Transforming Industrial Automation with Advanced Unmanaged Switches

With the increasing popularity of Ethernet in the industrial field, industrial Ethernet switches have become the key to connect all kinds of equipment and realize efficient automation control. According to different functions and application scenarios, industrial switches are usually categorized into managed and unmanaged types. Generally, unmanaged switches are mostly used for the internal network of machines and equipment, while managed switches are mostly used for the communication in the middle of the network of machines and equipment and factories.

User Feedback: Simplify Management Without Compromising Performance

The complex management and high cost of managed Ethernet switches have deterred many organizations, while unmanaged Ethernet switches, though easy to use, are not capable of facing complex network management needs. Especially PROFINET data priority transmission and VLAN traffic isolation and other key features, often unmanaged Ethernet switches short board. Enterprises desire a switch that perfectly balances ease-of-use, cost-effectiveness, and advanced network management features.

Redefining Unmanaged Switches: Affordable, Reliable, and PROFINET-Integrated

With a keen understanding of the market demand, Advantech combines the industry's rich experience and technological precipitation, and proudly introduces two new unmanaged switch series: the EKI-NI series and the EKI-271X series. These switches are designed to be affordable and easy to use, and take into account PROFINET priority transmission and VLAN segmentation, breaking the perception of traditional unmanaged switches.

The EKI-NI series, with its PROFINET Class A (PROFINET CC-A conformance level compliant) data recognition capability, realizes the function of prioritizing PROFINET data flow management. In addition, it also possesses notable resistance to electromagnetic interference and has passed ESD/EFT/Surge Level 4 certification, demonstrating its stability and reliability in complex industrial environments.

The EKI-271X series is equipped with easy VLAN configuration, which can easily realize group isolation and data security by simple dip switches without professional operation. With its high EMC 4 protection level, this product is popular in factory automation, power storage, video surveillance systems, and other fields that require high security.

Innovative Solutions: Balancing Data Security and Real-Time Performance, Seamlessly Transitioning from Managed Switches

The launch of these two new unmanaged industrial Ethernet switches undoubtedly provides more cost-effective solutions for industrial users who are increasingly focusing on industrial communication reliability and data security.

For example, in a typical application scenario of a pharmaceutical machinery enterprise, with the combination of these two products of unmanaged switches, the original need for managed switches to meet the demand is solved, providing new ideas for the majority of industrial users with the same type of demand.

As illustrated in the architectural diagram, in typical applications such as pharmaceutical machinery, there is a requirement for both data security isolation and data flow prioritization management.

First, when a device manufacturer's pharmaceutical equipment is installed at a production site, in addition to the need to realize control network communication between control equipment such as PLCs within the pharmaceutical machinery and the host computer, it is also necessary to provide communication support for outsourced equipment that collects environmental safety data related to production through the environmental data network. Although control data and environmental data are transmitted through the same industrial Ethernet switch, the two types of data need to be isolated and shunted in order to avoid interference with the control equipment by outsourced equipment. At this point, Advantech's EKI-2710E unmanaged switch can be used to effectively segregate the data flow by configuring the ports used for these two types of data to two different zones via VLAN dip switches. In this way, data security is still effectively ensured, even though a more expensive managed switch is not used.

Second, there is a need for data priority management throughout the network. The control network includes key control devices such as PLCs that use PROFINET protocol to transmit control commands, as well as other devices such as HMIs that use standard Ethernet for data transmission, display, and other functions. At this stage, if the priority management based on packet type identification is not possible, then it is easy to have a delay in the control response due to network conflicts, resulting in false alarms for equipment failures, which can have a negative impact on production efficiency. Adopting Advantech's EKI-2528NI unmanaged switch takes advantage of its support for PROFINET Class A data recognition to ensure that PROFINET data is prioritized for transmission without delay. This move also utilizes unmanaged switches to achieve functions that only managed switches can perform in the past, which is a powerful balance between productivity and cost savings.