Efficient switches connect automation networks to the company’s IT system.
The Siemens Industry Automation Division has expanded its range of industrial Ethernet switches with a new range of 19-inch rack devices. The Scalance-X-500 switches are especially suitable for configuring large automation networks and connecting them to the company’s IT system. Typical areas of application are network configuration and coupling in production and process systems in industry sectors such as mining, logistics and transport. The new switches are equipped with fully modular ‘Hotswappable’ 4-port technology for electrical and optical media modules. Scalance XR528-6M with two height units has six slots for 4-port media modules, Scalance XR552-12M has three height units and 12 slots. Up to 24 or 48 end devices and network components with speeds of 10-1000 Mbit/s can be connected. In addition, both device versions offer four slots for SFP+ (small form-factor, pluggable) transceivers with a 10 Gigabit/s Ethernet.
The new switches have functions for industry-specific communication and offer layer 2 and layer 3 functions, such as static and dynamic routing for communication with networks on the company’s IT system. The devices provide numerous redundancy functions, such as ring redundancy, RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) and MSTP (Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol), supplemented with standby functions and VLAN. The external 300 W power supply unit, PS598-1, supplies the Scalance-X-500 switches with power. This is either installed above or below the switch or docked on the back directly using a plug-in connection. The availability of the switches increases when two redundant network devices are used. To activate layer 3 functions, an optional removable medium with key function (Key Plug) is used. This contains the activation licence and allows configuration data to be saved.
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