Westermo RedFox industrial routing switch

The Westermo RedFox industrial Ethernet switch range is now fully certified for use in hazardous areas. ATEX/IECEx certification by BASEEFA enables these robust Layer 3 switches to be installed in potentially explosive atmospheres typically found in oil and chemical processing plants, sewage treatment and gas distribution centres, sugar refineries and grain handling locations.

In addition to obtaining EX certification, RedFox has been tested both by Westermo and external test houses to meet many EMC, isolation, vibration and shock standards, all to the highest levels suitable for heavy industrial environments and even rail trackside applications.

RedFox is a key component within Westermo’s Edge Network Solutions, which transfer vital data from the edge of data networks where environmental conditions are harsh back to the core of companies’ business systems.

By combining Westermo’s WeOS network operating software and network tools, with RedFox and other industrial networking hardware, Westermo is able to provide resilient and robust solutions for any mission-critical network.

As a Layer 3 routing switch, RedFox delivers enterprise-type routing functionality, using industry-standard protocols such as OSPF, RIP and VRRP should a failure occur within a ring network. Westermo’s FRNT protocol rapidly reconfigures (around 20 ms) the network to ensure the process can continue. This helps to minimise any disruption to operations and ensure resilient networks can be constructed.

RedFox has a wide power range of 19–60 VDC on dual power inputs for resilience and requires 30% less power than the previous generation of products, a significant benefit for lifetime running costs. RedFox has a wide operating temperature range of -40 to +70°C, making it suitable for extreme environmental conditions; and because it has no moving parts or cooling holes in the aluminium enclosure, this the reliability of the product is maximised, providing a mean time between failure of up to 388,000 h for ATEX/IECEx approved models.