Westermo SandCat unmanaged Ethernet switches

Westermo has launched a range of compact, unmanaged industrial Ethernet switches. The SandCat 5-port fast Ethernet switch series offers what the company says is a cost-effective, plug-and-play solution for industrial applications. Supporting 100 Mbps, the devices have been designed to meet the increasing network complexity, reliability and bandwidth demands of the utilities, manufacturing and energy industries.

The SandCat switches provide an option for connecting multiple end devices to the network and the availability of a fibre port enables communication over larger distances or different sites. Although managed switches are used widely to enhance configuration and security of data networks, the SandCat series is suited to extending the port count of managed switches, enabling the installation of more end devices. The switches can also be used when a central device is required to create a physical topology for redundancy and remote access or to act as a simple switch within factory automation applications.

The SandCat series is designed for mission-critical applications using DIN rail mounting in harsh industrial environments allowing Ethernet connections to be established between drives, inverters, HMIs, PLCs and I/O units. The switches meet EMC, isolation, vibration and shock standards. An IP30-grade metal housing, operating temperature of -40 to 75°C, wide power input range, multiple small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver options, and extensive industry approvals and certifications allow application flexibility.