Single Pair Ethernet in a Smart Elevator

1. September 2022

4 Min read

Contents

Written by Matthias Gerber

Market Manager Local Area Networks

Interest is growing

Where and how can Single Pair Ethernet be used? The question of practical applications accompanied us throughout the entire development and standardization phase.

Markets are now recognizing the potential. Architects, the real estate industry, project managers, the electrical engineering trade, and automation specialists are increasingly focusing on Single Pair Ethernet. The community of smart home fans wants to know more about SPE.

Convenience required

Let’s take elevators as an example. Almost every large building has elevators that allow visitors to quickly reach every floor. A few buttons are enough to control it. In the cabin, there is an emergency intercom and LCD displays. These functions are usually connected to a technical building control center via conventional bus cabling.

Nowadays, additional features and more comfort would be desirable. Smartphone users want interruption-free, fast Internet connections throughout their journey. For building managers, Internet-based monitoring solutions would be useful because they would be easy to use and cost-effective.

But the old bus wiring in the cabin and in the elevator shaft does not usually cover the necessary bandwidth requirements. Additional wiring is expensive, time-consuming, and space-consuming.

Flexible cabling

The alternative would be single, flexible SPE cabling. It could be accommodated in almost every corner of the building and – starting from the server room, floor distributor, or service outlet – could be installed in ceilings and suspended ceilings or on the interior walls of the elevator shaft.

The SPE infrastructure is independent of the lift manufacturer’s systems. It could connect many things concurrently via the standard, open Internet protocol, and even supply them with power. These include:

• WLAN antennas that guarantee a continuous high-speed Internet connection for smartphone users during the journey
• Sensors for door movement, speed, vibration, and usage, which can be remotely monitored via WLAN, Internet, and tablets
• Monitors that provide users with all the latest information and guidance
• IP cameras and access control systems for centralized security management by external service providers

In this way, the Internet of Things (IoT) can get into the elevator shaft in a cost-effective manner.

We describe other SPE applications such as digital ceiling and sustainable building automation in our specialist magazine CONNECTIONS No. 62.

Key to smart buildings

SPE enables barrier-free communication from the sensor via the LAN to the cloud using the universal Ethernet/IP protocol. This is why Single Pair Ethernet is a key technology for smart buildings and Industry 4.0. An enabler for the Internet of Things (IoT), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and IP applications in building automation (ALL-IP). Find out more on our SPE website.

With the first continuous SPE cabling system, R&M offers all-in-one solutions from a single source for every field of application, whether in building or industrial automation. Watch the video.

Find out all about the Single Pair Ethernet System Alliance. The alliance consists of manufacturers of sensors, cables, connectors, measuring devices, chips, switches, terminal equipment, and education providers working together. Together, we want to establish SPE in many markets and applications. https://singlepairethernet.com/

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