Red Lion Launches Rugged and Reliable Industrial Ethernet Switch for Critical Applications

Industrial data-focused company Red Lion has released its latest N-Tron series unmanaged industrial Ethernet switch, the NT116. The NT116 is designed to provide reliable Ethernet connectivity for mission-critical industrial applications. It is suitable for linking sensors, actuators, and other I/O devices. 

Red Lion’s N-Tron NT116 unmanaged 16-port industrial Ethernet switch. Image used courtesy of Red Lion

The N-Tron NT116 Unmanaged Switch

The new N-Tron NT116 is an unmanaged industrial Ethernet switch designed to provide robust and reliable network support to mission-critical applications. It can operate in temperatures between -40 °C and 85 °C, and unlike standard Ethernet switches in the market, which are housed in flimsy plastic enclosures, the NT116 is housed in a heavy-duty industrial metal enclosure that is resistant to shocks and vibrations. The NT116 features 16 high-performance copper ports to support RJ45 Ethernet cables. All 16 ports have built-in electrostatic discharge and surge protection. 

Industrial Network Support

The N-Tron NT116 is designed not just with a sturdy shell but also with powerful functionalities. Red Lion’s NT116 supports full wire speed communications of up to 3.2 Gb/s throughput and supports both full and half duplex operation. The difference between full and half duplex operations is how they handle data transmission.

When a device is functioning at full duplex capacity, it can transmit and receive data simultaneously. Full duplex operation is widely used in modern networks and offers greater data throughput than half duplex operation. In half duplex mode, a device can only either send or receive data at any given time, but not both simultaneously. This can lead to collisions and reduced efficiency and is less prevalent in modern markets due to its limitations. It, however, can be advantageous due to its simplicity.

The N-Tron NT116 is suitable for use in critical industrial applications with harsh conditions, including the oil and gas, utilities, and transportation industries. Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock 

The N-Tron is also equipped with redundant 10-49 VDC power inputs. This means two separate DC voltage sources can power it. If one power input fails, the switch will automatically shift to the other input, ensuring uninterrupted operation. Redundancy in control systems improves reliability in critical industrial applications.

Robust and Reliable Performance

The N-Tron NT116 unmanaged switch is well-suited for industries such as oil and gas, utilities, wastewater treatment, alternative energy, and transportation due to the high durability and reliability required within these applications. The NT116 scored an MTBF rating of 1.2 million hours, which means it is expected to work about 1.2 million hours before experiencing a failure. The MTBF rating is a measure of reliability that shows the average time a component will work before it stops working. To calculate MTBF, the total operation time is divided by the number of failures. 

According to Red Lion Product Manager Diane Davis, “When industrial equipment operators and business leaders can access their data seamlessly and quickly, they derive more value from it. The N-Tron NT116 unmanaged industrial ethernet switch minimizes downtime and maximizes throughput to improve efficiency and drive operational performance.”