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When a teacher introduced it to us he gave the impression that it specifically covers some Siemens technology; that it's even a Siemens trademark.
I believe the term covers something more general, but I haven't been able to find a useful definition from a credible source.
Like many IT terms, it's primarily a marketing term. It usually refers to Ethernet switches that are designed for harsh environments (i.e. industrial). The switches may have higher temperature tolerances, electrostatic hardening, shock resistance, etc.
But they're still Ethernet switches, and they function like any other.
And other manufacturers use the same term.
Industrial Ethernet is the use of Ethernet in an industrial environment with protocols that provide determinism and real-time control. Protocols for Industrial Ethernet include EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, POWERLINK, SERCOS III, CC-Link IE, and Modbus TCP.Many Industrial Ethernet protocols use a modified Media Access Control (MAC) layer to provide low latency and determinism.
Industrial Ethernet can also refer to the use of standard Ethernet protocols with rugged connectors and extended temperature switches in an industrial environment, for automation or process control. Components used in plant process areas must be designed to work in harsh environments of temperature extremes, humidity, and vibration that exceed the ranges for information technology equipment intended for installation in controlled environments. The use of fiber-optic Ethernet variants reduces the problems of electrical noise and provides electrical isolation.
Refer from Wikipedia.
Many older Automation systems used non-ethernet standards. Siemens used a PROFIBUS standard and Rockwell had a standard called Data Highway Plus. The problem with these older standards is that they were proprietary, expensive, and could not support a lot of bandwidth. It was also difficult to go across long distances.
Thus the Industrial Ethernet term is a way to differentiate from the older technologies that are still used at many corporations due to the cost of replacing.
Industrial Ethernet components typically use DIN rails that can be mounted in the same chassis next to PLCs and use the same power supplies.
