Molex (www.molex.com), one of the leading suppliers of connectors and interconnect components, has announced the release of a B series of unmanaged and managed Brad Direct-Link Ethernet Switches, which can be utilized across complex industrial networks in a variety of monitoring and control functions.

“Our next generation Brad Direct-Link Ethernet Switches feature new enclosure designs, broader operating temperature range and more compact 16- and 18-port designs,” noted Michael Frayne, Global Product Manager at Molex.

The Brad Direct-Link Industrial Ethernet Switches are designed in accordance with the safety standards of UL1604 and UL508, and engineered to withstand extreme operating conditions.

For heavy duty (HD) panel mounting applications, the aluminum enclosure of the switch offers reliable operation ranging from -40°C to +85°C and IP40 performance. For enhanced determinism and multicast filtering, the managed Brad Direct-Link Switches has been specifically designed to support the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). This effectively saves downstream equipment in the Ethernet network from unnecessary traffic. The new switches support QoS/CoS (priority Queuing) to allow real-time operation with the added security benefit of encryption and authentication techniques, Virtual LANs (VLANs) for easy, programmable traffic segmentation, and Real-Time Ring compliant redundant Ethernet ring capability.

“Industrial control applications require complex networks with high data rates and time-sensitive devices whilst harsh environments on the plant floor create vibration, heat and other hazards. The Brad Direct-Link Ethernet Switches meet the three main design challenges posed by industrial Ethernet applications – determinism, robustness and ease of integration,” added Mr. Frayne.

The Brad Direct-Link Industrial Ethernet Switches are comes with other Molex products that include receptacles, cordsets, I/O modules, field-attachable connectors, gateways, PC interfaces, simulation software and diagnostic tools.