A large scale railway project required a unified communication infrastructure connecting numerous dispatch stations, Remote Data Concentrator (RDC) systems and radio equipment. The deployment also included OLE terminals and Smart PTT systems for voice communication and documentation.
PLANET industrial managed Ethernet switches were selected to provide connectivity across the distributed infrastructure. Key requirements included precise time synchronisation, voice traffic prioritisation, high network availability and central monitoring of remote network equipment.
The Challenge: Reliable Communication Across Multiple Locations
The systems had to communicate reliably across a geographically dispersed infrastructure while supporting different types of network traffic.
IEEE 1588 PTP v2 provides the precise time synchronisation required by the project. QoS prioritises time sensitive voice traffic, while VLANs separate services and network segments. Routing connects the required network segments, and fast ring recovery improves availability if a network connection is interrupted.
The deployment therefore required different combinations of copper and fibre ports, bandwidth, routing capabilities and installation formats. Three industrial switch models were used to meet these requirements.
Three Switch Platforms for Different Network Requirements
The IGS-12040MT combines eight Gigabit Ethernet copper ports with four SFP interfaces. Its compact design, DIN rail and wall mounting options and -40 to +75 °C operating temperature range make it suitable for industrial installations combining local Ethernet devices with fibre connectivity.
For higher fibre density, the deployment also used the IGS-6325-20S4C4X. This 19 inch platform provides 14 100/1000BASE-X SFP ports, ten additional 1G/2.5G SFP ports and four 10G SFP+ interfaces, complemented by four shared Gigabit Ethernet copper ports.
The IGS-6325-20T4C4X takes the opposite approach, providing 24 Gigabit Ethernet copper ports together with four shared SFP interfaces and four 10G SFP+ ports.
Together, the three platforms provided the deployed solution with compact copper and fibre connectivity, higher port densities and 10G links. The two IGS-6325 models also support IPv4/IPv6 static routing and OSPFv2.
Time Synchronisation, Voice Priority and Redundancy
IEEE 1588 PTP v2 provides a common time reference across the network. This is particularly important for distributed communication systems where events and voice records need to be accurately correlated.
QoS gives voice communication priority when network traffic increases, while VLANs provide logical separation between different services and data flows. Routing and fast ring recovery add the capabilities required to maintain reliable communication across the distributed infrastructure.
The result is an integrated managed Ethernet environment supporting timing, voice and data transmission, and network availability within the same infrastructure.
Central Monitoring Across Distributed Locations
A geographically distributed network also requires efficient monitoring. NMS-500 and NMS-1000V were used in the project to provide central management of the network infrastructure.
Topology views, automatic device discovery, real time status monitoring, event alarms and remote firmware updates allow network equipment to be supervised from a central location. This supports faster fault identification while reducing the need for on site maintenance.
Proven Industrial Ethernet for Railway Communication
The deployment demonstrates how industrial Ethernet, fibre, 10G connectivity, Layer 3 routing, IEEE 1588 PTP, QoS, VLAN, ring redundancy and central network management can work together in a large railway communication infrastructure.
For comparable projects, component selection depends on factors such as port requirements, transmission distances, bandwidth, time synchronisation, redundancy, power supply and environmental conditions.
Planning a railway dispatch, radio communication or other railway communication project? Send us your technical requirements. We can help select the appropriate components for your application.
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