Just
click on a question below to get the answer:
| Sales
FAQ (Go
to Support FAQ) |
- General
Questions
- Managed
Switch Questions
- Real-time
Ring™ Switch Questions
|
| Support
FAQ |
|
 |
The common Ethernet
hub simply broadcasts each message it receives to every one of its
ports. Each Ethernet device also has to wait for its turn to ‘talk’
to the hub, increasing the likelihood of message collisions; therefore,
real-time operation is jeopardized and determinism is difficult. Alternatively,
the SIXNET industrial Ethernet switch
automatically determines and remembers where an Ethernet device is
located and routes messages only through the appropriate port. This
minimizes network loading and enables true deterministic communications
over Ethernet.
The
SIXNET Industrial Ethernet Switch
is optimized for real-time control with prioritized handling of a
large number of small message packets, protection from broadcast storms,
and other features important to insure fast and reliable data throughput.
Office-grade
switches are not DIN rail mountable, require a cumbersome AC to DC
power transformer, and have a very limited temperature range (typically
0-60 C). They also don't have the industrial ratings such as
Class 1, Div. 2 and UL 508. Whereas, the SIXNET Industrial Ethernet
Switch has all these features and more, making it the perfect choice
for your industrial Ethernet application.
What's
the difference between an unmanaged and managed switch?
SIXNET offers
unmanaged, ring
(semi-managed), and fully
managed switches designed for industrial environments. All these
product lines offer real-time deterministic communications over Ethernet
with plug-and-play operation. Unmanaged switches (ET-#ES and ET-GT-#ES
models) have no user settings and do not support redundant connections
such as rings. Ring switches (ET-#RS) have all the plug & play
capabilities of unmanaged switches plus they support fault-tolerant
rings. In addition, ring switches are configurable and offer some
of the features of managed switches such as priority queuing and port
mirroring. Managed switches (ET-9MS models) offer additional advanced
capabilities such as SNMP network management and Rapid Spanning Tree
Protocol (RSTP) for various types of redundant connections. These
extra feature are completely configurable through a terminal or web
interface.
What
is a Managed Switch? - Take
a Tour!
What is a Real-time Ring Switch? - Take
a Tour!
Back
to Top
How
can I get deterministic performance with my Ethernet network?
The most common
way is to use Ethernet switches in
conjunction with a dedicated network and only one master. The latter
two requirements will insure that there are no message collisions
by making sure that only one device is initiating communications.
Then the Ethernet switches will consistently route your Ethernet messages
via the same path and with the same timing every time. Click here
for more Real-time
Ethernet Secrets.
20
years of product support. Wow! How can SIXNET do that
With
planned technology that we control. We own or otherwise have ALL of
our product's source code. We use durable and constantly improving
Linux as our operating core. We own the plastic molds and all the
hardware designs. Want to know more? Click
here.
Back
to Top
Any IEEE 802.3
device with a standard 10BaseT or 100BaseTx Ethernet port.
The best answer
is to
cascade two (or more) five or nine port switches. The practical
answer is to use five or nine port switches as modular building blocks.
Switches can be cascaded almost without limit because unlike a passive
hub that has retransmission limitations, an active switch regenerates
Ethernet messages as if it were an original transmission.
What
are the advantages to using a SIXNET Industrial Ethernet Switch?
There are many.
Go to one of our "Switch Advantages" pages:
What
is the latency of packets passing through a SIXNET switch?
Latency is the
time the switch takes to process an Ethernet packet and route it from
one port to another. This time is dependent on the packet size and
activity but is typically less than 5 uS for 100 Mbps connections.
How
many SIXNET Ethernet switches can be cascaded?
There really is
no limit as long as the total latency (see above) is acceptable to
your application. For example, the total latency of 10 switches cascaded
(connected in series) is typically less than 50 us. Note: Any port
(not just the uplink port) on a SIXNET Ethernet switch can be used
to cascade to another switch.
Can
I configure a SIXNET Managed Ethernet Switch with a web browser?
Yes, there is
a secure web server embedded in our managed switches. Just address
the switch by its IP address from any browser you like to use. We've
even put online help in the configuration pages to assist you. Please
note that you must first set the IP address (and perhaps a few other
parameters) using a serial cable connected to your PC.
