Table 2. 10Base-T Vs. RS-485

Feature 10Base-T RS-485
Transmission speed 10 Mbps Up to 10 Mbps
Media type Twisted pair cables (typically CAT3 or CAT5) Twisted pair or coaxial cables
Maximum distance 100 meters (approximately 328 feet) 1,200 meters (approximately 4,000 feet)
Connection method RJ-45 connector Various connectors (commonly terminal blocks)
Topology Star topology Linear bus topology
Device count Up to 1,024 devices (with switch connections) Up to 32 devices (theoretically over 128)
Signal transmission Baseband signaling Differential signaling
Collision management Uses CSMA/CD protocol No collision; supports master-slave configuration
Application areas LANs, office networks, data centers Industrial automation, PLCs, SCADA systems
Power supply Requires separate power supply Some devices can be powered from the bus