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mouser.com/amphenol 19 LEARN MORE > Amphenol ICC Single Pair Ethernet part of a process, controlling complex robotics, or automating an entire production line. What's ahead as more and more manufacturing environments add automation and intelligence? As foreshadowed by current design trends: Devices will likely continue to incorporate more features and capabilities within the same or smaller form factor. Thus, components will need to be compact and offer capable, yet flexible interconnects to peripherals, such as sensors, actuators, cameras, and power supplies. Reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity will become critical in manufacturing environments where process control is driven in real time by high-speed, high-volume data. Issues of signal quality will improve in dense or miniaturized devices. Here, components will need to offer multiple, flexible configurations as well as latches and other secure endpoints that ensure reliable connectivity. Devices will operate reliably under more extreme conditions, which means including ruggedized, Ingress Protection (IP) code-rated housings and components; locking and hold-down features; ruggedized contact terminations to PCBs and wires; and polarized mating alignment features and visual mating cues. Devices will support legacy and newer protocols but simplify other aspects by being fully compatible and eliminating the need for protocol conversion gateways. Device power will piggy-back off existing Ethernet connections. PoE provided over 4 pair cable and PoDL over single pair cabling eliminates the need for additional separate power sources for many devices, without generating EMI. This also greatly facilitates the rapidly expanding the number of sensors and other powered devices using single pair ethernet in smart manufacturing systems. LEARN MORE > Amphenol ICC Minitek MicroSpace™ Connector System Wireless devices that use 5G will be incorporated where tight spaces or other requirements hinder hardwired solutions and where cell towers can be added. It's likely, though, that critical and safety devices will continue to be hardwired. The Industrial Future Industry 4.0 features automation and data exchange across technologies and processes to create highly efficient, highly customized, mass-produced products. Data and connectivity are key to maximizing the potential benefits of automated, intelligent manufacturing processes. In response to current design needs, manufacturing designers are now incorporating additional capabilities, features, and components into devices within the same or a smaller physical footprint. Moving ahead, design engineers need to meet today's device requirements while also keeping an eye on the larger industrial revolution. Dense, compact, and secure devices will help meet today's challenging design demands and provide lasting solutions.