10 Things to Consider When Purchasing an Ethernet Switch for ITS

10GbE High Speed Ethernet, Certifications for Vehicles, PoE Booster are Key Points

Nowadays, Ethernet switches are commonly adopted in ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) applications. You can find them in smart vehicles, autonomous vehicles, smart parking systems, and intelligent traffic control systems. They don’t just connect sensors, high-definition cameras, and passenger information systems, but also transmit important data for backbone networks. We list 10 things to consider when purchasing this kind of device:

  • 10GbE Ethernet ports deliver high speed and huge bandwidth

    Technology has tremendously developed in recent years and the devices that are connected to the Ethernet are growing accordingly. Thus, the requirement for bandwidth is getting higher and higher. Autonomous vehicles, for example, integrate 8K panoramic cameras and various sensors to collect environmental information in order to move safely with little or no human control. The Ethernet switch needs to handle this data reliably, if the Ethernet switch fails to provide such a service, there could be a delay or packet loss, this could result in a huge impact towards transportation safety. With ITS applications starting to require faster & larger amounts of data, Ethernet switches with 10GbE uplinks should be the required choice for current and future expansion.

  • PoE budget 30W per port is good, next-gen 802.3bt with 60W per port is great

    Power over Ethernet (PoE) combines data transmission and power supply which helps reduce the cost of installation and maintenance. Normally, this is considered an essential requirement in ITS applications. However, only the switches that support IEEE802.3at/af/bt standard should be considered in order to guarantee the highest compatibility with end devices. 802.3at/af models can deliver up to 30Watts per port while 802.3bt models provide up to 60Watts per port. Choosing these models could not only satisfy the current needs but could also fulfill future requirements when upgrading to advanced devices with higher power consumption.

  • Is it certified to meet your environment needs?

    Different certifications apply to different kinds of environments. Adopting Ethernet switches with Internationally recognized certifications can provide more protection for different environments and enhanced reliability. For example, E-Marking certification for vehicle applications and EN50155 certification for rolling stock applications are well-known and trusted certifications.

  • Monitoring switch’s status in real time assures a reliable network

    Via the built-in environmental monitor, the maintenance teams can check the system hardware status for the following parameters, temperature, input voltage, and power current. The maintenance teams can receive SNMP traps or email notifications when the one of these parameters has been exceeded. The enhanced monitor can show more detailed real time information, voltage input, CPU load, temperature & throughput in a graphical representation, this is easier to understand rather than just numerical figures.

  • Is it protected with galvanic isolation?

    Lightning can strike anywhere on earth, the damage a lighting strike can cause due to the surge in voltage in an outdoor environment has always been a critical issue for customers, ITS applications are no exceptions, most ITS system have signs, cameras & sensors mounted high on metal poles. Lantech’s Industrial 10GbE switches provide galvanic isolation protection for the power input, reducing the risk of power currents flowing through the system directly, in turn this helps reduce the damage when the network runs into such harsh environmental disasters.

  • Two 10GbE uplink ports are not enough, choose one with four 10GbE ports

    When considering Ethernet switches for current and future requirements, consider a unit with a minimum of 4 X 10GbE uplink ports, your current requirement may only need 2 X 10GbE uplink ports, thinking of the future these requirements will increase and by choosing a unit with 4 X 10GbE uplinks ports will allow for more expansion, flexibility & have future cost benefits. When choosing a DIN-Rail Ethernet switch for ITS applications, you should really consider one with 4 X 10GbE ports.

  • 12/24VDC power booster – Best for vehicles, solar panel, and battery-related applications

    12/24VDC power supply is commonly seen in vehicles, Solar Panel & battery applications but not every Ethernet switch can support it without an additional power supply. To support this power input range and provide PoE for devices at the same time, Ethernet switches with PoE booster are the best solution. However, even though some products in the market have a built-in PoE booster, the total PoE budget under 12VDC operation is less than 80Watts. This can have limitations for ITS applications. Lantech Industrial PoE Ethernet switches include several models, which support various power inputs, ranging from 9.5-60Vdc and then 90Vac(120Vdc) – 305Vac(430Vdc).

  • High specifications are future-proof and upgradable

    To provide a stable and reliable performance under full-load or multi-tasking situations, Ethernet switches for ITS applications should be powerful enough and future-proof. High End specifications can provide higher throughput, & higher back-plane switching fabric, etc. Thanks to top specifications, Lantech OS3/OS4 managed industrial Ethernet switches have built-in Layer 2 plus management function and are able to be upgraded to Layer 3 Lite or Layer 3 if needed in the future.

  • Wide range operating temperature stands for stability

    Due to the wide range of applications covered by ITS, some of the applications may face all kinds of harsh environmental conditions. For example, an autonomous car may operate between the two extremes of temperature from Yakutsk in Russia normally -34°C in the winter, to the temperatures in Kebili in Tunisia normally + 40°C during summer months. If the Ethernet switch does not support a wide operating temperature, the networking system may become unstable or face interruptions. A true rugged switch for ITS should have a minimum operating temperature range of -40°C to +75°C (-40°F to +167°F).

  • Support of PXE ensures the switch has the latest firmware

    With PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment) supported, the Ethernet switches connected to a PXE server can keep updating to the latest firmware. It reduces the risk caused by running older firmware that may have vulnerability issues or security bugs.