Industrial Ethernet - The Differences

Differences between Office and Industrial Ethernet

Although the same Ethernet standard is used in automation technology as in the office environment, the requirements on the network products are significantly different. In the industrial environment networks must work reliably under extreme conditions, such as electromagnetic interference, high operating temperatures and mechanical loads.

	Office	Industry
Installation	Fixed basic installation in the building Variable device connections to standard workstations Cabling predominantly in star topology	Plant dependent cabling and cable ducting Field attachable connectors up to IP67 Redundant cabling, often ring structures
Data	Large data packets Medium network availability Predominantly acyclic transmission Real-time behaviour not necessary	Small data packets Very high network availability Predominantly cyclic transmission Real-time behaviour necessary
Environment	Normal temperature range Little dust, moisture and vibration Hardly any mechanical loads or problems with chemicals Low EMC Requirements	Extended temperature range Dust, moisture and vibration possible Risk of mechanical damage or problems with chemicals High EMC requirements