Our products are designed to withstand the harshest environments to perform without fail, whether they’re onboard a helicopter deployed in active combat, an autonomous semi-truck navigating through heavy interstate traffic, or an offshore drilling site that endures rough seas and seismic activity. Yet, every once in a while, a customer requires a rugged compute solution that can withstand even greater demands and more punishing conditions than most of us can imagine.
An international customer approached Crystal Group to help them quickly develop a rugged switch for use on military platforms with even greater EMI performance. Given the remote operating conditions, it was also critical to reduce any potential complications with installation since there is limited technical support available.
Based on the customer’s unique needs for a rugged switch in a military platform, our engineers adapted the existing RCS7150 to enable easier installation and use in uniquely harsh environments.
The most significant change on the resulting RCS7150-12M was swapping out the standard RJ-45 connectors that require an extra cable bus bar to cable dress the application wiring for M12 individual circular connectors. This modification not only simplified installation, but also provided the required support in harsh environments. To ensure installation of remote cameras and other single wire connected devices to the switch is simple, it has power over ethernet (PoE) on all 12 ports. All the ports are at least 15.4W, and four are 30W capable, for maximum power throughout the switch.
The RCS7150-12M builds on the proven success of the RCS7150 with greater ease of installation and operation along with high reliability in an extremely harsh environment. By adapting the ports, connectors, and adding an AC power cord, this network switch works when, where, and how the customer needs.