Patent Publication Number: US-2023145749-A1

Title: Configurable media interface module

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to data communication, and particularly to configurable media interface modules that provide communication between components of an industrial automation system. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     An industrial automation system may include a variety of components that may be adapted to provide communication and feedback of data and key system parameters. Such communication is particularly important in the field of industrial automation where real or near real time demands are beneficial for control operations. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     In an embodiment, a system includes a base, a host device capable of coupling to the base, and a media interface module capable of coupling to the base. The media interface module receives power from the host device via the base and detects a position of an attenuation latch. The media interface module also supplies the power to one or more components of the media interface module based on the position and transmits device information associated with one or more devices coupled to one or more communication ports of the media interface module to the host device. The host device configures one or more network connections between the media interface module and the host device based on the device information. The media interface module also facilitates one or more communication sessions between the one or more devices and the host device via the one or more communication ports after the one or more network connections is configured by the host device. 
     In another embodiment, a method includes transmitting power to a media interface module via a base and receiving device information associated with one or more devices coupled to one or more communication ports of the media interface module. The method also includes configuring one or more network connections between the media interface module and the host device based on the device information and establishing one or more communication sessions between the one or more devices and the host device via the one or more communication ports after the one or more network connections is configured. 
     In yet another embodiment, a non-transitory, processor-readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to perform actions including receiving power from a host device, detecting a position of an attenuation latch, and supplying the power to one or more components of a media interface module based on the position. The instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to perform additional actions including transmitting device information associated with one or more devices coupled to one or more communication ports of the media interface module to the host device and facilitating one or more communication sessions between the one or more devices and the host device via the one or more communication ports after the one or more network connections is configured by the host device. In the embodiment, the host device configures one or more network connections between the media interface module and the host device based on the device information. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an exemplary system including a configurable media interface module, in accordance with embodiments described herein; 
         FIG.  2    is a cross-sectional view of the configurable media interface module of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with embodiments described herein; 
         FIG.  3 A  is a perspective view of a first configurable media interface module, in accordance with embodiments described herein; 
         FIG.  3 B  is a perspective view of a second configurable media interface module, in accordance with embodiments described herein; 
         FIG.  3 C  is a perspective view of a third configurable media interface module, in accordance with embodiments described herein; 
         FIG.  4    is a block diagram of the system of  FIG.  1    including the configurable media interface module of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with embodiments described herein; 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart of a process for setup of the configurable media interface module of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with embodiments described herein; and 
         FIG.  6    is a flowchart of a process for establishing a communication session with the configurable media interface module, in accordance with embodiments described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. As used herein, “host device” refers to a device that communicates with other devices on a network and may facilitate access to the network for external devices. As used herein, “hot swapping” refers to the replacement or addition of components to a system without stopping, shutting down, or rebooting the system. Additionally, as used herein, “hot plugging” refers only to the addition of components to a system without stopping, shutting down, or rebooting the system. 
     An industrial automation system may include automation control and monitoring systems. The automation control and monitoring systems may monitor statuses and/or receive information from a wide range of devices, such as valves, electric motors, a wide range of sensors, other suitable monitoring devices, and the like. To improve operation of industrial automation systems, components of the industrial automation system may monitor performance of one or more devices with respect to the industrial automation process as a whole. Statuses and/or information from the one or more components may be transmitted to respective control systems of drives associated with the one or more devices via an Ethernet network. Respective control systems may use the statuses and/or information to make control decisions related to the one or more devices controlled or coupled to the drive. To enable the components to receive statuses and/or information from the one or more devices, each device may be connected to a network, such as an Ethernet network. 
     Network communications may be transmitted and received through network cables or media, such as fiber optic cables, copper cables, and so forth. The network cables may connect to and terminate at devices in the network via communication ports. In certain instances, the communication ports may be designed and adapted for use based on the corresponding media. For example, a twisted pair cable, such as a Category 5 (CATS) cable or Category 6 (CAT6) cable, may connect to an 8 position 8 contact (8P8C) communication port, such as a registered jack (RJ) 45 communication port. As another example, a fiber-optic cable or copper cable may connect to a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) communication port. As yet another example, a twisted pair cable may connect to an M12 communication port, such as an M12 D coded or M12 X coded communication port. 
