GE 1601-9026-A3 User Manual
IISO9001:2000
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Digital Energy
Multilin
MultiLink
Ethernet Communications Switch
Quickstart Guide
Firmware Revision 3.x
Manual P/N: 1601-9026-A3
Manual Order Code: GEK-113393B
Copyright © 2009 GE Multilin
GE Multilin
215 Anderson Avenue, Markham, Ontario
Canada L6E 1B3
Tel: (905) 294-6222 Fax: (905) 201-2098
Internet: http://www.GEmultilin.com
*1601-0220-A3*
GE Multilin's Quality
Management System is
registered to ISO9001:2000
QMI # 005094
UL # A3775
These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment nor provide
for every possible contingency to be met in connection with installation, operation, or
maintenance. Should further information be desired or should particular problems arise
which are not covered sufficiently for the purchaser’s purpose, the matter should be referred
to the General Electric Company.
To the extent required the products described herein meet applicable ANSI, IEEE, and NEMA
standards; but no such assurance is given with respect to local codes and ordinances
because they vary greatly.
© 2009 GE Multilin Incorporated. All rights reserved.
GE Multilin Multilink Quickstart Guide for revision 3.x.
Multilink is a registered trademark of GE Multilin Inc.
The contents of this manual are the property of GE Multilin Inc. This documentation is
furnished on license and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission
of GE Multilin. The content of this manual is for informational use only and is subject to
change without notice.
Part numbers contained in this manual are subject to change without notice, and should
therefore be verified by GE Multilin before ordering.
Part number: 1601-9026-A3 (July 2009)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
1. PREPARATION ...................................................................................................... 1
RECAUTIONS ...............................................................................................................................1
P
ETERMINING MOUNTING LOCATION ......................................................................................1
D
2. MECHANICAL INSTALLATION ........................................................................ 3
ABLE-TOP OR SHELF MOUNTING ............................................................................................3
T
ACK MOUNTING - ML2400 ...................................................................................................3
R
AIL / PANEL MOUNTING - ML1600 ............................................................................4
DIN-R
Mounting Dimensions with Metal Brackets............................................................6
DIN-RAIL / PANEL MOUNTING - ML1200/ML800 ...........................................................7
Mounting Dimensions for ML1200/ML800 with metal brackets..................7
3. ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION ........................................................................... 9
OWERING THE UNIT - ML2400 .............................................................................................9
P
OWERING THE UNIT - ML1600 .............................................................................................10
P
OWERING THE UNIT - ML1200/ML800 .............................................................................10
P
EQUIREMENTS FOR DC-POWERED UNITS ......................................................................11
UL R
LARM CONTACTS .......................................................................................................................11
A
IELECTRIC STRENGTH (HI-POT) TESTING ................................................................................12
D
4. CONNECTING A MANAGEMENT CONSOLE TERMINAL TO THE UNIT ... 13
ESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................13
D
ML2400/ML1600.................................................................................................................13
ML1200/ML800....................................................................................................................14
5. INTRODUCTION TO TWISTED PAIR & FIBER OPTIC ETHERNET LANS .. 15
THERNET PHYSICAL LAYER: TWISTED PAIR COPPER VS FIBER OPTIC ................................15
E
Twisted Pair copper cable..............................................................................................15
Fiber..........................................................................................................................................16
SUPPORTED NETWORK TOPOLOGIES ........................................................................................16
Star Architecture.................................................................................................................16
Mesh Architecture..............................................................................................................16
Ring Architecture................................................................................................................17
10BASE T AND 100BASET MEDIA .........................................................................................17
Unshielded Twisted Pair cable: ....................................................................................17
Ethernet: Unshielded Twisted Pair..............................................................................18
6. CONNECTING ETHERNET MEDIA ................................................................... 20
ESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................20
D
ONNECTING ST-TYPE FIBER OPTICS (TWIST-LOCK) ..............................................................20
C
ONNECTING SC-TYPE FIBER OPTICS (SNAP-IN) ....................................................................21
C
ONNECTING SINGLE-MODE FIBER OPTICS ............................................................................21
C
ONNECTING RJ45 TWISTED PAIR ..........................................................................................21
