Johannesburg, 30 Apr 2010
Specialist distributor Duxbury Networking has released a two-slot modular, industrially hardened Ethernet switch from its principal, Enterasys Networks.
Dubbed the I-Series, the switch features a dust-resistant design and Class 1 Division 2 support suitable for explosive gas and other physically demanding environments - such as those found in manufacturing plants, oil refineries and utility companies.
“Along with an operational tolerance for extreme temperatures ranging from minus 40^0C to 60^0C, the I-Series combines multi-layer switching capabilities with wire-rate performance to support the demanding requirements of industrial applications,” says Andy Robb, chief technology officer at Duxbury Networking.
The I-Series provides two modular slots that can support up to 24 10/100Base-T Ethernet ports as well as two 1Gbps Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) Ethernet uplink ports.
In order to provide a reliable, high-availability network, all I-Series models support redundant, 24-volt external power supplies as well as Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs) for scalable, redundant uplinks. The DIN-mountable I-Series provides a set of event-driven relay connectors to support external alarms.
“In addition, the I-Series offers a portable, non-volatile memory card, which is capable of storing the system configuration and may be used by non-technical personnel to quickly replicate the configuration on a replacement switch,” adds Robb.
In conjunction with its non-blocking architecture, the I-Series provides strong support for a variety of network-attached devices such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), shop floor workstations and security cameras.
With customisable Layer 2/3/4 packet classification capabilities, together with intelligent queuing mechanisms, the I-Series is designed to ensure that mission-critical devices and applications receive prioritised access to network resources.