Modicon Switch from Schneider Electric meets all requirements

Modicon switches provide the answer

The new Modicon Switch range consists of flexible industrial switches equipped with the latest Industrial Ethernet technology. The range is also ready for new technologies such as PoE (Power over Ethernet) and Gigabit networks.

The Modicon Switch range enables the construction of high-performance, robust solutions and architectures, ranging from simple networks with a few participants to complex redundant ring networks with hundreds of components. The switches from the previous (Connexium) generation can be easily modernised using the Converter tool.

With “managed” “switches”, specific versions are available for demanding environments. Cyber security is also a priority, of course. The new range is equipped with the most advanced tools to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow:

• MAC-based port security / Port-based access control
• DoS (Denial of Service) prevention
• Local role-based user management
• ACLs (Authentication Lists)

Network stability is guaranteed by redundancy options (FuseNet, HIPER Ring, LAG) and flexible input management via SNMP. The fact that the switches are equipped with USB-C and HTML-5 (so no Java!) also makes communication and (web) management a lot easier.

The smart design, reliable process handling and robust components are ideally suited to meet the three major challenges of today and tomorrow:

Challenge 1: Cyber security

Industrial connections have undergone a thorough metamorphosis in recent years. Developments such as IoT and Industry 4.0 have played a significant role in this. Consider, for example, cyber security. In a world where everything is connected via the Internet of Things, solutions from the past are no longer sufficient. Security solutions must be tailored to the new network topology, with robust communication protocols and products that guarantee continuous operation, even if someone has unauthorised intentions.

Challenge 2: Security

A second change we are seeing today is the greater demand for security. This manifests itself in several sub-questions: a demand for specific variants that offer security under harsh conditions, a demand for redundant solutions that guarantee continuity, and finally a demand for digital solutions. Users of industrial switches want to use digital information to get the most out of their systems.

Challenge 3: user-friendliness

A lack of compatibility is a major annoyance for anyone who manages an industrial installation. Component A does not communicate with component B. Component B does communicate with component C, but only if an interface is used, etc. Integrating new components into an installation can also cause headaches, as can communicating the status of the switches. Nobody wants yet another new web interface or additional app to monitor components. Centralisation and simplicity are therefore clear customer requirements in this area.

In conclusion

The Modicon Switch family has been extensively validated on various automation solutions (Modicon PACs and PLCs, Altivar speed controllers, SCADA software Citect Scada, Wonderware, Geo Scada and analysis software (Advisors), etc.) and is the solution for securely connecting your installations and keeping them connected throughout their entire life cycle. The new added features ensure that users can rest assured.