C
ONNECTING GIGABIT MEDIA USING GBICS .........................................................................22
C
7. HUBS AND SWITCHES ........................................................................................ 23
IBER OPTIC ETHERNET: .............................................................................................................23
F
Wavelengths of light.........................................................................................................23
SINGLE AND MULTI-MODE CABLE .............................................................................................24
Fiber Cable Cross Section and Physical Specifications.....................................24
Single mode fiber - Less attenuation per unit distance ...................................25
8. OPTICAL POWER BUDGET ................................................................................ 26
SSIGNING AN IP ADDRESS TO THE MULTILIN SWITCH .........................................................27
A
SSIGNING A STATIC IP ADDRESS TO A PERSONNEL COMPUTER ..........................................33
A
ONFIGURING THE SWITCH PORTS FOR UR REDUNDANT OPERATION ................................39
C
MULTILINK ML1600/2400 ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE TOC–I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
9. TAGGED VLANS & RING ONLY MODE- ..........................................................42
Background:..........................................................................................................................42
CONFIGURING TAGGED VLANS ............................................................................................... 42
Configuring a VLAN within the switch.......................................................................43
CONFIGURING THE MULTILINK SWITCH FOR RING ONLY MODE ......................................... 49
10. MULTILINK FIRMWARE UPDATES ................................................................ 57
PDATING MULTILINK FIRMWARE ........................................................................................... 57
U
ELECTING THE PROPER VERSION ........................................................................................... 57
S
PGRADING USING A SERIAL CONNECTION- COMMAND LINE INTERFACE ....................... 57
U
PDATING USING THE ENERVISTA WEB INTERFACE SOFTWARE ........................................ 62
U
Using FTP................................................................................................................................62
Using TFTP..............................................................................................................................63
TOC–II MULTILINK ML1600/2400 ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
Digital Energy
Multilin
Multilink
Ethernet Communications Switch
QuickStart Guide
QuickStart Guide
1 Preparation
1.1 Precautions
Before installing the equipment, it is necessary to take the following precautions if the
equipment is mounted in an enclosed or multiple rack assembly:
1. Ensure the environmental temperature is less than or equal to 50°C.
2. Please ensure 1U (1.75") gap is provided above each switch in the enclosure
for heat dissipation.
3. Placement of the equipment must not overload or unevenly load the rack
system.
4. Verify the equipment's power requirements to prevent overloading of
electrical circuits.
5. Verify that the equipment has a reliable and uncompromised grounding path.
6. Equipment is to be installed by service personnel in a restricted operation
area.
This chapter describes installation of the MultiLink Ethernet Switch, as well as connection
of the various Ethernet media types.
1.2 Determining Mounting Location
For mounting instructions, refer to Section 2, below.
The location of a Unit switch is dependent on the physical layout of the network. The Unit is
typically placed in a central location where groups of network devices need to
communicate. These switches are typically rack mounted in a wiring closet, but because
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 1
QUICKSTART GUIDE
they have rubber feet they can also be installed on a shelf or table top unit. The compact
size allows the Unit to be easily placed in an office or lab area, and it can also be either
shelf of wall-mounted.
Locate a power source within six feet (2 meters) of the intended Unit site. The rugged metal
case will normally protect the switch from accidental damage in a lab or workplace
setting. Maintain an open view of the front to visually monitor the status LEDs.
2 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
2 Mechanical Installation
NOTE
754733A1.CDR
754734A1.CDR
2.1 Table-top or Shelf Mounting
The Unit can be mounted on a table-top or any suitable horizontal surface. It has four
rubber feet to provide stability without scratching finished surfaces.
2.2 Rack Mounting - ML2400
Installation of a MultiLink Ethernet Switch in a 19-inch rack is a simple procedure. When
properly installed, the front-mounted LED status indicators should be in plain view and
easy to read. Rack-mount installation requires special 19-inch rack-mounted brackets and
screws (included with the Unit). These brackets attach to the front sides of the switch,
which is then typically fastened into a standard 19" RETMA rack as shown below.
QUICKSTART GUIDE
FIGURE 1: Rack mounting
Note
Please ensure 1U (1.75") gap is provided above each switch in the enclosure for heat
dissipation.
FIGURE 2: Mountings for Unit units rack-mounted in a frame
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 3
QUICKSTART GUIDE
754708A1.CDR
The 23-inch brackets and the ETSI (European metric, approximately 21") brackets are also
available for rack-mounting of the Unit. These brackets are popular in the
telecommunications industry where they are a standard for central office rack-mounting
purposes. The 23-inch and the ETSI brackets are mainly used for larger equipment
assemblies in rack-mounting frames where the rack-mount equipment is typically
accessed in operation from both sides.
