EOTec 2104 User Manual
Introduction
1
Introduction
This manual describes how to use the EOTec 2104 Ethernet Ring Switch, an intelligent
Ethernet device switch specially designed for connecting Ethernet-enabled devices in
industrial field applications.
Ethernet is swiftly being adopted by the industrial automation and control industry.
Industrial applications often demand rugged, robust equipment that can provide high
reliability in settings far removed from a comfortable, climate-controlled office
environment. In addition, Ethernet gives the advantage of widespread usage and lower
costs due to high volumes.
Industrial Ethernet devices attached to a network usually cannot tell what is happening
elsewhere on the system. As a result, the responsibility for monitoring the network must
fall on the Ethernet communication equipment that connects these devices. Real-time
alarm messages are a vital feature to inform system administrators and operators when
a problem exists on the network.
Introducing the EOTec 2104 Ethernet Ring Switch
Fiber optic technology provides many advantages for industrial control applications.
These include EMI/RFI immunity, the ability to run fiber optic cable through hazardous
areas, and the ability to connect long distance communication links. Another benefit is
the ability to achieve media redundancy without incurring the cost of duplicate hardware
systems. By using the Weed Instrument Self-Healing Ring solution, a critical system can
achieve uninterrupted communications, even in the event of a failure in the fiber optic
communication lines.
1