Aiming at Lower Network Costs

As Ethernet takes over industrial networking, there’s a big push to reduce costs while moving up to Gigabit Ethernet. One of the simplest ways to reduce expenditures is to employ unmanaged switches in spots where managed devices aren’t needed.

In line or star topologies where simple plug-and-play connections and low-cost port expansion features are the critical requirements, the Scalance XB family of unmanaged industrial Ethernet switches provides a cost effective solution. The XB line from Siemens Industry Automation Division also provides versatility, with up to eight 10/100/1000 Mbit/second ports.

The line provides diagnostics including power, link status and traffic data via LED displays. The family, which has an IP20 rating, uses durable plastic housings and can be mounted on standard rails. Compared to many other switches, the XB line is very small and easy to use.

The unmanaged switch complements Siemens’ existing managed switch lines. The Scalance X200 Compact Managed Switch offers SNMP diagnostics. One version of the 200 family is designed for external mounting and doesn’t require an enclosure, reducing panel size and saving space.

The Scalance X300 Compact Managed gigabit switch simplifies the evolution from Fast Ethernet to Gigabit standards, providing the ability to integrate plant floor networks with enterprise networks via high speed backbone. SNMP diagnostics and management functions like IGMP Snooping and VLAN are standard with this family.

The Scalance X400 Multi-port Gigabit Managed Switch offers up to 26 ports per switch along with a redundant ring manager function as well as a gigabit rings with fast redundancy, less than 0.3 seconds. Other standard features include a Virtual LAN (VLAN), spanning tree and web- based management along with SNMP diagnostics and IGMP snooping.