     Each network communications media may have corresponding transmission properties, such as impedance, conductor resistance, attenuation, propagation delay, bandwidth, and so forth. In some instances, the media and corresponding communication ports may be selected based on specific application and/or device requirements. Accordingly, the media and communication ports may be changed or switched to fit the corresponding application and/or device requirements. Typically, a host device incorporates the communication port(s) and, as such, may be shutdown to provide the host device with the selected communication port(s) and/or install a separate host device with the selected communication port(s). After installation, the host device may be reconfigured and rebooted. Thus, changing or switching out communication ports based on desired media, specific application requirements, specific device requirements, or any combination thereof may result in operational delays. 
     Keeping the foregoing in mind, a configurable media interface module may be separate from the host device and may include communicative couplings to allow the host device to facilitate access to the network. The configurable media interface module may include any number of communication ports and each communication port may be the same as or different from at least one other communication port. As such, the configurable media interface module may support different communication ports. Different configurable media interface modules may be interchangeable to provide different communication ports and/or different combinations of communication ports. Additionally, the configurable media interface modules may support hot swapping and/or hot plugging to remove and/or replace different configurable media interface modules without shutting down and rebooting the system. Additional details with regard to coordinating operations between configurable media interface modules and a host device will be discussed below with reference to  FIGS.  1 - 6   . 
     By way of introduction,  FIG.  1    illustrates a system  100  including a host device  102 , a power conditioner  104 , and a number of configurable media interface modules  106 . The host device  102  may be connected to and accessed via a network, such as an Ethernet network, and may provide communication access to the network for any number of external devices of an industrial automation system. The industrial automation system may include a number of devices to facilitate operations of an industrial process. The devices may include controllers, input/output (I/O) modules, motor control centers, motors, human machine interfaces (HMIs), operator interfaces, contactors, starters, sensors, actuators, conveyors, drives, relays, protection devices, switchgear, compressors, firewall, network switches (e.g., Ethernet switches, modular-managed, fixed-managed, service-router, industrial, unmanaged, etc.) and the like. 
     The host device  102  may be communicatively coupled to the configurable media interface module  106  via any number of data paths. The configurable media interface module  106  may include a number of communication ports  108 ,  110 . The communication ports  108 ,  110  may couple to one or more external devices to facilitate communication with the host device  102  and/or the network. For example, the configurable media interface module  106  may receive data signals via the communication ports  108 ,  110  and may communicate data signals between the host device  102 , the network, and the external device. In certain embodiments, the communication ports  108 ,  110  may couple to the same device to provide a redundant connection between the device and the network. 
     The power conditioner  104  may supply power (e.g., voltage, current) to the host device and/or the configurable media interface module  106 . In certain embodiments, the power conditioner  104  may generate and/or receive power from an external power supply and may modify the power based on operational requirements of the host device  102  and/or the configurable media interface module  106 . The system  100  may also include a base  105 . Any number of host devices  102 , any number of power conditioners  104 , and/or any number of configurable media interface modules  106  may be mounted on the base  105 . In certain embodiments, the base  105  may include any number of connectors to provide a connection between the configurable media interface modules  106  and the host device  102 . Additionally or alternatively, the base  105  may include signal routing circuitry to communicate data signals between the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 . In some embodiments, the base  105  may also include power circuitry to provide power from the power conditioner  104  to the configurable media interface module  106 . A fastener  112  (e.g., a bolt, a screw, an interlocking tab, and so forth) may physically couple the corresponding configurable media interface module  106  to the base  105 . 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  2    illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example embodiment of the configurable media interface module  106  of  FIG.  1   . The configurable media interface module  106  may include a first communication port  108  and a second communication port  110 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first communication port  108  and the second communication port  110  may be Ethernet communication ports and may couple the configurable media interface module  106  to an external device. For example, the first communication port  108  and the second communication port  110  may be registered jack (RJ) communication ports, Ethernet over twisted pair communication ports, small form-factor pluggable communication ports, M12 D coded communication ports, M12 X coded communication ports, and/or any other suitable communication ports. In some embodiments, the first communication port  108  may be the same type of communication port as the second communication port  110 . Alternatively, the first communication port  108  may be a different type of communication port from the second communication port  110 . 