The bracket mounting holes in the sides of the Unit permits it to be mounted in various
ways. The same holes fit all three types (19", ETSI, 23") of brackets. The mounting for the 23"
is illustrated above. The brackets may be attached flush with the front, or attached in the
center for a set-back mounting which may reduce cabling torque.
The optional 23" brackets and the ETSI (21") brackets each come as a pair in a package,
along with the necessary screws for attaching the brackets to the sides of the Unit. They
must be ordered as line items.
2.3 DIN-Rail / Panel Mounting - ML1600
The Unit is designed for use in a “factory floor” industrial environment. It is available with
optional DIN-rail brackets to mount it securely in a metal factory floor enclosure,
maintained vertically for proper convection cooling of the unit. The Unit requires two DINrail mounting clips or latches for secure mounting – contact GE Multilin for ordering
information.
FIGURE 3: Unit with DIN-rail clips
The DIN rail latching clips are mounted on the upper rear corners of the unit. Two threaded
holes are provided on the sides of Unit for DIN-rail mounting purposes. Two #10-32 × 3/8
PHIL. PAN with star washer screws are included with the DIN-rail brackets. The two heavy
duty DIN-rail latches are designed to be manually accessible from the top when the unit is
installed on a DIN-rail.
4 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
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754709A1.CDR
754710A1.CDR
FIGURE 4: DIN-rail latch (detail)
To install the Unit with the DIN-rail brackets and latches, hold the unit in the vertical
position with the bottom out and with the top toward the DIN-rail. Position the latches over
the top of the DIN-rail, then snap the latches into holding position by moving the bottom of
the switch inwards to a vertical position. The heavy-duty DIN-rail latches and brackets will
hold the Unit securely in position, even with cabling attached to the unit.
To release the Unit from the DIN-rail, simultaneously press down the top of the DIN-rail
latches to release the switch, which can then be dismounted by pulling the bottom out.
Once the bottom of the Unit is rotated out , the DIN-rail latch is not engaged and the switch
can be moved up and out, free of the DIN-rail mounting.
The following figure shows the vertical mounting of the Unit on a DIN-rail track for proper
convection cooling. Note there is air space in the rear, as the Unit is held out from the rear
of the panel by the mounting brackets. The Unit design uses the case for cooling (patent
pending) and needs to be mounted vertically with air flow space in the front, rear, and
sides.
FIGURE 5: Unit mounted vertically with DIN-rail brackets and latches
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 5
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754711A1.CDR
The DIN-Rail mounting brackets and latches are optional and need to be ordered as
separate items.
2.3.1 Mounting Dimensions with Metal Brackets
Each MultiLink Unit is supplied with metal mounting brackets and screws to mount the unit
securely. It is recommended to mount the Unit vertically for proper cooling and long-life
reliability. It is also advisable to mount the unit with space for air movement around the top
and the sides, typically a minimum of 1 inch.
The back of the Unit unit is held out from the panel or wall behind it, creating a rear space
of about ¼ inch or 1 cm. This allows air circulation and cooling of the rear part of the case.
Since the Unit uses special internal thermal techniques (patent pending) to move the heat
generated by the electronic components inside into the case, the case may be quite warm
to the touch during normal operation.
The unit can be mounted using the brackets turned outside (normal) or inside (if space is
tight). Attach the mounting bracket either outside or inside as shown in the illustration
below (dotted line shown for the brackets inside). The spacing for the mounting screws into
the supporting wall or panel is a rectangle 11.89" × 7.85" center-to-center.
FIGURE 6: Unit mounting dimensions
6 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
2.4 DIN-Rail / Panel Mounting - ML1200/ML800
The Multilink ML1200/ML800 is designed for use in a “factory floor” industrial environment.
It is available with optional DIN-Rail brackets to mount it securely in a metal factory floor
enclosure, maintained vertically for proper convection cooling of the unit. The Unit requires
one DIN-Rail mounting clip or latch for secure mounting.
The Din Rail Latching clips are mounted on the upper side corners of the ML1200/ML800
unit. Two threaded holes are provided on the sides of the Unit for DIN-Rail mounting
purposes. See side view at the left. The required two screws are included with the DIN-Rail
brackets, and are no.10-32 X 3/8 PHIL. PAN w/star washer. The two heavy-duty Din-Rail
latches are designed as if that they can be manually accessed from the top when the Unit
is installed on a DIN Rail.
