Fieldbus and Industrial Ethernet
Industrial Gateway
IO-Link
Wireless and Contactless Sub-System
Operation Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) networks
OT networks are associated with automation and are characterized by horizontal data flows. These networks must ensure reliable, uninterrupted data transmission, even in hostile environments with heavy interference. IT networks are usually oriented vertically and are designed to service end users with high transmission rates.
Industrial communication was initially developed along wired protocols with the definition of proprietary fieldbus and industrial Ethernet solutions such as EtherCAT and PROFINET. The current trend is to aggregate these protocols, along with wireless connectivity, under a single standard. The need to access to sensor data with the highest reliability is another requirement, which IO-Link addresses particularly well.
ST solutions (wired transceivers, wireless, MCU Edge processing, security, etc.)
ST develops and manufactures versatile MCUs, power management ICs, and transceivers to meet evolving industry 4.0 directions. They are designed to satisfy the many wired and wireless options for communication from the sensor through to the Cloud. ST has also developed strategic partnerships to ensure broad coverage of proprietary Ethernet protocols and to promote rapid design of industrial gateway solutions. Developers can choose from STM32 microcontrollers and STM32MP microprocessors associated with various wired and wireless interfaces such as RS232, RS485, Ethernet, Sub-1GHz, and 2.4GHz.
ST is also heavily committed to developing dedicated libraries and chipsets to address critical safety and security aspects. This extends to robust protection for hardware interfaces against surge and overvoltage events prevalent in hostile production environments.