Innovasic announces its next generation of Industrial Ethernet switch identified as the fido5000, Real-time Ethernet, Multi-protocol (REM) Switch. The fido5000 REM Switch can be paired with any processor including any ARM® CPU or Innovasic’s fido1100® communication controller and supports PROFINET, PROFINET IRT (version 2.3), EtherNet/IP, EtherNet/IP with Beacon-based DLR, ModbusTCP, EtherCAT, SERCOS, and POWERLINK all in a single silicon solution.
Unlike other standalone switches that leave protocol integration up to the user, the fido5000 REM Switch comes with a driver for each protocol to easily configure the switch and integrate the protocol stack. While EtherCAT and POWERLINK do not technically use a switch, the fido5000 can be configured to meet all of the performance and connectivity requirements for these protocols. The driver for PROFINET IRT will be available in January 2014 followed by ModbusTCP, EtherCAT, and EtherNet/IP (with and without DLR). SERCOS and POWERLINK drivers will be released in Q3 2014.
The REM Switch incorporates Innovasic’s unique PriorityChannel™ Technology that ensures real-time Industrial Ethernet messages are processed on-time, every time regardless of the protocol and the amount of network traffic on the wire. This feature reduces factory down-time due to devices failing under network traffic load conditions.
“The REM Switch is an industry first,” says Innovasic’s CEO Keith Prettyjohns. “No other switch on the market supports all major Industrial Ethernet protocols. Furthermore, the unique architecture of REM includes configurable blocks that will support the future convergence of standards-based time-sensitive Ethernet protocols being developed by IEEE802.1.”
Production shipments will begin in January 2014 and the datasheet is available now through Innovasic’s website.
Innovasic
www.innovasic.com