Written by Karl Fazakerley, Product Manager- Device Connections

First and foremost I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope it turns out to be a successful one for you all. 

For this year we are focusing into the world of building automation, the big trends which we are beginning to see come in to play and of course where Phoenix Contact and our vast range of products and solutions sit in this arena.

Building automation has been around for some time but it is evolving rapidly.  Communication between devices, communication between protocols, and communication between whole cities is here and moving fast. We are lucky that we now have the technologies to diminish many of the shortcomings we have had and make great leaps and bounds forward.

Cities are undergoing what could only describe as a wave of digital transformation.  To understand the needs, we have to manage our ecosystems.  It is estimated that by 2050, 66 percent of the global population will be located in cities, that is an additional 2.5 billion people to our current number.  With rapid population growth and urbanisation transforming the way we get on with our day to day lives, we need to find methods of improving and maintaining our current quality of life by using our resources more efficiently.

Smart cities work by using IoT sensors, actuators, and different protocols to connect components across the city.   With these devices, which monitor everything from the air to the street to the Underground,  cloud based IoT applications receive, analyse and manage data in real-time to help businesses and the general public make better decisions that can, in turn, work towards making their (and our) lives that bit easier.  Another huge benefit is that smart cities also benefit the environment. Pairing devices and data with a city’s physical infrastructure and services cuts costs and improves sustainability with both water and energy usage, which in turn reduces CO2 emissions.

A massive step forward will be the further deployment of 5G technology.  This will be a turning point to propel smart city technology and development into the mainstream.  5G will allow larger amounts of data to be communicated across networks much faster than we have been able to achieve so watch that space.

Where do we fit in? At Phoenix Contact we have a vast range of products that are perfectly suited to manufacturer’s who specialise in this arena.

Everything from BMS control system solutions right down to the Printed Circuit Board, we have something that will help you with your design of a complete system down to the design of a device.  For example, if you are looking into board to board connectivity for high pole counts, look no further than our robust Finepitch range of connectors with both shielded and unshielded options.  It is the perfect solution to use when designing future proof devices suitable for use in building automation device applications.

For more information, contact Karl on 07919 005153 or email kfazakerley@phoenixcontact.com