Advantech EKI-2000 Industrial Unmanaged Switches

When building Ethernet networks, various classes of switching equipment are used. Separately, it is worth highlighting unmanaged switches - simple devices that quickly and efficiently organize the work of a small Ethernet network. This article provides a detailed overview of the entry-level unmanaged industrial switches EKI-2000 series.

Introduction

Ethernet has long been an integral part of any industrial network. This standard, which came from the IT industry, allowed us to move to a whole new level of networking. Speed ​​has increased, reliability has increased, and the possibility of centralized management of network infrastructure has appeared. The creators of data transfer protocols were not long in coming. Almost all major industrial protocols, such as Modbus TCP, EtherNet / IP, IEC 60870-5-104, PROFINET, DNP3, etc., use the identical or approximate OSI model as the basis. Payload data is placed in a frame and transmitted over an Ethernet network. Almost every modern controller, smart sensor or operator panel is equipped with an Ethernet interface for connecting to the network of the same name. It means, which, theoretically, for an industrial network, you can use standard Ethernet devices that can be found in a corporate, office and even home network. However, in practice, a large class of devices has long been formed that is designed to work specifically with industrial Ethernet networks. It includes network devices that are adapted to work specifically in an industrial environment, ensuring reliability, minimum levels of latency, and also meeting various industry standards that a particular industry imposes. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network. which can be found in the corporate, office and even home network. However, in practice, a large class of devices has long been formed that is designed to work specifically with industrial Ethernet networks. It includes network devices that are adapted to work specifically in an industrial environment, ensuring reliability, minimum levels of latency, and also meeting various industry standards that a particular industry imposes. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network. which can be found in the corporate, office and even home network. However, in practice, a large class of devices has long been formed that is designed to work specifically with industrial Ethernet networks. It includes network devices that are adapted to work specifically in an industrial environment, ensuring reliability, minimum levels of latency, and also meeting various industry standards that a particular industry imposes. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network. which is designed to work specifically with industrial Ethernet networks. It includes network devices that are adapted to work specifically in an industrial environment, ensuring reliability, minimum levels of latency, and also meeting various industry standards that a particular industry imposes. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network. which is designed to work specifically with industrial Ethernet networks. It includes network devices that are adapted to work specifically in an industrial environment, ensuring reliability, minimum levels of latency, and also meeting various industry standards that a particular industry imposes. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network. which this or that industry presents. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network. which this or that industry presents. At the same time, the main “combat” unit, as a rule, is an industrial Ethernet switch. This is due to the fact that the switch is a device that allows for reliable and, most importantly, quick interaction between components and nodes of an industrial network.

The switch is the optimal solution for an industrial network

Industrial switch, or switch (switch) is the main device that is used to build an industrial network. Why switch? After all, there are other network devices, such as a hub (hub, hub) or a router (router, router). Everything is connected with speed and functionality. The fastest device from the listed is a hub, some time ago this type of device was very popular due to its low price. In fact, a hub is a multiport repeater, it works at the physical level according to the OSI network model and relays the received data to all connected ports.

On the one hand, such a scheme allows for minimal network delays, but on the other hand, the network load increases, since broadcasting with such an implementation turns out to be broadcast. This often led to a sharp drop in network performance. The router, in turn, is a device that operates at the network level according to the OSI model and has very rich functionality that allows for the construction of traffic transmission routes. Such functionality requires a higher performance of the device, as the analysis of the information package, starting from the header of the 3rd level of the OSI model and higher. As a result, delays become greater, since the implementation on routers mostly happens to be software, the price is naturally higher, and similar functionality is in demand at the core level of the network.

As a result, switches are the most widely used in industrial Ethernet networks, and at the same time they have different levels and functionality. The switch is a more intelligent device than a hub, and faster than a router, since it operates at the data link layer according to the OSI model. Traffic is clearly distributed and sent immediately to the recipient, which eliminates unnecessary load on the network equipment, allowing other segments not to process data that is not intended for them. This is achieved by analyzing the MAC addresses of senders and destinations that are contained in each transmitted data frame. Such switching allows you to achieve minimal delays in the distribution of traffic, while maintaining an acceptable price level.

