Ethernet standards advance for industrial automation and AI networking

New developments in Ethernet standardization are targeting both industrial automation and high-performance computing. The IEC 63171-7 standard aims to unify Single Pair Ethernet for industrial use, providing a single connection interface for both data and power delivery. This standard, targeted for completion by the end of 2026, seeks to replace complex multi-wire architectures with a single pair of conductors, supporting up to 52 W of power to field devices like sensors and actuators.

In the realm of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, the Ultra Ethernet Consortium has announced Specification 1.1. This update extends the open Ethernet stack to scale-up networks, introducing features such as Congestion Signaling (CSIG) and Programmable Congestion Management (PCM) to improve endpoint efficiency and in-network collectives.