     The fastener  112  may couple the configurable media interface module  106  to a base, such as the base  105  in  FIG.  1   . An attenuation latch (e.g., screw, bolt, pin, and so forth)  114  may be coupled to a housing  116  of the configurable media interface module  106  and may facilitate power management for the system  100  in  FIG.  1   . In certain embodiments, the attenuation latch  114  may be a pin movable (e.g., rotatable, longitudinally movable, laterally movable, insertable, and so forth) between any number of positions. For example, the attenuation latch  114  may be rotatable (e.g., a quarter turn, a half turn, and so forth) between an unlatched position and a latched position. The configurable media interface module  106  may include circuitry  118  to control operations of the configurable media interface module  106 , as described further herein. For example, the circuitry  118  may facilitate communication between one or more connected external devices and the host device  102 . Additionally or alternatively, the circuitry  118  may facilitate power management (e.g., power distribution) for the system  100  in  FIG.  1   , as described further herein. In certain embodiments, different positions of the attenuation latch  114  may correspond to different circuit properties (e.g., resistance, impedance, current, voltage, and/or any other suitable electronic properties) of the circuitry  118 . For example, movement of the attenuation latch  114  between the different positions may alter the circuit properties of the circuitry  118  and may result in different modes of operation of the configurable media interface module  106 . In some embodiments, the configurable media interface module  106  may include a multi-pin connector  120  to connect to a host device, such as the host device  102  in  FIG.  1   . For example, the multi-pin connector  120  may connect to a base, such as the base  105  in  FIG.  1   . The housing  116  may house and retain any number of components, such as the communication ports  108 ,  110 , the circuitry  118 , and the multi-pin connector  120  of the configurable media interface module  106 . 
       FIGS.  3 A,  3 B, and  3 C  illustrate a number of example embodiments of configurable media interface modules  106 A,  106 B,  106 C.  FIG.  3 A  illustrates a first example embodiment of the configurable media interface module  106 A. In the illustrated embodiments, each configurable media interface module  106 A,  106 B,  106 C includes a corresponding first communication port  108 A,  108 B,  108 C and a corresponding second communication port  110 A,  110 B,  110 C. In the illustrated embodiment, the first communication port  108 A and the second communication port  110 A are Ethernet communication ports, such as a registered jack (RJ) communication port, an Ethernet over twisted pair communication port, and so forth. For example, the communication ports  108 A,  108 B may receive an 8 position 8 contact connector to connect the configurable media interface module  106 A to any number of external devices. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the configurable media interface modules  106 A,  106 B include a fastener (e.g., a screw, a bolt, and so forth)  112 A,  112 B to couple the configurable media interface module  106 A,  106 B to a base, such as the base  105  in  FIG.  1   . Additionally or alternatively, the configurable media interface module  106 C may include a corresponding fastener to couple to a base, such as the base  105  in  FIG.  1   . The configurable media interface modules  106 A,  106 B,  106 C also includes a corresponding housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C having the corresponding first communication port  108 A,  108 B,  108 C and the corresponding second communication port  110 A,  110 B,  110 C formed therethrough. In the illustrated embodiments, the housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C is formed of a first portion  122 A,  122 B,  122 C and a second portion  124 A,  124 B,  124 C. While the housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C is formed of two portions, in some embodiments, the housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C may be formed of any number of portions or may be a single piece. In certain embodiments, the first portion  122 A,  122 B,  122 C and the second portion  124 A,  124 B,  124 C may be coupled by a fastener (e.g., screw, bolt, interlocking tab, and so forth). In some embodiments, the fastener  112 A,  112 B may be disposed through a portion of the housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C and the housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C may retain the fastener. For example, the housing  116 A,  116 B,  116 C may include a tab extending outwards and having an aperture to receive and retain the fastener  112 A,  112 B. 
