In recent years, Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) has already proven itself in the automotive industry. Increasing connectivity in "software-defined vehicles" requires secure, compact cabling in the confined space of a vehicle to connect sensors and controls for autonomous driving, battery management, and driver assistance systems. As a partner to OEMs, Rosenberger has been accompanying the paradigm shift in automotive data transmission since 2012 and has made a significant contribution to the development of modern connectors. Our many years of experience in protocol and interface development have been directly incorporated into the design of our own connector solutions and support the current standardization process. This is reflected in the new hybrid connector standard IEC 63171-7 (ED2), which will form the basis for comprehensive interoperability in the future.

SPE has potential for a wide range of applications

Long-range transmission technology that combines power supply and data transmission in a single cable is also becoming increasingly important in industrial networking. Developments relating to Industry 4.0, digitalization and networking are becoming increasingly relevant. The basis for this is data! Although existing protocols are already being used in industrial networking, in practice it remains a problem to access data in a cost-effective, sustainable, and efficient manner. As sensor and actuator technology in IoT applications provide the necessary information that is analyzed by AI systems for predictive maintenance or simulations, for example, the demand for affordable, intelligent networking continues to grow. SPE is a sensible alternative here, which also enables security strategies such as Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) for security- and safety-critical real-time applications.

SPE is versatile useable

SPE has numerous application scenarios in a wide range of industries. The technology is particularly relevant in automation and robotics, where much narrower, more flexible SPE cables contribute to greater freedom of movement.
Another example is agricultural vehicles, which increasingly incorporate data on soil conditions and weather. Applications are also emerging in electromobility, such as sensor technology in charging stations and the reuse of vehicle batteries in large energy storage systems that require complex cabling.
SPE can simplify the networking of train compartments, and it is now also a trending topic in building automation.