To install the Unit with the DIN-Rail brackets and latches attached to it, hold it in the side
vertical position with the bottom out, and with the top moved in toward the DIN-Rail.
Position the latches over the top of the DIN-Rail. Then, snap the latches into holding
position by moving the bottom of the Unit inwards to a vertical position. The DIN-Rail
latches and brackets are heavy duty, and will hold the Unit securely in position, even with
cabling attached to it.
To release the Unit from the DIN-Rail mounting, press the top of the two DIN-Rail latches
down simultaneously to release the Unit so that it can be dismounted by pulling the
bottom out. Once the bottom of the Unit is rotated out, the DIN-Rail latch is not engaged
and it can be moved up and out, free of the DIN-Rail mounting.
QUICKSTART GUIDE
If the Unit is to be mounted on a DIN-Rail track, for proper convection cooling of the unit
there must be air space in the rear, as the Unit is held out from the rear of the panel by the
mounting brackets. . Note that there is air space in the rear, as the Unit is held out from the
rear of the panel by the mounting brackets. The ML1200/ML800 design uses the case for
cooling (patent pending), and needs to be mounted vertically with air flow space around it
in the front, rear, and sides.
The DIN-Rail mounting brackets and latches are optional and need to be ordered as
separate items.
2.4.1 Mounting Dimensions for ML1200/ML800 with metal brackets
Each Unit is supplied with metal mounting brackets and screws to mount the unit securely
on a panel or wall. It is recommended to mount the ML1200/ML800 Unit vertically, for
proper cooling and long-life reliability. It is also advisable to mount the unit with space for
air movement around the top and the sides, typically a minimum of 1 inch.
Note that the metal brackets supplied hold the back of the Unit out from the panel or wall
behind it, creating a rear space of about ¼ inch or 1cm. This allows air circulation and
cooling of the rear part of the case.
For best cooling of the Unit, attach the metal brackets to metal (rather than wood or
plastic). Attaching to metal helps conduct heat away from the Unit through the metal
brackets and into the metal support structure.
Since the Unit has special internal thermal techniques (patent pending) to move the heat
generated by the electronic components inside into the case, the case may be quite warm
to the touch during normal operation.
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 7
QUICKSTART GUIDE
The Unit is mounted using the brackets as shown in the illustration above. The spacing for
the mounting screws into the supporting wall or panel is a rectangle 21.74 x 11.91 cm (8.56
x 4.69 inches) center-to-center.
8 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
3 Electrical Installation
NOTE
NOTE
3.1 Powering the Unit - ML2400
Units with the AC power supply option can be connected directly to 110/240 V AC with the
supplied power cord.
The standard high voltage (120/125 V AC/DC) or low-voltage (48 V DC) terminal block on
the Unit is located on the rear of the unit and is equipped with three (3) screw-down lead
posts. The power terminals are identified as positive (+), negative (–), and filter ground (
) for DC power and as live L(+), neutral N(–), and for AC power. These terminals
are floating inside the unit so that either may be grounded by the user if desired. The
chassis or safety ground is the stud located beside the terminal block.
The connection procedure is straightforward. Simply insert DC leads to the Unit power
terminal positive (+), negative (–), and or AC leads to the live L(+), neutral N(–), and .
Please ensure the correct polarity. The should be connected to the safety ground,
except during dielectric testing. Ensure that each lead is securely tightened.
QUICKSTART GUIDE
FIGURE 7: Power connection and alarm contacts
Note
Always use a voltmeter to measure the voltage of the incoming power supply and properly
determine the positive and negative leads.
Note
The GND should be hooked up first. The Unit has a floating ground, so the user may elect
to ground either the positive or negative terminal.
When power is applied, the green PWR LED will illuminate.
The Unit is available with a redundant power supply option. If the redundant power supply
is ordered, it should be wired as described above. The possible combinations of redundant
power supplies are: HI-HI, HI-LO, LO-HI, and LO-LO. The AC power supply cannot be
supplied with a redundant supply.
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 9
QUICKSTART GUIDE
NOTE
NOTE
3.2 Powering the Unit - ML1600
Units with the AC power supply option can be connected directly to 110/240 V AC with the
supplied power cord.
The terminal block for the HI and LO option on the Unit is located on the left front of the
unit and is equipped with three (3) screw-down lead posts. The power terminals are
identified as positive (+) and negative (–), and they are floating inside the unit so that either
may be grounded by the user if desired. The chassis is “earth” or ground ( ).