       FIG.  3 B  illustrates a second example embodiment of the configurable media interface module  106 B. The first communication port  108 B and/or the second communication port  110 B may be small form-factor pluggable (SFP) communication ports and may couple the configurable media interface module  106 B to any number of external devices.  FIG.  3 C  illustrates a third example embodiment of the configurable media interface module  106 C. The first communication port  108 C and/or the second communication port  110 C may be M12 D coded communication ports and/or M12 X coded communication ports and may couple the configurable media interface module  106 C to any number of external devices. In certain embodiments, the first portion  122 C and the second portion  124 C may be coupled by a fastener  126 C (e.g., screw, bolt, interlocking tab, and so forth). In the illustrated embodiment, the configurable media interface module  106 C includes an attenuation latch  114 C. The attenuation latch  114 C may be coupled to the housing  116 C. For example, a tab may be formed on a surface of the housing  116 C and may retain the attenuation latch  114 C. In some embodiments, the configurable media interface module  106 C may monitor a position and/or an orientation of the attenuation latch  114 C. For example, the configurable media interface module  106 C may detect a position and/or an orientation of the attenuation latch  114 C and may generate a signal based on the detected position and/or orientation. The attenuation latch  114 C may be movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the configurable media interface module  106 C may generate and/or transmit a signal corresponding to a request to provide power. In the unlatched position, the configurable media interface module  106 C may generate and/or transmit a signal corresponding to a request to shut off power. 
     While each configurable media interface module  106 A,  106 B,  106 C include a pair of identical Ethernet communication ports, the configurable media interface modules may include different types of Ethernet communication ports. For example, the first communication port  108  may be any of an RJ communication port, an Ethernet over twisted pair communication port, a small form-factor pluggable communication port, an M12 D coded communication port, an M12 X coded communication port, or any other suitable Ethernet communication port and the second communication port  110  may be any of an RJ communication port, an Ethernet over twisted pair communication port, a small form-factor pluggable communication port, an M12 D coded communication port, an M12 X coded communication port, or any other suitable Ethernet communication port. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  4    illustrates a block diagram of the system  100  of  FIG.  1    including the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 . The host device  102  may include a microcontroller unit (MCU)  132  and the MCU  132  may control setup and configuration of the configurable media interface module  106 . The host device  102  may include one or more communication interface(s)  134 , such as an Ethernet communication interface or other network communication interface. The MCU  132  may generate and/or translate one or more signals and the host device  102  may transmit and/or receive the signals in a communication protocol via the one or more communication interface(s)  134 . For example, the host device  102  may transmit and/or receive signals in an Ethernet communication protocol to and/or from the configurable media interface module  106 . The host device  102  may also include a power supply  136  and may supply power to the configurable media interface module  106  via a transmission line  148 . In some embodiments, the transmission line  148  may be located in a base connected to the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 , such as the base  105  in  FIG.  1   . The MCU  132  may be communicatively coupled to power control circuitry  138  to facilitate power management to the configurable media interface module  106 . In some embodiments, the power control circuitry  138  may include one or more voltage regulators, one or more load switches, one or more power converters, one or more sensors, and any other suitable power control circuitry. 
     In certain embodiments, the MCU  132  may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The one or more processors may include one or more general purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific processors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more memories may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the one or more processors and/or data to be processed by the one or more processors. For example, the one or more memories may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM, rewritable non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard drives, optical discs, and/or the like. 
