​​Zhaolong Expands SPE Portfolio with APL-SPE Cable: Designed for Long-Distance, Secure Connectivity in Process Automation

Challenges in Industrial Field Networking

In petrochemical, power energy, and other industrial sites, equipment networking often faces three critical pain points:

nSignal Attenuation in Hazardous Areas: In refineries and chemical plants, scattered tank farms and pipelines mean sensors are often over 1,000 meters away from control rooms. Traditional 4-20mA signals are prone to electromagnetic interference, causing data delays that affect real-time control.

nConflict Between Explosion Protection and Power Supply: High-risk scenarios require intrinsically safe devices, but separate power cables and signal cables increase cabling costs and pose safety risks from aging cables.

nExtreme Environment Challenges: In high-temperature furnace areas (above 80°C) of metallurgical plants or outdoor environments below -40°C in northern winters, ordinary cables crack easily or suffer signal distortion, leading to lost monitoring data.

 

These pain points highlight the rigid demands of industrial automation for long-distance stable transmission, safety explosion protection, and environmental resilience. Zhaolong APL-SPE cable is purpose-built for such scenarios—featuring a single-pair twisted pair architecture, ultra-fine bare copper conductors, and dual-layer shielding. It achieves 1,000-meter ultra-long-distance data transmission while integrating PoDL (Power over Data Cable) power supply, simplifying cabling and adapting to explosion-proof environments. This provides reliable connectivity for equipment networking under harsh conditions.

Zhaolong APL-SPE Data Cable

 

Understanding APL: The Key Communication Technology Driving Process Automation

APL (Advanced Physical Layer) is a critical standard extending Ethernet technology to industrial sites. Via IEEE 802.3cg (10BASE-T1L), it enables single-pair twisted pair transmission of 10Mbps over 1,000 meters and integrates IEC TS 60079-47 intrinsic safety specifications, delivering high-reliability communication for hazardous areas like petrochemical and energy sites.

APL’s core value lies in solving three industrial pain points:

nSingle-Cable Fusion: Synchronizes data and power transmission via a single cable (PoDL), replacing traditional "signal + power" dual-cable setups.

nExplosion-Proof Adaptation: Designed to support 0/1/2 zone hazardous environments without additional isolation equipment.

nProtocol Openness: Carries industrial protocols like PROFINET and EtherNet/IP, breaking down information silos between systems.

Image Source: Ethernet-APL

Zhaolong APL-SPE Cable: Designed for Industrial IoT and Process Automation

Zhaolong APL-SPE cable is a high-end data transmission solution developed for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and process automation. It uses an 18AWG single-pair twisted pair architecture, complying with IEC 61156-13 (Type A-1000) and APL standards. Supporting 10Mbps transmission over 1,000 meters, it integrates PoDL to synchronize data and power via a single cable, simplifying industrial cabling and enabling stable connections in petrochemical and power energy scenarios. With UL safety standards and CE certification, its shielding performance and environmental resistance have passed authoritative tests, meeting global market access requirements.

Core Features:

Ultra-Long-Distance Transmission with Precise Control

nLong-Range Capability: Uses 18AWG high-purity stranded copper conductors (DC resistance as low as 22.0Ω/km). At 2.4V p-p transmission level, 10Mbps stably covers 1,000m backbone links; for intrinsically safe branch scenarios, 1.0V p-p supports 200m transmission, meeting diverse cabling needs.

nSignal Integrity: Strictly controls characteristic impedance at 100Ω±15% (20MHz) via precision twisting and impedance matching. Insertion loss and return loss comply with IEC 61156-13 (Type A-1000) limits, with bit error rates below 10⁻¹⁰ to ensure delay-free transmission of sensor data and control commands.

 

Intrinsic Safety for Hazardous Environments

nExplosion-Proof Design: Supports explosive hazard zones, directly connecting to field devices in chemical and oil refining plants.

nSafe Power Grading: Zhaolong APL-SPE cable adapts to the APL power class scheme, with the backbone link supporting up to 57.5W power supply (Power Class 3) and the spur link designed for intrinsically safe devices below 1.17W (Power Class B). The data and power pins are physically isolated, with built-in overcurrent and short-circuit protection mechanisms.

 

Environmental Resilience for Harsh Conditions

nStrong Anti-Interference: Dual-layer shielding (aluminum foil + tinned copper braid, ≥60% coverage) resists EMI from inverters and motors, meeting APL specs for coupling attenuation and mode conversion.

nExtreme Temperature Tolerance: Outer jacket uses oil/chemical-resistant materials (passed EN 50290-2-22 oil resistance test), operating from -40°C to +80°C to withstand oil, dust, and temperature/humidity fluctuations.

nRobust Mechanical Performance: Minimum bend radius of 5×cable diameter supports mobile/vibrating equipment.

Cabling Optimization to Reduce Costs

nSingle-Cable Integration: Compared to traditional 4-pair Ethernet, it reduces weight by 40% and diameter by 25%, reusing existing bus A-type cable ducts to cut cabling procurement and installation costs by 60%.

nStandard Compatibility: Supports IEC 63171-7 M12/P12 connectors, compatible with EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, and OPC UA, enabling seamless integration with existing systems without network overhauls.

 

 

Focused Applications: Typical Scenarios for Zhaolong APL-SPE Cable

Zhaolong APL-SPE cable excels in these key scenarios:

nPetrochemical and Process Control

In hazardous areas of refineries/chemical plants, connects intrinsically safe devices (e.g., pressure transmitters, level sensors) via 200m branch cables for data collection, with 1,000m backbone links aggregating to control rooms. Replaces 4-20mA signals to accelerate data response.

Zhaolong APL-SPE Cable

nPower Energy and Municipal Engineering

For substation/converter station equipment monitoring, 1,000m backbone cables connect distributed I/O modules and infrared temperature sensors, transmitting real-time temperature/voltage data while resisting high-voltage EMI.

In large water treatment plants, daisy-chain topology with a single cable links multiple water quality analyzers, ensuring 10Mbps real-time data upload and reducing external power cabling via PoDL.

nIndustrial Automation and Smart Manufacturing

In metallurgical plant high-temperature furnace monitoring, leverages -40°C to +80°C wide temperature tolerance to connect temperature sensors and PLC systems. 1,000m coverage spans large workshops, with shielding resisting electric arc furnace EMI.