This white paper reviews communication protocols for wired digital sensor interfaces, highlighting their role in Industry 4.0 and IIoT adoption. It compares analog outputs with digital protocols that enable richer data exchange, diagnostics, and configuration. Low-level protocols like SENT, HART, I²C, and SPI support cost-efficient, short-range communication. Fieldbus systems such as CAN, Modbus RTU, IO-Link, and BACnet enable scalable, robust industrial networks. Industrial Ethernet, especially 10-SPE variants, brings unified, plug-and-play connectivity down to the sensor level, simplifying architectures. Together, these standards empower automation, efficiency, and smarter industrial controls.

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