     The configurable media interface module  106  may include a controller  140 , or other suitable control circuitry (e.g., processor), and the controller  140  may facilitate communication between one or more external devices connected to one or more of the communication ports  108 ,  110  and the host device  102 . The communication ports  108 ,  110  may include communication interfaces  146 A,  146 B to transmit and/or receive signals from the one or more external devices. For example, the controller  140  may generate and/or translate one or more signals and the configurable media interface module  106  may transmit and/or receive the signals in a communication protocol via the communication interfaces  146 A,  146 B and the corresponding communication ports  108 ,  110 . The communication interfaces  146 A,  146 B may transmit and/or receive signals in any suitable communication protocol, such as an Ethernet communication protocol. In certain embodiments, the controller  140  may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The one or more processors may include one or more general purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific processors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more memories may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the one or more processors and/or data to be processed by the one or more processors. For example, the one or more memories may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM, rewritable non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard drives, optical discs, and/or the like 
     The configurable media interface module  106  may also include power control circuitry  142  to receive power from the transmission line  148  and facilitate power management for the configurable media interface module  106 . The power control circuitry  142  may include one or more load switches, one or more power converters, one or more power transmission lines, and so forth. The system  100  may also include any number of transmission paths  144 A,  144 B,  144 C to facilitate communication between the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 . The first transmission path  144 A may be a serial gigabit media-independent interface (SGMII) data path and may facilitate transmission of data packets (e.g., Ethernet data packet) between the host device  102 , the configurable media interface module  106 , and/or an external device connected to the configurable media interface module  106 . The first transmission path  144 A may facilitate automatic negotiation and/or automatic mode detection between the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106  to establish a communication link. For example, a MAC of the host device  102  and a PHY of the configurable media interface module  106  may select common transmission parameters, such as speed, duplex mode, and any other suitable transmission parameters. The second transmission path  144 B may be a Multipoint Low Voltage Differential Signaling (MLVDS) control path and may facilitate transmission of control signals between the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 . The third transmission path  144 C may be a sideband signal and may facilitate transmission of handshakes (e.g., for automatic negotiation) between the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 . 
     The configurable media interface module  106  may generate and/or transmit a request to supply power to the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, when the configurable media interface module  106  connects to the base  105 , the controller  140  may generate and/or transmit a signal corresponding to the request to the host device  102 . In certain embodiments, the host device  102  may receive the request and may generate an instruction to supply power to the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, the MCU  132  may instruct the power supply  136  and/or the power control circuitry  138  to provide power to the configurable media interface module  106 . In some embodiments, the configurable media interface module  106  may generate and/or transmit a redundant signal corresponding to the request to the host device  102 . If the host device  102  receives either signal, the MCU  132  may provide power to the configurable media interface module  106  via the power supply  136  and/or the power control circuitry  138 . 
     The configurable media interface module  106  may also facilitate power management. For example, the controller  140  may detect and/or monitor position and/or movement of an attenuation latch, such as the attenuation latch  114 , via a sensor. The controller  140  may generate and/or transmit an instruction to the power control circuitry  142  to perform a power up sequence based on detecting the attenuation latch  114  is in the latched position. The power control circuitry  142  may receive the instruction and may provide power to components of the configurable media interface module  106  to facilitate communication between the configurable media interface module  106  and the host device  102 . For example, the power control circuitry  142  may supply power to any number of power transmission lines (e.g., power rails). 
     After power is provided to the configurable media interface module  106 , the MCU  132  and the controller  140  may perform operations to establish a communication session between the host device  102 , the configurable media interface module  106 , and one or more external devices connected to the configurable media interface module  106  via the communication ports  108 ,  110 . For example, an external device may be connected to the configurable media interface module  106  via one or both of the communication ports  108 ,  110 . The controller  140  may generate and/or transmit a request to the external device to retrieve information. For example, the controller  140  may receive and/or retrieve information related to a supported communication protocol for the external device, communication configuration information (e.g., media access control (MAC) address), and any other suitable configuration information. Additionally or alternatively, the controller  140  may receive and/or retrieve additional information corresponding to the communication port types of the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, a product code corresponding to one or more of the communication ports  108 ,  110  may be stored in a memory of the configurable media interface module  106 . The controller  140  may determine a corresponding communication port type (e.g., 8P8C connector, SFP, M12 D code, M12 X code, and so forth) for the first communication port  108 , the second communication port  110 , or both. Additionally or alternatively, the product code may also provide a certificate for authentication of the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, the host device  102  may receive the product code and may authenticate the configurable media interface module  106  based on data stored on a database, in internal storage, or the like. The host device  102  may also determine configuration parameters for the configurable media interface module  106  and establish a communication link with the configurable media interface module  106  based on the authentication. 
