The new Magnum 6KM mobile ethernet switches from GarrettCom are specifically designed to withstand shock and vibration in harsh mobile environments that include public service and emergency vehicles, mining equipment, railroad carriages, even military vehicles.
“Interest in mobile access to IP communications is growing rapidly, but the only available switches to install in vehicular applications, other than high-priced water-tight military ethernet switches, are ones with standard RJ-45 ports, which do not stand up well to continuous vibration,” said Lee House, GarrettCom's chief technology officer.
"With the 6KM, we’ve combined the features of its hardened ethernet switches, which stand up to extremes of temperature, dust and dirt, corrosion, power surges and electromagnetic interference, with rugged M12 ports to withstand vibration and shock in an affordable package for many types of mobile applications,” he said.
Key to the design of the Magnum 6KM switches are M12-type heavy-duty screw-type port connectors, technology borrowed from military equipment that is designed to stand up to mobile vibration. It’s also designed to meet or exceed demanding industrial standards for mobile environments, including compliance with IEC 61373 and IEC 60068-2-27 specifications for withstanding shock, and with IEC 61373, IEC 60068-2-6 FC specifications for withstanding vibration.
The 6KM base unit has four 10/100 M12 copper ports, with configuration choices including two Gigabit ports (either M12 copper ports or LC-type fiber), and up to four 100Mb LC fiber ports, up to four additional 10/100 M12 copper ports, or combinations of the two.
To protect sensitive electronics from even the harshest environments, the Magnum 6KM Mobile is packaged in a fully-enclosed steel case that acts as a heat sink, eliminating the need for movable parts such as fans, and providing high EMI noise immunity. It’s able to withstand operating temperatures ranging from minus 40 degrees to 195 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 degrees to 85 degrees Celsius) and can be coating for corrosive environments as an option, and with an IP52 rating for dust and dirt resistance.
