Multi-port gigabit Ethernet switch suits railway and similar applications

MEN Micro has released the G101, a new managed 3U flexible multiport Gigabit Ethernet switch, with a 29GBit/s switch matrix, implemented as a CompactPCI Serial board. Specifically designed for rugged mobile communication in harsh environments, the Ethernet switch conforms to the EN 50155 railway standard. The high bandwidth of the 29GBit Switch matrix, robust design and wide operating temperature of -40C to +85C also make it suitable for similarly demanding applications. The G101 features a total of up to 25 Gigabit Ethernet ports. They can all be connected to the rear or three can be used on the front, either as three robust M12 connectors or as two RJ45 connectors with a 2.5Gb SFP interface. This interface can be used as a high speed uplink via fibre technology. The 29GBit switch matrix incorporates different software protocols to ensure high speed and high efficiency and the large software pool enables various protocols like security, synchronous Ethernet and stability as well as for temperature needs. The G101 supports IEEE1588v2 on ports 1 to 12 and EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) as a standard on all ports. Special ring protocols, including RSTP, MSTP, G.8031/G8032v2 as well as transmission technologies like PB-EVC-(Provider Backbone Ethernet Virtual Connection) - which are usually just found in the carrier grade area - round out the switch's most notable features. The switch is fault tolerant and restores itself on its own. If a link is temporarily unavailable, frames are sent via backup/redundant links (spanning a tree protocol/link aggregation) avoiding any data loss. Its built-in test mechanisms further enhance the G101 reliability in a communication system, says the company.