Fiber Optic Switch conducts Ethernet in Zone 1 areas.
Press Release Summary:
Certified by KEMA, Single Port Fiber Optic Switch limits energy in fiber optic cable so it can be run without additional protective sheathing in flammable plant areas. DIN rail mounted unit uses 24 Vdc power and comes with four 10/100 MB TX Ethernet connections. Single fiber optic port can be used with DeltaV Zone1 I/O scanner as well as independently of DeltaV system to route Ethernet safely through Zone 1 or Class 1 Division 2 areas.
Original Press Release:
Emerson's Single-Port Fiber Optic Switch Conducts Ethernet in Zone 1 Areas
Fiber optic cables are the safe way to route Ethernet through Zone 1 or Class 1 Division 2 plant areas. Right? Well, that is only true if the cables are housed in a conduit or protective sheath. This adds significantly to installation costs. A broken fiber optic cable carries enough energy to cause a spark and is unsafe unless protected, until now. We are releasing a new product that is certified to limit the energy in a fiber optic cable so they can be run without additional protection in flammable plant areas.
Emerson has released for sale a new energy-limiting fiber optic switch that for the first time permits fiber optic cable to be used in Zone 1 areas without protective sheathing. The Single Port Fiber Optic Switch is certified by KEMA to limit the energy in the cable so that a potential cable break is safe in Zone 1 and Class 1 Division 2 (C1D2) environments. The new Ethernet switch is DIN rail mounted, uses 24 VDC power, is equipped with a single fiber optic port, and four 10/100 MB TX Ethernet connections. The port can is used with the new DeltaV Zone1 I/O scanner and can be used independently of the DeltaV system to route Ethernet safely through Zone 1 or C1D2 areas.
"This product was developed to reduce the cost of installing fiber optic cabling in our customers' Zone 1 areas," said Gary Law, DeltaV system product manager. "This is the first of a family of similar fiber optic products that will address Zone 1 and C1D2 issues." The fiber optic switch is designed it to the same G3 environmental specs as the DeltaV product so it can be mounted in Zone 2 or C1D2 environments. Since it doesn't use the DeltaV backplane, pairs of these switches can be used wherever fiber optic cable needs to be routed to or through Zone 1 or C1D2 locations.
Dave Holmes
PR Manager
Emerson Process Management
PS/S Division
512-418-7536