In its memory, the switch contains a table (CAM-table), where the correspondence of the MAC address of the node and the physical port of the switch is indicated, which just reduces the load on the network, since the switch knows exactly which port to forward the data packet to. However, it is worth considering that when the switch is turned on or rebooted, it works in training mode, since the correspondence table is empty. In this mode, the data that arrives at the switch is sent to all other ports, and the switch analyzes and enters the sender’s MAC address in the table. Over time, traffic is localized, since the switch compiles a complete MAC address mapping table for all ports.

Now many manufacturers of network equipment for industrial networks offer precisely switches as devices for ensuring interaction between network nodes. The portfolio has switches of various functionality, as a rule, they distinguish unmanaged, managed and L3 switches. And if L3 switches are used as an alternative to routers at the core level of the network and only highly specialized issues are associated with their choice, then the choice between a managed and an unmanaged switch is reduced to the correct definition of the tasks that a network device should solve. Next, consider the basic differences between managed and unmanaged switches.

Managed and Unmanaged Switches

Managed and unmanaged switches are actually two different devices that operate at the L2 level of the OSI model. Unmanaged switch is designed for automatic uniform distribution of speed and transmitted traffic among all network participants. This is the optimal solution for networks with a small number of terminal devices, the advantages include:

• high bandwidth Ethernet network;
• short response time;
• Ease of Management;
• the presence of additional functionality for managing data flow.

A managed switch has a higher cost, is used for large networks and has the ability to fully control the transmitted traffic, speed, and also has additional management capabilities. In fact, this is the optimal solution for network sections where additional functionality is needed for segmentation, redundancy, information protection, etc. Unlike an unmanaged switch, a managed one must be configured by specifying a number of additional and required settings.

Unmanaged switches are Plug and Play devices that do not require complex configuration and in-depth knowledge. They allow you to quickly organize the exchange between equipment on an Ethernet network without additional settings. These switches allow Ethernet devices to communicate with each other (for example, PLC and HMI), providing a connection to the network and transmitting information to the addressee from the sender. They come with a fixed configuration and do not allow any changes in the settings, so there is no need to prioritize frames and perform additional settings.

Unmanaged switches are mainly used to connect peripheral devices to network branches or in a small autonomous network with several components. In industrial environments, you must use switches that are tailored for your specific needs.

Industrial switches are designed for various industrial applications, such as electric power, oil and gas, railway transport and infrastructure, etc. They are specially designed for operation in an extended temperature range, in conditions of vibration and shock, and contribute to the creation of a cost-effective and reliable secure network.

Advantech EKI-2000 Series Switches

Advantech EKI-2000 Series Industrial Switches are entry-level devices designed to quickly interconnect devices by creating an Ethernet network. Currently, the EKI-2000 series includes more than 25 devices, the table below shows the decryption of the order number.



At the same time, the switches can be equipped with both RJ-45 type ports and optical ports for data transmission over single-mode and multimode optical fiber, while the maximum speed can reach 1 Gb / s.

Functionality of the EKI-2000 Series Switches

The functionality of unmanaged switches, as a rule, is not something extraordinary. However, let's see what functions are still in service with Advantech EKI-2000 series switches .

Auto MDI / MDI-X Connection Type Detection

This function allows you to connect any type of Ethernet device to the switches without thinking about the type of cable: straight or crossover.

Typically, a “straight-through” cable is used to connect the network adapter to L2-level network equipment (a hub or switch). To connect two identical network devices to each other or, for example, a network adapter with a router, it is prescribed to use a crossover cable. The presence of the MDI / MDI-X function allows you to use any type of cable with the switch.

Automatic network type detection (Auto-Negotiation)

This function, following MDI / MDI-X, refers to Plug and Play and allows you to automatically determine the type of network and baud rate provided by the Ethernet standard. In practice, this is especially important, since equipment with various speed characteristics, from 10 Mbit / s to 1 Gbit / s, can be used in an existing network. Auto-Negotiation can significantly simplify the life of network users. The device itself "agrees" on speed with the boundary "Ethernet-neighbor."

