EKI Industrial Unmanaged Switches

The EKI-2000/5000 series are unmanaged industrial switches that, for all their simplicity, have a number of advanced features. The switches are easily integrated into any SCADA system thanks to the support of the open Modbus TCP and SNMP protocols, they have protection against incorrect switching and an error indication on the front panel for easy debugging. There is support for the IEEE 802.3az protocol, which reduces power consumption by up to 60%, and operation at extreme temperatures from -40 ° C to 75 ° C allows the use of switches in the most severe conditions.

In the article, we will understand how industrial switches differ from household SOHO switches, test the industrial functions of the device, and consider the setup procedure.

Industrial Features

The main difference between industrial switches and household ones is in high requirements for reliability when working in any conditions. Industrial models have surge protection, protection against switching errors, and tools for quickly debugging problems and signaling problems. Housings of industrial versions are designed to withstand mechanical loads and have standard mounting on a DIN rail.

EKI-2000 Series

Mostly, the series of switches is designed for small objects where you do not need to set up switching rules and divide the network into VLANs. The switches have no settings and are the most economical option from the EKI switch line.


The EKI-2525LI is one of the smallest industrial switches in the world. Its width is 2.5 cm and a height of 8 cm. It makes it easy to install it in the most compact switchboards, and the device case is made of metal and has a protection level of IP40. _______________________________________________________________________________________

EKI-2712G-4FPImultifunctional gigabit PoE switch with output power up to 30W per port. It has 4 SFP ports for installing optical modules. The model has a certificate of compliance with European standard EN50121-4 for installation in railway transport. _______________________________________________________________________________________

EKI-5000 Series

Devices of this series have additional options for integration into SCADA systems. The ProView function allows you to monitor the status of each port using Modbus and SNMP protocols. Advanced self-diagnostic options for the device help identify switching errors, and electrical safety certification allows you to install the switch on hazardous locations.

EKI-5524SSI - switch with 4 optical and Ethernet ports

Specifications

• 4 optical ports
• Monitoring via Modbus TCP and SNMP
• Support for energy-saving Ethernet 802.3az protocol
• Jumbo Frame Support
• QoS port prioritization
• Loop detection to prevent ARP storm
• Backup power input and power failure alarm
• Temperature range from -40 to 75 ° C

The switch can be used as a media converter to combine twisted pair optical lines at remote sites. There are also models with PoE support for connecting video surveillance systems and machine vision.


The front panel display shows the status of each power line.

Electrical and anti-jamming

The EKI-2000 series switches have built-in protection against short-term interference on power lines up to 3 thousand volts, as well as protection against static voltage on Ethernet lines up to 4 thousand volts.

The 5000 Series is ATEX / C1D2 / IECEx certified, and can be used in explosive facilities and in the oil and gas industry.

Backup power and fault signal

All devices in the series have two power inputs and allow you to separately connect a backup power source, such as a battery. In the event of a breakdown in the main power supply, it will switch to the backup power source without stopping operation, and the alarm indication relay will trip.


In the event of a break in one of the power lines, a relay is activated.

Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az

The IEEE 802.3az standard, also called Green Ethernet, is designed to save energy, which is especially important in facilities running on solar panels or backup power. The technology automatically determines the length of cable connections and adjusts the power of the transmitted signal based on these values. So, on short connections, the transmitter power will be reduced, compared with long lines. Unused ports are completely de-energized.

Intelligent PoE

Models with PoE (Power over Ethernet) support allow you to monitor voltage and current consumption on each port using the Modbus protocol. With the help of monitoring, it is possible to detect changes in the nominal load and identify consumer problems, for example, failed infrared illumination of a surveillance camera.

Jumbo frames

All devices in the series support Jumbo frames, which allows you to transfer Ethernet frames up to 9216 bytes in size, instead of the standard 1500 bytes. This avoids fragmentation during the transfer of large amounts of data and in some cases reduces the delay in data transfer.

Loop detection

Switches with loop detection function automatically detects a switching error in which two ports form a closed ring and automatically disconnects them to prevent disruption to other connected devices.
The ports on which the loop is detected are marked with a special indication so that they can be found visually. This simple and effective protection works without the STP / RSTP protocol.

ProView Function — ModBus and SNMP

The EKI-5000 Series switches support the proprietary ProView feature, which adds the ability to monitor the health of even unmanaged switches. Thanks to the support of the open Modbus TCP and SNMP protocols, this option allows you to integrate the switch into any SCADA system or network monitoring panel. The device is compatible with the Advantech WebAccess / SCADA system and WebAccess / NMS network management system .

Data available via SNMP and Modbus:

• Device model and arbitrary description
• Firmware version
• Ethernet MAC
• IP address
• Port statuses: status, speed, errors
• Port data transfer volume
• Port user description
• Port shutdown counter
• PoE status / current consumption and voltage (for models with PoE)

Customization

Initial setup can be done through the EKI Device Configuration Utility .


Setting the IP address

On the System tab, you can set the device name and comment (this name and description will be available via SNMP and Modbus), set the timeout interval for modbus packets, and find out the firmware version.

Conclusion

The EKI-2000/5000 series switches are a simple and at the same time functional solution for small remote objects. Indication on the front panel allows you to quickly diagnose problems without the involvement of qualified personnel. Operation in extreme temperatures and shockproof housing allow the device to be used in harsh conditions.

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