On-machine industrial SPE network system and method

A method of forming a Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) network within an industrial automation system, the method comprising:

• forming an IP subnet trunkline using trunk cables having a power cable pair and an SPE cable pair;
• connecting a first device to the IP subnet trunkline by:
• connecting a first pair of trunk ports of a first tap to the trunk cables,
• connecting a first drop port of the first tap to a first drop cable, and
• connecting the first device to the first drop cable;
• connecting a second device to the IP subnet trunkline by:
• connecting one of a second pair of trunk ports of a second tap to the trunk cables,
• connecting a second drop port of the second tap to a second drop cable, and
• connecting the second device to the second drop cable,
• wherein at least one of the first device, the second device, the first tap, and the second tap includes a dual-port SPE switch;
• connecting an end cap to another one of the second pair of trunk ports of the second tap;
• and
• connecting one of the trunk cables to a linking device that is connected to a wired network of the industrial automation system.

An industrial Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) system for connecting devices within an industrial automation system, the industrial SPE system comprising:

• a trunkline formed by a series of trunk cables, each trunk cable in the series of trunk cables comprising a power pair and an SPE pair;
• one or more taps connected between the trunk cables of the trunkline;
• a drop line connected to each of the one or more taps;
• and
• a device connected to each of one or more taps via the drop lines, the device being one of an actuator and a sensor, wherein at least one of the device and the one or more taps includes a dual-port SPE switch.