Single-pair Ethernet and APL: two wires to the field instrument
How Single-Pair Ethernet and Ethernet-APL bring power and 10 Mbit/s Ethernet to hazardous-area field devices — and what changes in process design.
Information model
OPC UA's structured, browsable description of assets.
In OPC UA, the structured description of assets as objects, variables, methods, and references with types and semantics — what lets a client browse an unknown server and understand it. Companion specs extend the base model into domains.
See also: OPC UA · Companion specification
Use the concept: Industrial data connectivity: from register to consumer · Industrial data contract template
In depth
PROFINET vs EtherNet/IP vs EtherCAT: a selection guide
Compare PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and EtherCAT on synchronization, cycle time, topology, tooling, and ecosystem — and pick the protocol your plant can live with.
OPC UA companion specifications: a guided tour
The base standard models anything; companion specs model your industry. How to find, read, and actually use them.