Ethernet-APL technology is a revolution in the process industry: for the first time, a high data rate (10 Mbit/s) is combined with intrinsic safety for the field level. In addition, the technology enables a two-wire operation including power supply. KROHNE was a founding member of the Ethernet-APL consortium in 2018 and has thus actively promoted the technical design of the standard.
Customer interest in Ethernet-APL has been growing steadily for several years, particularly in the chemical industry, but also beyond. "With Ethernet-APL, we are fully digitalizing the field level," explains Dr Christoph Spiegel, Head of Strategic Product Management in the Electronics Division at KROHNE. "Our demonstrators already have most of the functions that are possible with this technology. They provide the implementation of PROFINET according to the PA (Process Automation) profile 4.0 with generic or alternatively manufacturer-specific GSD file. There is also an FDI package for use with all modern asset management systems and an integrated web server with a convenient user interface for simple commissioning and diagnostics."
On the way to first APL products
“We hope that we can obtain early feedback and test results via the demonstrators, including interoperability test results with various host systems," continues Spiegel. "We want to strengthen our customers' trust in KROHNE as a reliable partner that brings the latest technology into practice at an early stage. Ethernet-APL is still a very young technology, which is why we are working particularly closely with users here. Looking at the progress of the project, I am confident that KROHNE will be able to present the first Ethernet-APL devices by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024."