     In certain embodiments, the configurable media interface module  106  (e.g., the controller  140 ) may transmit the information to the host device  102 . For example, the controller  140  may transmit the communication port types via the second transmission path  144 B (e.g., the MLVDS transmission path) and may transmit a request to the host device  102  to configure the configurable media interface module  106 . The configurable media interface module  106  may include a PHY component to facilitate connection between a MAC of the host device  102  and the media (e.g., fiber optic cable, copper cable, and so forth) coupled to one or more of the communication ports  108 ,  110 . The host device  102  may configure the PHY based on the received information. For example, the host device  102  may configure the PHY to facilitate communication via the one or more communication ports  108 ,  110 . In certain embodiments, the host device  102  may determine the communication port type of each of the communication ports  108 ,  110  based on the information. As such, the host device  102  may configure the PHY component to support the communication port types of the communication ports  108 ,  110  and facilitate communication between the host device  102  and the configurable media interface module  106 . In some embodiments, the host device  102  may generate and/or transmit an instruction to configure the PHY via the third transmission path  144 C. 
     Additionally or alternatively, the host device  102  may store the received information. In certain embodiments, the host device  102  may periodically generate and/or transmit a request for updated information from the configurable media interface module  106 . The host device  102  may receive and/or retrieve the updated information and may determine whether the updated information matches stored information for the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, the host device  102  may determine the updated information does not match the stored information. As such, the MCU  132  may generate and/or may transmit a signal to reset the configurable media interface module  106 . Additionally or alternatively, the MCU  132  may generate and/or may transmit a signal to reset the configurable media interface module  106  if no information is returned in response to the request. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  5    illustrates a flowchart of a process  150  for configuring the configurable media interface module  106 . Although the following description of the process  150  will be discussed as being performed by the MCU  132  of the host device  102 , it should be noted that any suitable computing component that may control operations of the host device  102  may perform the process  150 . In addition, although the process  150  is described in a particular order, it should be noted that the process  150  may be performed in any suitable order. 
     At block  152 , the MCU  132  may receive a request to supply power to the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, the MCU  132  may detect one or more signals from the configurable media interface module  106  corresponding to connection of the configurable media interface module  106  to the base  105  in  FIG.  1   . In some embodiments, the MCU  132  may detect a physical latch or connection change at a pin or port in which the configurable media interface module  106 , the attenuation latch  114 , the multi-pin connector  120 , or other physical component of the configurable media interface module  106  connects to the base  105 . For example, the multi-pin connector  120  may connect to a corresponding port on the base  105  and the MCU  132  may detect the connection to the configurable media interface module  106 . 
     At block  154 , the MCU  132  may supply power to the configurable media interface module  106  in response to detecting the request. That is, the MCU  132  may send a command to the power control circuitry  138  or to one or more switching devices (e.g., contactors, relays, MOSFETs, switches) to connect the power to the configurable media interface module  106  via the transmission line  148 . 
     At block  156 , the MCU  132  may receive data and/or information associated with the configurable media interface module  106  from the configurable media interface module  106 . For example, the MCU  132  may receive information associated with communication ports  108 ,  110  of the configurable media interface module  106 . In certain embodiments, the MCU  132  may receive a product code corresponding to a communication port type for the communication ports  108 ,  110 . The MCU  132  may determine the communication port type based on the product code. 
