The industrial automation sector is witnessing a structural shift — not just incremental improvement, but a fundamental redefinition of what communication modules must deliver. As a communications module provider serving the PLC ecosystem, we believe these four trends
demand every automation professional‘s attention:
1. Wireless Finally Reaches Safety-Grade Reliability
In late 2025, Better Than Wired completed a multi-week test running B&R Safety PLCs with the OpenSafety protocol over wireless links. The result：over 99.999% (“five nines”) functional reliability with deterministic latency that never exceeded PLC thresholds — even in congested RF environments. For the first time, wireless communication has proven it can rival wired connections in safety-critical industrial applications. This milestone opens the door to truly flexible factory layouts where autonomous mobile vehicles maintain uninterrupted safety-PLC communication with fixed assets.
2. PROFINET V2.5 Brings IT/OT Convergence to Production Grade
PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) released PROFINET V2.5, the first official specification stemming from cooperation with the IEC/IEEE 60802 standard. Key enhancements include Security Class 2/3 certificate distribution, a newly defined transport channel for secure firmware updates and tool access, and integration of Ethernet-APL with Single Pair Ethernet (SPE). Meanwhile, the PROFINET installed base has reached 89.2 million nodes, with 10.4 million new nodes added in 2025 alone. The ecosystem’s scale and its deepening security capabilities make PROFINET an increasingly central backbone for AI-supported automation.
3. EtherCAT Chip Market Signals Massive Embedded Demand
The global EtherCAT slave controller IC market was valued at USD 298 million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 1,281 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 18.9%. This growth is driven by accelerating adoption in robotics, motion control, packaging machinery, and semiconductor production equipment — all demanding deterministic, low-latency communication. For module makers, this confirms that EtherCAT slave-side hardware is entering a sustained expansion cycle.
4. Brownfield Reality Check：LonWorks Isn’t Going Anywhere
While the industry races toward EtherCAT and PROFINET, millions of legacy LonWorks nodes remain in service across building automation, transportation, and industrial control. Semitech, Occitaline, and Safesquare jointly launched the Babi-LON platform in mid-2025 — a hardware/software solution built on the SM2400 transceiver with full EIA-709.2 protocol support, designed as a direct replacement for the discontinued PL3120. With a guaranteed 10+ year supply commitment, this platform enables OEMs to sustain existing LonWorks networks without costly redesign. The lesson: any credible multi-protocol strategy must span from cutting-edge Ethernet to legacy power-line communication.
What This Means for Module Providers
The industrial communication landscape is entering a phase of unprecedented complexity — and opportunity. The winners will be those who master multi-protocol coexistence：deterministic wireless alongside wired EtherCAT, PROFINET V2.5 security with IT/OT convergence, brownfield LonWorks alongside greenfield Ethernet-APL.
If your team is evaluating communication module strategies for the next generation of automation equipment, let’s connect. We’re deep in these transitions and always open to exchanging insights.
