Industrial Ethernet switches play a vital role in modern industrial automation and control systems. Compared with traditional commercial Ethernet switches, industrial Ethernet switches need to have higher reliability, durability, and functionality to cope with harsh industrial environments and complex network requirements. This article will detail six key features that should be considered when selecting and using industrial Ethernet switches.
Easy Installation
Industrial environments are usually complex and changeable, and traffic control cabinets, factory workshops, mines and other places have extremely strict requirements for equipment installation. In order to save costs and improve the efficiency of network layout, the appearance design and installation method of the switch must meet specific conditions. For example, traffic control cabinets are usually set up next to the road and need to save as much space as possible. Therefore, the design of industrial Ethernet switches should be compact and provide flexible installation options such as DIN rail mounting, wall mounting, and rack mounting. These diverse installation methods can meet the needs of different application scenarios, thereby simplifying the installation process and improving space utilization.
Installation options:
- DIN rail mounting: Suitable for industrial environments such as electricity and traffic control, can be installed quickly and save space.
- Wall Mount：Commonly used in places where floor space needs to be saved, such as factory workshops and outdoor traffic control cabinets.
- Rack Mount: Suitable for computer rooms and large network centers that require centralized management.
The simplified installation process and highly adaptable design not only save time and labor costs, but also greatly facilitate the rapid deployment of the network.
Easy Management and Maintenance
In areas far away from urban centers and exposed to harsh climates all year round, the management and maintenance of industrial switches are often costly. Therefore, it is crucial to choose an industrial switch with higher management capabilities. Managed Switches Although more expensive than unmanaged switches, they provide more advanced features to help businesses better control and monitor network operations.
Industrial Switch
Managed vs. Unmanaged Switches:
- Unmanaged switches: It only provides basic network connection and simple LED indicator feedback, and cannot perform more network parameter adjustment and monitoring.
- Managed switches: Provides rich functions, such as communication parameters adjustment, remote monitoring of network behavior, VLAN configuration, and priority management, etc. Through these features, administrators can better understand network conditions and make corresponding optimizations and adjustments.
Remote management is especially important for devices that are widely distributed and difficult to access. Administrators can check a wide range of network statistics through SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), such as the number of bytes transmitted and received, the number of frames, the number of errors, and the status of ports. The secure remote management mode not only improves network visibility, but also greatly reduces the need for on-site maintenance, saving a lot of manpower and time costs.
Durability
The harshness of the industrial environment determines that the durability requirements of the switch are extremely high. For example, the heat and dust pollution generated by high-temperature furnaces in factories, the rain, snow and corrosion faced by traffic control cabinets, and the vibration and temperature changes during vehicle-mounted data transmission all pose huge challenges to the design of switches.
Industrial Ethernet switches are usually equipped with IP30/IP40 grade industrial aluminum housing protection, which can operate in a temperature range of **-40°C to 75°C** and have the ability to resist electromagnetic interference and high-power surges. These features ensure the normal operation of the switch in harsh environments. Besides, Lightning protection is also an essential design element that can extend the service life of the equipment and ensure the stability of data transmission.
Key factors of industrial reinforcement design:
- Protection level: IP30/IP40 protection level can effectively prevent the intrusion of dust and moisture.
- Dual redundant power input：Industrial switches are usually designed with dual redundant power supplies to prevent equipment downtime due to power failure and ensure uninterrupted data transmission.
- Shock and vibration resistance: Adapt to the severe vibration on the transportation vehicle and ensure that the switch can still maintain a reliable connection in the mobile device.
These durable designs can effectively extend the service life of the equipment and provide reliable performance in harsh working environments.
Reliability
Reliability is one of the core requirements of industrial networks. Industrial Ethernet switches undertake critical tasks such as factory automation, traffic control, etc. Once the network is interrupted, it may cause huge economic losses. Therefore, design of high reliability is very important for industrial Ethernet switches.
Redundant ring network technology and fast self-healing function are the key to improving switch reliability. In some simple ring networks, data link recovery time can be as fast as 10ms, which means that even if a link failure occurs, the system can automatically return to normal in a very short time. To enhance system reliability and uptime, many industrial switches integrate ERPS (Ethernet Ring Protection Switching) and STP (Spanning Tree Protocol), ensuring that the network can quickly self-heal even under extreme conditions.
In addition, the redundant power supply design can immediately switch to the backup power supply when one power supply fails, thus ensuring the continuous operation of the network. These features significantly improve the reliability of industrial networks and reduce downtime due to equipment failure.
Real-time Data Transmission
Delays are inevitable in the process of network data transmission, and industrial networks often emphasize deterministic transmission of data to ensure the normal operation of important management systems such as traffic control. Therefore, it is crucial to choose to the switch with the function of real-time data transmission.
Advanced data transfer features:
QoS (Quality of Service): The QoS function allows the switch to prioritize the transmission of critical data based on the importance of the data flow, thereby optimizing network performance, which is especially important in scenarios such as factory automation and video surveillance.
IGMP Snooping: Industrial switches can automatically forward multicast traffic to related links through the IGMP snooping function, optimize multimedia traffic transmission, and improve network experience.
VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network): Through the VLAN function, the switch can logically group devices and isolate the traffic between different groups, improving network security and reducing latency.
The real-time data transmission function can ensure that critical data in the industrial network can reach its destination quickly and reliably, reducing the impact of network delays.
Compatibility
In harsh working conditions (such as transportation, oil and gas, urban monitoring and other industries), connection compatibility is the key to ensure network stability. Industrial Ethernet switches need to be compatible with a variety of devices, such as surveillance cameras, VoIP phones, vehicle control systems, etc. Many industrial switches support IEEE 802.3af/at PoE (Power over Ethernet) standard, which can not only provide data transmission, but also provide necessary power support for various devices.
Advantages of PoE power supply: PoE switches can provide power to remote devices (such as surveillance cameras and wireless access points) without the need to lay additional power cables, simplifying the installation and maintenance process. In addition, PoE technology can dynamically adjust the power supply according to the needs of the equipment to ensure the stable operation of the equipment.
PoE Switch
In application scenarios such as railways and buses, switches need to simultaneously connect multiple IP devices, such as cameras, sensors, and VoIP phones, etc. While supporting different devices, industrial switches can also provide stable power supply and data transmission to ensure the normal operation of the system.
When choosing an industrial Ethernet switch, the above six features – easy installation, easy management and maintenance, durability, reliability, real-time data transmission, and compatibility – are the key to ensuring the stable operation of the switch in harsh environments. With the continuous development of industrial automation and intelligent transportation systems, choosing the right industrial switch can not only improve work efficiency, but also significantly reduce maintenance costs and downtime risks. Therefore, these characteristics must be fully considered during the procurement and use process to meet specific industry needs and ensure the long-term stable operation of the network.