The connection procedure is straightforward. Simply insert the DC leads to the Unit power
terminals, positive (+) and negative (-) screws. Please ensure correct polarity and that each
lead is securely tightened.
FIGURE 8: Power connection and alarm contacts
Note
Always use a voltmeter to measure the voltage of the incoming power supply and properly
determine the positive or negative leads.
Note
The GND ( ) should be hooked up first . The Unit has a floating ground, so the user may
elect to ground either the positive or negative terminal.
When power is applied, the green PWR LED will illuminate.
3.3 Powering the Unit - ML1200/ML800
The DC internal power supply supports installation environments where the DC voltage is
from 18 to 150 volts depending on the model selected. The power consumption will range
from about 20 up to 35 watts, depending on the port quantity and types in the
configuration.. When connecting the Ethernet cabling, there is no need to power down the
unit. Individual cable segments can be connected or disconnected without concern for
power-related problems or damage to the unit.
Power input options are available to suit the ML1200/ML800 Switches to special highavailability communications and/or heavy industrial-grade applications, including:
• -48VDC, 24VDC and 125VDC with single DC input,
• -48VDC, 24VDC and 125VDC with dual-source DC input
External AC power supplies are optional, see Section 1.2 of the Reference Manual for
Ordering Information.
10 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
See the Appendices of the reference manual for more details. Use an RFQ for other
variations.
3.4 UL Requirements for DC-Powered Units
1. Minimum 18 AWG cable for connection to a centralized DC power source.
2. Minimum 14 AWG cable for connection to a earthing wiring.
3. Use only with listed 10 A circuit breaker provided in building installation.
4. “Complies with FDA radiation performance standards, 21 CFR sub-chapter J”
or equivalent.
5. Fastening torque of the lugs on the terminal block: 9 inch-pound maximum.
6. For AC and HI powered units, use only with listed 20A circuit breaker provided
in building installation. Circuit breaker shall be provided in end system or
building as disconnect device.
7. Centralized DC power source cable securing; use at least four cable ties to
secure the cable to the rack at least 4 inches apart, with the first one located
within 6 inches of the terminal block.
QUICKSTART GUIDE
3.5 Alarm Contacts
The alarm contacts feature provides two form-A normally closed (NC) contacts to which
the user can attach two sets of status monitoring wires at the green terminal block. When
this option is present, the terminal block for alarm contacts is part of the power input panel
in the Unit case. The DC power input connection is in the same panel. A manual on-off
switch for power to the unit is not available on Unit units with the alarm contacts option, as
these two features occupy the same space in the case.
The first NC alarm contact (top position) is a “software alarm”, operated by user settings in
the Unit software. The user can disable the software alarm feature with a software
configuration command if desired. When the software alarm is enabled, the form-A
normally closed (NC) contact is held close during normal software operation. A userdefined software malfunction, such as an SNMP trap or a software security violation,
causes the contact to open and thus trigger an alarm in the user’s monitoring system
The second (bottom position) NC alarm contact is held closed when there is power on the
main board inside of the Unit. This provides a “hardware alarm” because the NC contacts
will open when internal power is lost, either from an external power down condition or by
the failure of the Unit power supply. For an Unit with the redundant power supply option,
the hardware alarm contact will change state if any one of the power supplies fails.
Useful information about the alarm contacts:
• The four terminal block (1, 2, 3, and 4) is adjacent to the power supply.
• The top two pins (1 and 2) are software operated.
• The bottom two pins (3 and 4) are hardware operated.
• By default, the alarm contacts are NC (normally closed).
• Software operation must be enabled to get the alarm traps. Further information is
provided in this manual.
The green alarm contacts are on the front rear area (next to the power source) of the Unit.
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 11
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CAUTION
3.6 Dielectric Strength (hi-pot) Testing
The shorting link between the and safety ground must be removed prior to the
dielectric strength test to protect the transient suppression circuitry of the power supply.
For specific product details please refer to the appropriate product Reference Manual.
The figure below is a typical example of the set-up.
FIGURE 9: Dielectric strength testing
12 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
QUICKSTART GUIDE
NOTE
754736A1.CDR
4 Connecting a Management Console Terminal to
the Unit
4.1 Description
Use a DB-9 to DB-9 null-modem cable (ML2400/ML1600) or RJ45 to DB-9 null-modem
cable (ML1200/ML800) to connect the Unit console port to the a PC.
