M12 and M8 Connectors: The Perfect Choice for Harsh Environments

By Michael Singer | September 15, 2020

Water, dust, and mud present challenging conditions for vehicle and equipment electronics in transportation, agriculture, and other off-road and outdoor operating environments.

Modern industrial operations that feature outdoor installations and equipment depend on resilient and reliable electronic connections to facilitate communications between equipment and operators in harsh environments. Industries such as agriculture, food and beverage processing, transportation, and energy have advanced equipment that must be successful in challenging environments where vehicles and equipment are exposed to changing weather conditions and a variety of ingress risks, including water, dust, chemicals, and debris. M12

The connectors that enable these electronics are designed to prevent ingress as well as withstand extreme temperatures, shock and vibration, and pressure conditions while providing reliable signal transfer. All this must occur within a confined space, and connectors that serve these industries must also be highly reliable and need minimal servicing. Circular M12 and M8 connectors are well-suited to these demanding applications. These connectors are available in a wide range of variants and with myriad accessories. They are a great choice for harsh- and remote-environment applications with high data transmission needs.

Engineered for maximum flexibility, ERNI’s modular M8 and M12 circular connectors are available with various coding and accessories, including protective caps and O-ring seals, and are suitable for almost all fieldbus specifications.

M12 Data Transmission

M12 D-coded connections have long provided reliable signals for home and office needs. As automation changed and became increasingly more connected, launching Industry 4.0, it created new demands for Industrial Ethernet. D-coded M12 products, which are capable of up to 100Mb/s Ethernet, are now being replaced with X-coded M12 products capable of up to 1Gb/s Ethernet transmission rates to keep up with data demands. In a manufacturing environment, X-coded M12 connectors are better suited to handling factory noise, factory process needs, and harsher environments, and are even able to respond better to data processing on the plant floor. Beyond manufacturing, X-coded M12 connectors can be called upon for use in applications including agricultural equipment, public transportation, railway infrastructure, and broadcasting systems.

Field Conditions

Industrial activities extend beyond the manufacturing floor, and include vehicles and installations in remote locations such as farming, forestry, and energy sites. Equipment in the field utilizes sensors to deliver data about conditions such as timing, temperature, pressure, moisture, and vibration. Angled M12 connectors with a Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) of 600 are perfectly insulated to mate connectors to sensors and other components in these harsh-environment applications. An engineer could also choose to add shields and O-rings to achieve an IP65/67 M12 connector solution. When these connectors are mated and locked, they reliably deliver signal in harsh, remote conditions.

ERNI offers a variety of M12 right-angle connectors.

Dust and Debris

Connectors for agricultural vehicles must be designed to prevent the ingress of water, dust, and sand and perform in extreme temperature, vibration, and harsh conditions such as high-pressure washdowns while providing reliable signal transfer. M12 and M8 connectors are just such products and are available with IP ratings that range from IP67 (i.e., total protection from dust and up to 30 minutes of water protection at depths of up to one meter) to IP69K (i.e., products proven to reliably withstand sanitary washdown conditions) and an extensive combination of pin counts, shields, terminations, and codings. These solutions will keep hazards out while providing quality signals to onboard or remote operators.

M12 connectors equipped with O-rings can provide rugged protection from debris and water in harsh-environment applications with increasing data demands.

Summary

Since their market introduction in the mid-1980s, M12 connectors have continued to evolve in terms of features and functionality to meet the changing demands of vehicles and equipment that operates in harsh environments. As vehicles become part of the Internet of Things, they have increasing connectivity demands for high reliability. As markets such as agriculture and transportation become more high-tech, the M12 will continue to be the connector of choice. These workhorses offer the extensive options and rugged designs required to deliver in disruptive conditions. They are easy to install and modify, making M12 and M8 connectors an effective solution for harsh-environment signal applications.

For more information, visit ERNI online.