Industrial switches, as network devices connecting LAN nodes, have interface types that have evolved with the development of various LAN and transmission media types. Analyzing the main network types and the development process of transmission media in LANs makes it easy to identify the different interface types of industrial switches. Next, we'll introduce some common industrial switch interface types on the market in detail. Let's take a look!
1. Twisted pair RJ-45 interface
This is the most common and widely used interface type we see; it belongs to the twisted-pair Ethernet interface type. It's used not only in the most basic 10Base-T Ethernet networks but also in the currently mainstream 100Base-TX Fast Ethernet and 1000Base -TX Gigabit Ethernet. Although they all use twisted-pair cable as the transmission medium, they each employ different versions of the twisted-pair cable, such as the Category 3 cable used in the initial 10Base-T to the Category 6 cable supporting 1000Base-TX Gigabit speeds , while 100Base-TX can use Category 5, Category 5e, or even Category 6 cable. These RJ-45 interfaces all look exactly the same, resembling a flat " T ". Connected to it is an RJ-45 connector, a connector, and a twisted-pair cable with the connector already connected. This is a 24- port RJ-45 Ethernet industrial switch, which also includes two SC fiber optic interfaces and one AUI interface , which will be discussed below .
2. Fiber optic interface
Although fiber optic transmission media was already in use during the 100Base era, and was initially called " 100Base-FX " to distinguish it from the more common 100Base-TX twisted-pair Ethernet (where " F " stands for " Fiber "), it didn't offer significant advantages over traditional twisted-pair cables at those speeds. Furthermore, it was considerably more expensive. Therefore, fiber optics wasn't widely adopted during the 100Mbps era. Its widespread use only began with the implementation of 1000Base technology. While twisted-pair solutions existed at these speeds, their performance was far inferior to fiber optics, and it offered significant advantages in terms of connection distance, making it ideal for metropolitan area networks (MANs) and wide area networks (WANs).
The development of fiber optic transmission media is currently quite rapid, and various fiber optic interfaces are emerging one after another. However, in local area network industrial switches, the fiber optic interface is mainly of the SC type, whether in 100Base-FX or 1000Base-FX networks. The core of the SC interface is inside the connector. This is a 100Base -FX network SC fiber optic interface module, and this is a fiber optic industrial switch that provides four SC fiber optic interfaces.
The SC interface of an industrial switch looks very similar to the RJ-45 interface, although it appears flatter and has a shallower notch. The key difference lies in the type of contact chip: eight copper springs indicate an RJ-45 interface, while a single copper pillar indicates an SC fiber optic interface.
3. AUI interface and BNC
The AUI interface is specifically designed for connecting thick coaxial cables. While this type of network is not commonly found in local area networks (LANs) nowadays, some large enterprise networks may still have legacy thick coaxial cable token network devices. Therefore, some industrial switches retain a few AUI interfaces to better meet user needs. The AUI interface is a 15 -pin " D "-shaped connector, similar to a monitor connector. This interface is also found in many network devices, such as routers and even servers. (A diagram of an AUI interface on a router is shown.)
BNC is an interface specifically designed for connection with thin coaxial cables, and it is relatively uncommon in industrial switches. However, a few RJ-45 Ethernet industrial switches and hubs still offer BNC interfaces specifically for token network connections using thin coaxial cables as the transmission medium. To demonstrate the actual appearance of a BNC interface , we will show you a network card with a BNC interface below .
4. Console Interface
We know this interface is used to configure industrial switches, so only managed industrial switches have it. It's also important to note that not all managed industrial switches have it, because industrial switches can be configured in various ways, such as via Telnet command line, Web interface, or TFTP . While theoretically, basic configuration of an industrial switch must be done through the Console port, some brands of industrial switches have their basic configuration pre-configured at the factory, eliminating the need for basic settings like IP addresses and usernames. Therefore, these types of managed industrial switches don't need to provide this Console interface, and currently, they are the majority. These types of industrial switches typically only require advanced configuration via simple Telnet or a Java- based Web interface.
Of course, some industrial switches do provide console interfaces, but it's important to note that the console port used for configuration on industrial switches is not the same for all industrial switches. Some use the RJ-45 type console interface, the same as Cisco routers , while others use a serial port as the console interface.
The two industrial switches have different console ports: one is a female 9- pin " D "-shaped connector, and the other is a male 9 -pin " D "-shaped connector. They are commonly referred to as " DB-9 " interfaces, but both are used for configuring industrial switches.
In addition to the two types of console ports on industrial switches mentioned above , there is another interface commonly used in the configuration of industrial switches: the 25 -pin " D "-shaped interface.
Regardless of whether an industrial switch uses a DB-9 or DB-25 serial interface, or an RJ-45 interface, configuring an industrial switch generally requires connecting it to the serial port of the configuration computer (usually called a terminal) via a dedicated Console cable, compatible with the different Console ports of the industrial switch. There are two types of Console cables: one is a serial cable, with serial interfaces at both ends (both ends are female, or one end is male and the other is female), which can be plugged into the computer's serial port and the industrial switch's Console port respectively; the other is a flat cable with RJ-45 connectors at both ends ( RJ-45-to-RJ-45 ). Because the flat cable has RJ-45 interfaces at both ends, it cannot be directly connected to the computer's serial port; therefore, an RJ-45-to-DB-9 (or RJ-45-to-DB-25 ) adapter must also be used. Typically, such a Console cable and the corresponding DB-9 or DB-25 adapter are included in the industrial switch packaging.
5. FDDI interface
In the early 100Mbps era, there was another type of network called FDDI , which stands for "Fiber Distributed Data Interface." Clearly, its transmission medium was also optical fiber, and its interface type was primarily SC . Currently, due to its limited advantages, it has largely disappeared.
In summary, the above five types are some of the most common interface types for industrial switches. Of course, there are other interface types, such as the ATM network interface mentioned earlier, and there are also many more types of fiber optic network interfaces than just SC . However, these interfaces are usually not encountered in enterprise LAN industrial switches, so they will not be discussed in detail here. Additionally, if you are interested in our industrial switch products, you can click on our Industrial Interconnection Product Channel on Transmission Network, where you will find more information on our industrial switch products.
Okay, that concludes the detailed introduction to the interface types of industrial switches. I hope it has been helpful.
