Industrial Ethernet Switches

An industrial Ethernet switch is a panel-mounted network switch that joins PLCs, HMIs, drives and remote I/O stations on the same Ethernet network. It is used in machine, line and process panels to connect field devices to the upper-level SCADA network and to build fiber optic links over distances copper cable cannot cover. In the Schneider Electric Modicon series, unmanaged, managed and PoE models are offered in copper-port layouts such as 4TX, 5TX and 8TX, or fiber-port layouts such as 4TX/1FX, 6TX/2FX and 8TX/2FX; GMT G-6405S and G-6408S also belong to this group. Choose the model by the number of copper (TX) and fiber (FX) ports, whether the fiber is multimode or single-mode, the need for management functions such as VLAN and ring redundancy, PoE requirements and supply voltage. Some models specify 35 mm DIN rail mounting and a 12-24 V rated supply voltage; harsh-environment versions with Harsh in their name are listed separately. A switch connects the Ethernet devices on the same network to each other; it does not replace a gateway that converts serial protocols such as Modbus RTU to Ethernet.

Products

How to choose Industrial Ethernet Switches

An industrial Ethernet switch is a panel-mounted network switch that joins PLCs, HMIs, drives and remote I/O stations on the same Ethernet network. It is used in machine, line and process panels to connect field devices to the upper-level SCADA network and to build fiber optic links over distances copper cable cannot cover.

  • Separate sensing, motion control, logic processing and operator interface requirements.
  • Select signal type, supply voltage, communication protocol and I/O count for the machine network.
  • Verify housing size, sensing distance and PNP/NPN output polarity against the PLC input card.

Frequently asked questions

What is Industrial Ethernet Switches and where is it used?

An industrial Ethernet switch is a panel-mounted network switch that joins PLCs, HMIs, drives and remote I/O stations on the same Ethernet network. It is used in machine, line and process panels to connect field devices to the upper-level SCADA network and to build fiber optic links over distances copper cable cannot cover.

What should I compare when choosing Industrial Ethernet Switches?

Choose the model by the number of copper (TX) and fiber (FX) ports, whether the fiber is multimode or single-mode, the need for management functions such as VLAN and ring redundancy, PoE requirements and supply voltage.

Where can I find technical details for Industrial Ethernet Switches products?

It is used in machine, line and process panels to connect field devices to the upper-level SCADA network and to build fiber optic links over distances copper cable cannot cover.

Industrial Ethernet Switches Selection Guide: Technical Criteria & Application Standards