Cables and connectors for future-proof machines and processes

21st October 2016

Anna Flockett

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Helping customers to future-proof their machines and processes, while opening-up the potential for sales in Asian markets, Phoenix Contact is offering a range of cables and connectors for CC-Link IE. Phoenix Contact already offers cables for CC-Link fieldbus networks which form a growing part of the company’s product range as more and more data is being transferred between devices and around machines.

Now the company has added new connectors for CC-Link IE Gigabit Ethernet to this range of cables.

Of particular interest is a new M12 connector for CC-Link IE based on the X-coded interface connection standard which is designed to offer superior signal integrity. Commenting on the new variant, Dirk Bunzel, a Product Manager at Phoenix Contact, said this X-coded M12 connector range for CC-Link IE has been developed in response to customer demand.

Bunzel said: “In particular, a lot of customers targeting Asian markets asked us to develop this product. CC-Link one of the dominant standards in Asia, and the availability of X-coded M12 CC-Link IE connectors gives our customers easier access to those markets.”

As well as their leading position in Asia, CC-Link networks are growing rapidly in popularity across other major regions such as Europe and the Americas. The technical specifications of CC-Link technologies are available to all companies that join the CLPA, which is responsible for the promotion and development of the technologies. With over 2,800 members globally, the CLPA is one of the largest open network associations in the world.

CC-Link IE is the Industrial Ethernet version of the CC-Link fieldbus, and offers gigabit bandwidth, a unique capability that allows large amounts of data to be transferred at high speed.

As Bunzel explained, these new connectors for CC-Link IE will enable customers to future-proof their machines: “The picture today is that CC-Link IE is the only open Gigabit Ethernet technology, but we can see that data transmission speeds will only continue to increase. With the new connectors and cables we can provide an infrastructure capable of transferring up to 10Gbps, compared to the current standard of 1Gbps. Customers can install networks now, knowing that they won’t need to replace them in the near future.”

The full range of Phoenix Contact connectors covers everything from M5 to M12, for signals up to 17-pos and power up to 630V, 12A. The company offers connection technologies for controllers, components, sensors, motors and I/O modules.