Note
Console cables may be purchased as a separate items. They are not included with the
Unit.
4.1.1 ML2400/ML1600
FIGURE 10: Unit console port
The pin assignment for the console port are indicated in the following table.
Table 1: Console port pin assignment
Pin Signal Description
1 CD Carrier detect (not used)
2 RXD Receive data (input)
3 TXD Transmit data (output)
4 open not used
5 GND Signal ground
6 to 9 open not used
This information enables a management station (PC or console terminal) to connect
directly to the switch console using a straight-through serial cable.
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 13
QUICKSTART GUIDE
4.1.2 ML1200/ML800
Table 2: Pinout information for above connector
Pin Name Description Direction
1RTX Request to Send OUT
3 TXD Transceiver Data OUT
4 GND Ground
5 GND Ground
6 RXD Receive Data IN
8 CTS Clear to Send IN
14 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
QUICKSTART GUIDE
5 Introduction to Twisted Pair and Fiber Optic
Ethernet LANs
This section will provide a brief review of modern Ethernet media before covering the steps
to correctly configure the Multilink switch for typical protective relaying applications. For
this discussion the range of IP addresses that will be used are within the range of
3.94.247.1 to 3.94.247.254 using a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. This same range of
addresses can be used for testing purposes but you should contact your IT support group
for a valid range of addresses to be used for your particular application.
5.1 Ethernet Physical Layer: Twisted Pair Copper vs Fiber Optic
Today, the two most popular physical layer standards for Ethernet are twisted pair copper
cable and fiber optic cable. Twisted pair copper is easier to terminate, has lower
installation costs but is susceptible to electrical noise and a single run of twisted pair cable
is distance limited.
Fiber optic media typically is able to be applied over much longer distances, is immune to
electrical noise and while being more difficult to terminate the availability of perfabricated cables has reduced the complexity of the installation within the substation
dramatically.
5.1.1 Twisted Pair copper cable
• Easy to Terminate
• Low installation costs
• Susceptible to noise interference
• Limited by 100m distance
• Either shielded or unshielded (UTP)
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 15
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Ring
Mesh
Star
5.1.2 Fiber
• Longer distances possible, limited only by attenuation
• Immune to electrical noise
• More difficult termination and splicing
• Slightly higher cost for cable
• Two categories:
• multi-mode
• single-mode
5.2 Supported Network Topologies
With either media supported topologies include: star, mesh and ring. The port that
connects one switch to another is often called the uplink port and with many switches the
uplink port can operate at much higher baud rates than the standard ports. The link
formed by the connection of of several switches higher speed uplink ports is often referred
to as a backbone.
5.2.1 Star Architecture
• Single Point of failure before loss of communications
• Additional Ethernet switches Required
• Network Recovery in approximately 6 ms per Ethernet switch
16 MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE
5.2.2 Mesh Architecture
• Multiple Points of failure required before loss of communications
• Additional Fiber Cables required
5.2.3 Ring Architecture
• Full Network Redundancy
• Allows for Fastest Network Recovery (RO mode has typical recovery time of ≤ 5 ms/
hop
)
• Most Cost Effective Solution
5.3 10BASE T and 100BaseT Media
10 Base T and 100 Base T are the two most common twisted pair copper media standards.
There are also several popular fiber optic media standards which we will review later in this
section. With respect to 10 or 100 Base T, the 10 or 100 designation indicates a baud rate
of either 10 or 100 megabits per second. Base stands for baseband while the T stands for
"twisted pair."
Since many twisted pair interfaces can work at either baud rate, the designation 10/100
Base T has evolved to show this capability. The cable can be ether unshielded twisted pair
(UTP) or shielded twisted pair (STP).
We recommend category 5e UTP for applications of up to 100 Mbs
QUICKSTART GUIDE
5.3.1 Unshielded Twisted Pair cable:
• Category 1: Used for telephone communications; not suitable for transmitting
data.
• Category 2: Capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 4 Mbps.
• Category 3: Can be used in 10BASE-T networks; can transmit data at speeds up to
10 Mbps.
• Category 4: Used in Token Ring networks; can transmit data at speeds up to 16
Mbps.
• Category 5: Capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 100 Mbps.
• Category 5e*: Used in networks running at speeds up to 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps).
• Category 6: Consists of four pairs of 24-gauge copper wires, which can transmit
data at speeds of up to 1000 Mbps.
* Recommended
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 17
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