Smart, Light-Managed Ethernet Switches for Wind Farms

Basic Management Capabilities at a Fraction of the Cost

Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics
Installing fully managed switches throughout an entire wind farm can be prohibitively expensive. One of our customers realized that their application didn’t actually require all of those management capabilities. Instead, they installed Advantech B+B SmartWorx EKI-55281 Ethernet smart switches, which support Modbus/TCP to communicate with SCADA software and SNMP to communicate with NMS (Networking Management System). Although they’re not much more expensive than an unmanaged switch, light-managed smart switches provide basic management capabilities. They give control engineers full read control for every port on the switch, allowing for remote troubleshooting and diagnostics. If a problem arises, your field technicians won’t have to go hunting for the cause. You’ll know exactly where the problem lies before the truck even starts to roll.

Essential Management Features

SNMP and Modbus/TCP management capabilities

Designed and Built for Hazardous Environments
– Wide Temp design, -40 to 75ºC
– MTBF: More than 590 years
– Radiated/Conducted noise protection, EMC Level 3

Intelligence Inside
– IEEE 802.1p QoS (Zero Touch)
– Jumbo frame support — 9,216 bytes
– Free Management Tool – IView2
– Loop Detection
– Full Gigabit with PoE/PoE+ options
– Fully Compatible with the Most Popular SCADA/HMI Software
– IP address assignment, allowing for a static IP address or an address that is discoverable via DHCP

HMI/SCADA Software Integration
– System Information
– Device Status/IP Address
– Port Information
– Port Status/Port Speed
– Packet Information
– Tx/Rx Error Packets

Dual Power Inputs – 8.4 to 52.8 VDC
– Overload current protection
– Power-fail Relay

Wide Variety of Port Configurations
– 5 Ports, up to 18 Ports
– 10/100Mbps & Gigabit models
– Fiber module options (M.M, S.M)
– Fiber connector options (SC,LC,ST)