Turck Expands TNIC Line of Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switches

Turck, a popular automation device supplier with product families such as sensors, ID readers, communication technology, and power supplies, has expanded its TNIC series to include compact and rugged unmanaged Ethernet switches. Ethernet switches allow multiple Ethernet devices to be connected to the same network. Once connected, all the devices on the same network can talk to each other and share information.

Turck has expanded its TNIC series with compact and rugged unmanaged Ethernet switches available in 5, 8, or 16 ports. Image used courtesy of Turck

TNIC Unmanaged Switches

For many years, Ethernet infrastructure has been the industry standard for industrial protocols such as Ethernet/IP, ProfiNet, and Modbus TCP. These protocols use Ethernet hardware to transmit messages and data over a network. Recently, Turck released five new unmanaged Ethernet switches under the TNIC product family. These new switches come in 5, 8, or 16-port versions with up to 100 Mbps speeds. Faster versions are available with 5 or 8 ports and up to 1000 Mbps speeds.

The new TNIC switches are designed to be installed within an electrical cabinet and feature an all-aluminum housing that is IP30-rated and can operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to 70 °C. Each switch can operate on 6 - 36 VDC, making the TNIC switch a versatile option for network applications. The power connection is accessed via a 3-pin plug with screw terminals for conductor connections. Mounting of the TNIC switch is easily done with the incorporated DIN connector.

The 8-port unmanaged Ethernet switch part of the TNIC series. Image used courtesy of Turck

Ethernet Switch Interface

Not all switches are created equal, and not all switches will support industrial processes. The TNIC switch interface supports auto-crossing, auto-negotiation, and auto-polarity. The 1000 Mbit TNIC switches also support jumbo frames up to 9216 bytes to support vision and other large data applications. With communication standards developing as fast as they do today, devices need to be backward compatible: the TNIC switches support 802.3 x, u, q, and ab (for the 1000 Mbit switches) so that all devices communicate successfully.

Ethernet switches play an important role in transmitting and receiving data in industrial applications. Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock

Industrial Networks

Today, many devices are equipped with Ethernet connections, which enables them to share diagnostic and parameter data and even transmit real-time status. With all these devices connected to one network, it is important to have a reliable network that is optimized and supports the protocols used by the devices. The new TNIC switches from Turck are unmanaged for simple plug-and-play functionally and support industry-requiring speeds and interfaces. With these features and the wide operating temperatures and voltages, the new TNIC Ethernet switches from Turck would make an excellent network switch for most applications.