NMW 2003: Cisco launches Ethernet switch

Chicago, IL— To extend intelligent Ethernet solutions to the factory floor, Cisco Systems Inc. (San Jose, CA) unveiled its Cisco Catalyst 2955 Series, which is a rugged switch for harsh environments, on March 3 at National Manufacturing Week (NMW) 2003 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Catalyst 2955 is a compact, 12-port LAN switch that combines wire-speed Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity with intelligent switching services, including security, availability and quality of service, which Cisco reports is provided end-to-end by the Cisco Catalyst family.

“The rapid adoption of industrial Ethernet devices reflects an industry rapidly transitioning from proprietary, multiple-network environments on the factory floor to one standards-based Ethernet network,” says Kathy Hill, vp and gm of Cisco’s desktop switching business unit. “By deploying Cisco Catalyst 2955, manufacturers receive not only the interoperability benefits of a standards-based solution, but also the ability to improve productivity by extending Catalyst intelligent switching services company-wide.”

Catalyst 2955’s intelligent switching features include security for controlling access to automation networks; high availability with redundant power supplies, network performance monitoring, simple equipment replacement and multicast traffic management; and quality of service for deterministic performance of critical control traffic.

In addition, Catalyst 2955 includes industrial-grade components, compact size, passive cooling and relay output signaling. It’s also rated to operate at -40 °F to 140 °F, and is designed to with-stand extreme vibration and shock environments.

Control Engineering Daily News DeskJim Montague, news editorjmontague@reedbusiness.com

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