Contemporary Controls’ Ethernet switch aids efficiency

Contemporary Controls reports that Ethernet's overwhelming industry penetration has inspired it to introduce an Ethernet switch to meet that need.

By Control Engineering Staff July 1, 2004

EISK5-100T from Contemporary Controls is easy to install and use.

Contemporary Controls reports that Ethernet’s overwhelming industry penetration has inspired it to introduce an Ethernet switch to meet that need. The company says its EISK5-100T switch, also known as the Skorpion, features convenient installation, simple and reliable operation, low-voltage input power, and low cost.

Skorpion switch provides five 10/100 Mbps shielded RJ-45 ports and each port supports the auto-negotiation protocol for selecting data rate, duplex, and flow control. All five ports are auto-MDI/X-compliant, which means any port can operate as an uplink port to another switch, eliminating the need for crossover cables in the field. All these features require no operator intervention, making Skorpion switch beyond doubt “plug-and-play.”

Joe Stasiek, Contemporary’s sales manager, adds that EISK5-100T resolves one of the key problems in industrial automation systems, which is convenient mounting in control panels where DIN-rail space is at a premium. “By definition, office-grade equipment is intended for desktop operation requiring a separate power supply that needs to be powered from a 120/230 V ac mains circuit,” says Stasiek. “In that case, a shelf must be constructed to mount the unit, and a duplex receptacle must be installed inside the control panel.”

Stasiek believes end-users will be receptive to Skorpion because it’s designed for sub-panel mounting. “It can be powered from the same control transformer that powers other industrial automation system equipment, making installation easy and rugged,” he says.

In addition, Skorpion’s activity LEDs face the technician, easing troubleshooting. The label on the unit can be written on, so port connections can be documented detailing the location of connected equipment. To further aid troubleshooting, each port LED is lit solid if a valid link exists to an attached device; flashes to show activity; and indicates data rate by color, either green for 100 Mbps, or yellow for 10 Mbps. A separate green LED indicates whether the device is powered.

—Jim Montague, news editor, Control Engineering, jmontague@reedbusiness.com