Cincinnati, OH — The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech introduces two new PoE switches, the 5-port 24 VDC powered EKI-2525PA and 6-port wide temperature EKI-2526PI, which combine a compact and rugged unmanaged Ethernet switch with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology to connect and power Ethernet devices over a single Ethernet cable.
PoE, which is relatively new to industrial and plant-floor applications, is a technology to transmit power plus data to remote Ethernet devices over standard Cat5e/Cat6 cables. More formally known as IEEE 802.3af internationally, this standard specifies a supply of 48VDC at up to 15.4W per port.
Because of the telecommunications heritage of PoE, and the requirements that PoE compliant switches supply 48VDC power, products from existing switch vendors require a 48 VDC power source. With the EKI-2525PA, there is no need for a separate 48 VDC power source, since it includes a DC-to-DC converter to boost the 24 VDC input to the 48 VDC required for powering attached PoE devices.
For compatibility with non-PoE compliant devices, each port can automatically detect when PoE compliant devices are attached, before supplying power. Each Ethernet port is also equipped with front-facing LED indicators that provide link, transmission speed, activity and PoE output status to aid in diagnosing issues with cables and attached devices.
Packaged in a compact and thin DIN-rail mount metal chassis, both the EKI-2525PA and EKI-2526PI are ideal where panel space is limited. They are also ruggedized for demanding industrial applications, with redundant power inputs, 4,000 VDC Ethernet ESD protection, power line surge (EFT) protection of 3,000 VDC, and feature an operating temperature range of -10 to 60° C or -40 to 75° C to ensure system uptime. Plus, these switches are CUL (UL/CSA), CE, FCC, and RoHS/WEE certified.
Advantech Corporation, Industrial Automation Group
www.advantech.com/ea
::Design World::
Filed Under: Factory automation, Ethernet — cables • hubs • switches
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