Ethernet switch upgrade

Rockwell Automation has upgraded its Allen-Bradley Stratix 8000 modular managed industrial ethernet switch line with features that include the implementation of Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) per port and the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Sync Time Protocol.

The upgraded line continues to use the current Cisco Catalyst switch architecture, feature set and configuration tools. This helps to provide secure integration with the enterprise network while using tools familiar to IT professionals.

The embedded REP is a high-speed ring protocol that allows switches to be connected in a ring, ring segment or nested ring segments. The protocol provides network resiliency across switches with a rapid recovery time suitable for industrial automation applications.

DCHP per port allows the switch to assign IP addresses to end devices connected to the switch. This feature allows for easier device replacement by eliminating the need to pull out a PC to reconfigure an end device IP address.

CIP Sync, which is the ODVA’s implementation of the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol, allows automation equipment to achieve clock synchronisation within the 100 ns range. CIP Sync is an enabling technology for time-critical automation tasks, such as motion over EtherNet/IP; high-precision first-fault detection or sequence of events (SOE); and predictive time-based control techniques for high-speed rejection and diverter systems.

The Stratix 8000 switches include a removable compact flash card for one-step device replacement and default configurations for the manufacturing environment. Modular and industrially rated, the product line scales from six to 26 ports, with options for copper and fibre to meet a variety of applications.