with cables.
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