Danish State Rail Operator DSB Turns to GarrettCom Europe for an In-Carriage Network Solution

Dec. 21, 2009 - PRLog -- GarrettCom 6KQ Ethernet switches are providing Danish state rail operator DSB with Ethernet LAN backbones on its fleet of trains. The 6KQ switches provide network connections for in-carriage IP-enabled security and surveillance equipment, infotainment systems, and passenger counting technology.

The 6KQ met DSB’s need for a compact, cost-effective 10-port Ethernet switch, with Gigabit bandwidth, in a hardened package with the assurance of EN50155 certification for railway applications. A 6KQ switch is mounted in each carriage, connected using a bus topology, providing an Ethernet backbone along the length of the train into which the IP-enabled equipment can be readily connected. The backbone is also connected to gateway, responsible for handling the network traffic between the train and the outside world. Network packages can be transmitted and received via an antenna installed on the roof of the carriage.

The switches are all powered from an auxiliary 110V DC system, installed through each coach. The switches are fully managed using GarrettCom’s MNS-6K software, making it simple to realise optimal network traffic for all subsystems.

The 6KQ is a rugged field switch developed to meet user requirements for small form-factor Gigabit Ethernet switches in demanding applications. It offers a maximum of 12 ports, and can be configured with user-selected combinations of 10Mb, 100Mb and Gigabit fibre ports of any connector type. Copper port options include 10/100/1000 RJ-45, as well as up to eight 10/100 PoE (power over Ethernet) ports. To meet the needs of demanding industrial Ethernet applications, the 6KQ can easily handle stressful workload mixtures of high-burst data traffic and priority streaming traffic.

The EN50155 standard for electronic railroad applications introduces stringent demands for reliability, covering humidity, extended temperature range (–40 to +85°C), shock, vibration and power fluctuations. In addition, EN50155 prohibits the use of fans in train electronics: only passive cooling technologies are permitted. The 6KQ meets all these requirements. In particular, it is sealed to IP53 for dust and water resistance, and features a unique case design for maximum heat dissipation, eliminating the need for fan cooling.

EN50155 as a precautionary measure suggests the use of protective coatings for PCBs in electronic products to counteract corrosive atmospheres that are often present in railroad applications. GarrettCom offers conformal coating as an optional add-on to ensure continuous operation.

GarrettCom Europe has an established reputation within the rail industry, having been involved in numerous railway networking projects throughout the world for some of the biggest names in the industry. In addition to DSB, GarrettCom Europe has supplied managed Ethernet switches to QinetiQ Rail in the UK, Sturkton in the Netherlands and RUF in Switzerland, and for TGV lines in France, and the Milan and Florence metro systems in Italy.

# # #

Industrial Ethernet manufacturer of industrial Ethernet switches, rugged ethernet and hardened ethernet switches, hubs and routers for industrial networking within defence, oil & gas, automation,telecommunications, power utility and many more industries