Turck's small-footprint M8 Industrial Ethernet connectivity system leverages Cat 5e cabling

To keep pace with the continuously shrinking sizes of industrial control devices, Turck has unveiled its first M8 Industrial Ethernet connectivity platform -- the smallest available to date for this application, it claims. The company says its new M8 Ethernet platform offers all of the benefits customers are accustomed to from Turck Ethernet connectivity, but in a smaller package for applications with limited space.

With the ability to transfer up to 100 Mbps of data, Turck’s new M8 connector is suitable for various Industrial Ethernet protocols, including EtherCAT. The new connector utilizes shielded Cat 5e cabling, with the 360-degree shielding carried through to the coupling nut. In addition, the cable offers a high flex rating.

Significantly, the company notes that its M8 connector for Ethernet is intended for use with Turck’s new ultra-compact digital TBEN-S modules. The compact connector design is rugged and suitable for use in IP67 rated environments. It will reliably operate in temperatures ranging from -40° C to 70° C. The overmolded construction eliminates time-consuming hand-wiring and misconfigurations common to twisted pair cables, and is available in both straight and right-angle configurations. In addition, hybrid cordsets are available, to convert from the M8 connector to a D-code M12 or RJ45.

“In conjunction with the release of our ultra-compact TBEN-S module, which utilizes M8 Ethernet for the bus connection, we wanted to offer our customers an Industrial Ethernet connectivity solution for applications with limited space,” said Laura Schweitz, product manager for Turck. “Not only are we able to offer our customers an M8-sized Ethernet solution, but we are able to do so without compromising the functionality they enjoy from the rest of our Industrial Ethernet line.”

Learn more about the TBEN-S ultra-compact I/O module from Turck.