Advanced Physical Layer (APL)

For the process industry, a group of leading component manufacturers has defined an IP-based communication standard which, due to its technical superiority, will replace many of the fieldbuses used today. The APL standard supports all Ethernet-based fieldbuses such as protocols like ProfiNet and Ethernet/IP and therefore contributes significantly to their future spread in the process industry. The main goal of the APL development is to enable the connection of field devices to the IoT, even under the requirements of the process industry - from the cloud to the field device - consistently with Ethernet.

APL is supported by

• Interessengemeinschaft Automatisierungstechnik der Prozessindustrie e.V. (NAMUR) as part of the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA)
• Profibus and Profinet International (PI)
• ODVA
• FieldComm Group
• OPC Foundation
• IEEE: Single Pair Ethernet specification P802.3cg
• IEC TS 60079-47 

Connecting field devices to the Internet of Things opens up a wealth of exciting new technical possibilities, such as fast update mechanisms, parameterisation of devices via web browsers, etc. However, this networking also creates new requirements concerning cybersecurity at field level, for which embeX has leading expertise.