Ethernet switches are generally divided into: commercial (Ethernet) switches, industrial (Ethernet) switches, and home (Ethernet) switches. Here, we will focus on introducing industrial switches.
Industrial switches are generally used in industrial production environments. They typically come in various appearances and installation methods. Depending on the application, requirements may include waterproofing, dustproofing, shock resistance, and electromagnetic interference resistance, as well as high reliability, requiring continuous 24/7 operation. Some automatic control applications require low forwarding latency, while others require redundant power supplies, such as DC 24V power supplies.
"Industrial control switch" isn't actually a standard name; it's more of a colloquial term. Switches used in the industrial control sector are often called industrial switches.
In standard terms, there are three things: industrial PCs, program-controlled exchanges, and telephone exchanges. An industrial PC is an industrial-grade PC, or a variant of a PC, primarily used to run specific programs. A program-controlled exchange is simply a telephone exchange; companies need this if they want to install a main switchboard and extensions.
A switch is obviously for PCs. Ethernet is a standard network protocol, and all networks we use now are based on Ethernet. All switches and Ethernet switches are essentially the same thing; we don't usually call them that. As for industrial switches, they are distinguished from managed switches used in homes. Actually, there isn't such a clear definition for these products. Currently, managed switches are only around 200-300 RMB, which is perfectly adequate for home use.
Another point is working hours. Industrial appliances generally support 24/7 operation, but nowadays home appliances are often powered on continuously, so there's no need to distinguish them so clearly.
