Kontron is showcasing its latest railway-compatible Ethernet switch at the InnoTrans 2024 trade fair in Berlin. The switch, known as the KSwitch R20, offers flexibility in the number of required Ethernet ports and supports performance ranging from Fast Ethernet to 10GbE, thanks to its modular design. Developed and produced in Europe, the KSwitch R20 features robust push-pull M-12 connections, ensuring interference-free data transmission even in challenging environments, such as public transport, where vibrations, shocks, and extreme temperature fluctuations are common.
The KSwitch R20, which is highly scalable and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) capable, supports Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) applications and offers up to 28 Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) ports with speeds ranging from 100Mbit/s to 10 GBit/s. This allows for flexible bandwidth utilisation of up to 6Gbps. Designed without a fan and compliant with EN50155 standards for railway use, the switch is built to withstand significant shock and vibration. Its robust design and ability to operate within a temperature range of -40°C to +70°C (with brief tolerance of up to +85°C) make it ideal for demanding railway applications, including rolling stock.
The switch has been engineered with increasing network security requirements in mind, incorporating secure configuration management via SSH, an encrypted configuration dongle, and a secure operating system. The KSwitch R20’s high bandwidth and PTP support allow for broad data throughput and time-synchronised operation.
It also includes comprehensive management and routing features, such as unicast and multicast switching, VLANs, IGMP snooping, and more. The module can be monitored via SNMP over a serial line or Ethernet, with web-based management and a detailed command line interface enabling full Layer 2/3 management, including IPv6 support.
With support for 24VDC to 110VDC +/- 20% power input and up to 90W PoE per port, the KSwitch R20 is capable of directly powering small devices such as cameras and operating terminals. An additional power feed allows up to 600W of PoE to be distributed across the ports. The modular design of the switch also supports custom configurations based on Fast Ethernet, GbE, or 10GbE modules, allowing for tailored solutions in addition to the standard KSwitch R20 setups.
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