Check
out the live demo of the web interface now!
Back
to Top
Yes, SIXNET's
ET-9MS managed
switches support SNMP for network management and Rapid Spanning
Tree Protocol (RSTP) for redundant connections. The managed switches
provide fast, fault-tolerant ring connections and other redundant
topologies. In addition, the managed switches are fully configurable
and support a long list of additional advanced capabilities.
Absolutely. They
are pre-configured at the factory to support 1 or 2 rings, and no
IP address is required. Just mount them, apply power and
then click in your Ethernet using the pre-configured ring ports to
form your ring. That's it. They will then automatically detect the
ring and choose a backup path. Then when a segment of the network
ring goes down, the ring switches will automatically, and within milliseconds,
start using the backup path.
Like traditional
store & forward (unmanaged) switches, the ring switches require
no IP address and are truly plug & play -- right
out of the box. They will automatically sense the speed, duplex, polarity,
and cable type of each 10/100 (copper RJ45) connection. Plus they
can be connected in a ring and will immediately start protecting your
network from faults. In addition, the ring switches have some advanced
capabilities only found in managed switches, such as configurable
port settings, traffic prioritization (QoS/CoS), port mirroring and
Modbus monitoring (a SIXNET exclusive feature). In most applications,
you can just leave these settings at their default values. But if
there is a need to use these advanced features you can use the supplied
configuration utility to do so. It is super easy to use and will automatically
find all the ring switches on your network. You can then adjust the
parameters as you like and perform a simple load to have them take
effect.
Both allow you
to make redundant Ethernet connections. The Rapid
Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) is a widely support IEEE standard
that allows for many fault-tolerant topologies include ring and mesh.
It requires the use of more expensive managed switches, has a typical
recovery time of <50 mS per hop and allows for a limited number
of switches. The Real-time
Ring™ was designed by SIXNET to offer super fast recovery
times for the most common topology used for redundancy and that is
the ring. It is available in less expensive ring switches (1/3 the
cost!), has a typical recovery time of 5 mS per hop and allows for
50+ switches in a ring. In summary, use RSTP when you need advanced
topologies such as mesh, and use the Real-time Ring™ when you
have simple rings and want best recovery performance.
No, this is a
unique capability of the SIXNET Ring and Managed Switches. SIXNET
has specifically design it to be simple and very fast. It allows you
to get fault-tolerant ring redundancy with plug and play operation,
at a fraction of the cost of other alternative solutions. Plus these
switches have SIXNET's well-known extreme ruggedness and reliability.
These switches
are in-between and can be called "self-managed". They offer
the simple plug and play operation of unmanaged switches, but can
be configured for some advance capabilities such as priority queuing
and port mirroring. They are designed and ideal for real-time control
and automation systems where ring redundancy is needed but full management
is not. This allows control engineers to implement their Ethernet
networks without the assistance of MIS or IT experts.
I
just got my Industrial Ethernet Switch. What should I do first?
All
SIXNET Industrial Ethernet Switches are truly plug and play so
they are very easy to setup. Simply connect your Ethernet cables,
apply power, and they will immediately begin to operate. Refer to
the user manuals for installation and wiring details. If you wish
to enable advanced capabilities then use the Ethernet Switch Tools
for the Ring Switches or the web interface for the managed switches.
Both include comprehensive on-line help.
Back to Top
What
Ethernet wiring guidelines should I follow?
Follow
these important Ethernet wiring guidelines to insure the best performance:
- Use
shielded category 5 or better Ethernet cables for best noise immunity.
- Limit
your 10/100BaseT(x) cable runs to 100 meters (328 feet).
- Avoid
coiling your cable which can cause electromagnetic interference.
- Avoid
routing your cable near fluorescent lights, power outlets, and other
sources of electromagnetic interference.
Back to Top
When
should I use a straight-thru vs. cross-wired Ethernet cable?
All ports on the latest SIXNET Industrial
Ethernet Switches support auto-crossover so either cable type
can be used. See the appropriate user
manual for cable pin-outs and more details.
Back to Top
| About
Us | Sales
| Support
| What's
New | WebStore
| Contact
| Advanced
Search 
