At the beginning of the development of general Ethernet interfaces, they did not fully consider the application requirements of industrial networks. Therefore, when computer equipment is deployed in industrial locations, the reliability of general commercial service switches will be greatly challenged when dealing with extreme office environments and severe interference signals. For this matter, highly reliable, stable and reliable industrial switches have emerged, becoming a transmission tool that can integrate into the natural environment of complex industries and facilitate the deployment of industrial automation technology through the Internet.

What is an industrial switch?

Industrial switches, also known as industrial Ethernet switches, have become a key wireless communication module in industrial operations due to their use of internet standards, good openness, widespread use, high-quality and cost-effective, and the use of fully transparent and unified TCP/IP protocols.

There is no substantial difference between itself and the commercial service Internet in terms of data link layer, transport layer, protocol layer, etc., but for the practicability of industrial manipulation and other requirements, the industrial Ethernet interface

2. Differences between industrial switches and general switches

Industrial switches are different from civil and commercial switches, and they are not substantially different from other switches in the fields of transport layer, data link layer, protocol, etc. during their work. However, because of their unique office environment and work regulations, industrial automation switches have many characteristics that civil and commercial switches do not have, which solve the problems of communication practicability, internet security coefficient Technical issues such as safety system and explosion-proof technology, and the selection of measures suitable for the industrial natural environment, such as moisture-proof and vibration resistance.

Compared with general switches, industrial switches have two key differences in functionality and performance:

In terms of functionality, industrial Ethernet switches are closer to industrial network communication, such as interconnecting with various computer interfaces, balancing machine equipment, and real-time monitoring of machine equipment;

The key performance is the difference in integrating into external environmental monitoring systems. In addition to many particularly harsh environments such as coal mines and ships, there are also natural environments with special requirements in the fields of EMI (electromagnetic compatibility testing), temperature, environmental humidity, and pollution prevention in industrial environments. The influence of temperature on industrial computer equipment is the most common among them.

3. Characteristics of industrial switches

Due to differences and requirements in work and performance, industrial switches have the following main characteristics compared to general switches:

The selection requirements for electronic devices in the industrial Ethernet switch of electronic devices are very high. In order to quickly integrate into the requirements of industrial production and manufacturing sites, electronic devices must have regulations such as anti-static, lightning protection, and resistance to extreme high and ultra-low temperatures.

The industrial Ethernet switch in the natural environment of mechanical equipment can better integrate into the extreme natural environment of mechanical equipment, including vibration resistance, impact resistance, corrosion resistance, pollution prevention, moisture prevention, etc.

The industrial Ethernet switch can better integrate into weaker weather and natural environments, including temperature, environmental humidity, etc. It can be used normally in working temperatures ranging from -45 ℃ to 75 ℃, and the air humidity is 5% to 95% without condensation.

Electromagnetic induction natural environment industrial Ethernet switches have extremely strong electromagnetic interference resistance, and the waterproof level of interference signals reaches level 4.

The working standard voltage of industrial Ethernet switches has a wide range of working standard voltage, suitable for DC12/24V, AC/DC85~265V wide voltage can be selected, while general switches have high current regulations, and fixed working voltage distribution is commonly seen.

The power circuit of general switches is basically a single switch power supply, while industrial Ethernet switches are all dual power switches that backup data with each other, and also enhance the function of power loss alarm.

Installation methods: Industrial Ethernet switches can be installed using DIN rails, sound card racks, and other installation methods. Generally, switches are installed using general sound card racks or desktop methods.

The industrial Ethernet switch adopts a fanless casing for heat removal to reduce dust interference and avoid facility problems caused by fan problems, while the general switch is a heat dissipation fan.