     At block  158 , the MCU  132  may generate PHY configuration based on the product code (e.g., based on the communication port type). For example, the MCU  132  may generate the PHY configuration based on an 8P8C communication port type, an SFP communication port type, an M12 D code communication port type, an M12 X code communication port type, or any combination thereof. At block  160 , the MCU  132  may send the PHY configuration to the configurable media interface module  106 . At block  162 , the MCU  132  may establish a communication session between the host device  102 , the configurable media interface module  106 , and/or one or more external devices connected to the configurable media interface module  106  via the communication ports  108 ,  110 . 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  6    illustrates a flowchart of a process  170  for setup of the configurable media interface module  106 . Although the following description of the process  170  will be discussed as being performed by the controller  140  of the configurable media interface module  106 , it should be noted that any suitable computing component capable of controlling operations of the configurable media interface module  106  may perform the process  170 . In addition, although the process  170  is described in a particular order, it should be noted that the process  170  may be performed in any suitable order. 
     At block  172 , the controller  140  may receive power via the base  105  after being connected to the base  105 . In some embodiments, the power may be received based on operations performed by the host device  102 , as described above with reference to  FIG.  5   . 
     After receiving power and initializing, at block  174 , the controller  140  may detect a position of the attenuation latch  114 . For example, the controller  140  may detect the attenuation latch is in a particular (e.g., a quarter-turn) latched position. Each position of the attenuation latch  114  may correspond to a different power supply request. That is, the configurable media interface module  106  may include a variety of power rails that distribute power (e.g., voltage, current) to different components of the configurable media interface module  106 , ports of the configurable media interface module  106 , portions of the configurable media interface module  106 , and the like. In response to detecting the attenuation latch  114  is in a first latched position (e.g., quarter turn), the controller  140  may supply power (block  176 ) to one or more rails of the configurable media interface module  106  that correspond to the first latched position. For example, the controller  140  may generate and may transmit an instruction to power control circuitry  142  to provide power to the one or more rails that correspond to the first latched position. As such, power may be supplied to corresponding components of the configurable media interface module  106 . 
     At block  178 , the controller  140  may receive device information associated with one or more external devices connected to one or more of the communication ports  108 ,  110 . In certain embodiments, the controller  140  may retrieve and/or may receive a product code or other identifying information associated with the external device via the communication ports  108 ,  110 . Additionally or alternatively, the controller  140  may receive and/or may retrieve a stored product code associated with the configurable media interface module  106 . 
     At block  180 , the controller  140  may receive and/or may determine a type of device connected to the configurable media interface module  106  based on the received information. For example, the controller  140  may determine the type of device based on the received product code. At block  182 , the controller  140  may transmit the device information to the host device  102 . For example, the controller  140  may transmit the device information to the MCU  132  of the host device  102 . At block  184 , the controller  140  may receive configuration information from the MCU  132  of the host device  102 . For example, the controller  140  may receive PHY configuration information and may configure the PHY based on the information to facilitate communication between the external device to the host device  102  via the configurable media interface module  106 . At block  186 , the controller  140  may establish a communication session between the host device  102 , the configurable media interface module  106 , and/or the external device. 
     Additionally or alternatively, the controller  140  may detect that the attenuation latch is in the unlatched position. As such, the controller  140  may instruct the power control circuitry to remove power (e.g., via switches) to the one or more rails of the configurable media interface module  106 . Accordingly, the controller  140  may remove power to one or more components of the configurable media interface module  106 . The configurable media interface module  106  may then be removed (e.g., unplugged) from the base  105 , while limiting the likelihood of the components being disrupted from power removal. The MCU  132  may also receive one or more signals indicating the configurable media interface module  106  has been removed from the base  105  and the MCU  132  may instruct the power control circuitry  138  to shut down or disconnect power from the configurable media interface module  106 . As such, the system  100  may promote efficient power management for the configurable media interface module. 
     The present disclosure includes configurable media interface modules for communication in an industrial automation system. The configurable media interface modules may include a configurable PHY component separate from a corresponding MAC component in a host device. The configurable media interface module may facilitate efficient power management and establish communication sessions between a host device and an external device via one or more communication ports. Technical effects of the disclosed techniques include providing interchangeable communication modules to permit hot swapping and/or hot plugging and efficient power management. 
     While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure. The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).