IDEC SX5E-HU085B 8-port unmanaged Ethernet switch

IDEC Corporation has announced the SX5E-HU085B 8-port unmanaged industrial Ethernet switch, said to provide managed-switch features to support the rapidly expanding quantity of Ethernet, IoT and IIoT devices used in critical and challenging commercial and industrial locations. No software configuration is needed, and the device offers flexible installation options.

Features normally found on managed switches include QoS, IGMP snooping and broadcast storm protection.

QoS is a networking feature, usually only available on managed switches, for prioritising specified network traffic so the most critical packets are handled first. The QoS function in the unmanaged switch automatically guarantees priority for EtherNet/IP packets.

IGMP snooping allows a switch to monitor conversations between hosts and routers, and to create and maintain a map or filter of which links need which transmissions. By delivering messages only where they are needed, IGMP snooping reduces networking traffic and required resources.

Improper ring connections can result in duplicate messages that will cause the network to stall. Broadcast storm protection detects this issue and discards duplicate messages. It can be turned on or off with a single external DIP switch.

The switch operates at 10 and 100 Mbps, with auto negotiation of speed and full- or half-duplex mode, and every port automatically detects and adjusts for straight-through or crossover cable connections. Store-and-forward technology ensures each communication frame is fully received into memory and CRC checked for integrity before forwarding it to the destination. This feature introduces a small switching delay but secures high-quality communication.