Broadcast Storm Protection

Broadcast storm protection is also a very useful feature for switches. A broadcast storm is usually caused by “loops” in the local network or by the incorrect behavior of one of the network participants. In such cases, the network will be filled with a large number of useless frames, which will affect its speed.

The broadcast storm protection feature on the switch automatically filters out broadcast frames. And when broadcast traffic exceeds a certain threshold, the network still remains operational, as the switch automatically reserves bandwidth for transmission of conventional frames.

Broadcast Storm Protection Feature on the EKI-2000 Unmanaged Switchesenabled by default. Detailed information on the threshold values ​​for each model must be specified on the official website of the manufacturer.

P-fail relay

To begin with, most models of the EKI-2000 series are designed for a range of input voltage of 12 ... 48 V DC. The input is duplicated and has protection against reverse polarity, as well as overcurrent by means of a resettable fuse. There is a voltage comparator at the input, and when voltage is applied to both inputs, the comparator automatically selects a higher value and makes this input the main one. If the voltage drops at one of the inputs or when its level drops below 12 V, the switch automatically switches to the second channel and closes the P-Fail relay. This function allows you to monitor the status of the power supply network of the switches and quickly signal abnormal operation.

LED indication

This function allows you to provide an assessment of the status of the switch during its visual inspection. Each data port of the EKI-2000 series switch has two LEDs to display the baud rate, connection status, and possible collision status. There are also LEDs that duplicate the P-Fail relays, which simultaneously operate when one of the power circuits is interrupted.

PoE (Power-over-Ethernet)

The EKI-2000 Series Unmanaged Switches feature Power-over-Ethernet. It allows you to provide power to remote devices according to the IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at (PoE +) standards, where a transmission line based on a twisted pair cable of category 5e and above is used as a power line. It is recommended to use a nominal value of 53 ... 57 V DC as the mains network for these switches in order to prevent a voltage drop on the line.

Built-in protection against electromagnetic interference and electrostatic discharge

The EKI-2000 Series switches have an integrated filtering system to protect against electromagnetic interference and static voltage. On the power line, the switch can provide operability for short-term impulse noise with an amplitude of up to 3000 V DC, as well as for electrostatic discharges on RJ-45 ports up to 4000 V.

Constructive

Absolutely all switches of the EKI-2000 series have a robust metal case with a degree of protection IP30. Structurally, the EKI-2000 series can be made in two versions, it is either a version for mounting on a DIN rail or for mounting in a 19ʺ rack. All necessary mounting is included. Also, switches that are designed for mounting on a DIN rail can be mounted on a panel; mounting is supplied.

Conclusion

Industrial unmanaged switches are devices that are adapted to work specifically in an industrial environment. They provide reliable and fast interaction between Ethernet nodes, and do not require additional settings and configuration. At the moment, an unmanaged switch is a simple budget network device that can solve a fairly large number of basic tasks related to the organization of exchange over an Ethernet network. No configuration is required, just remove the switch from the box and connect all the necessary connectors.

Advantech EKI-2000 Series Unmanaged Switchesbelonging to the described class of devices, supports a wide range of important and necessary functions, such as automatic detection of connection type MDI / MDI-X, automatic detection of network type (Auto-Negotiation), protection against broadcast storm, PoE, protection against electromagnetic interference and electrostatic discharges, etc. Together, all these functions make it possible to use the EKI-2000 for solving basic tasks of organizing the interaction between network and terminal nodes.

Application example

One of Advantech's customers is China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) . To expand its data transfer capabilities while reducing associated costs, CNPC has chosen Advantech's solution for monitoring and managing the oil field. Data is transmitted via the cellular network from the field to the control center. The BB-SL306 routers were installed with the EKI-2525I switches in cabinets near the pump rooms, providing network connectivity for field equipment such as cameras, PLCs, RTUs, and other devices.

Literature

1. An Introduction to Industrial Ethernet
2. 10 Questions to Ask Before Selecting an Ethernet Switch
3. EKI-2525 5-port 10 / 100Base-TX Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switch. EKI-2528 8-port 10 / 100Base-TX Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switch: User Manual

Author - PROSOFT employee