SwitchBlox Rugged -40°C to +105°C Ethernet Switch

The Small, Ruggedized Ethernet Switch

SwitchBlox Rugged is an ultra-tough, 5 port, 10/100M ethernet switch designed for the world’s toughest environments. Let your drone go where no drone has gone before.

Unprecedented -40°C to +105°C Operation Range

Every single part on the BoM for SwitchBlox Rugged is rated for operation from -40°C to + 105°C (or more). We use military-grade passives, and the switch IC is automotive rated for use in the -40°C to + 105°C range. This makes SwitchBlox Rugged the most temperature tolerant commercially available switch, easily beating the competition’s rating (which tops out at 85°C). If you’re looking for the best reliability in networking for a harsh application, SwitchBlox Rugged is for you.

Extra Wide 5-65V Voltage Operation

Along with the wide temperature range, SwitchBlox Rugged can operate off any voltage from 5V to 60V (tolerant to 65V), with reverse and transient over-voltage protection onboard. You’ll have to work hard to kill this board.

Market-Leading Size and Cost

SwitchBlox Rugged retains the same footprint as SwitchBlox, making it far smaller than anything else on the market while retaining a price-point that makes it attractive enough for integration into your robot, drone, or other industrial equipment.

Stackable Board

SwitchBlox Rugged exposes RGMII on a stackable header, allowing two SwitchBlox Rugged to be stacked together to create a 10 port switch (unmanaged and managed). This requires no software, and works out the box.

The stackable header also allows integration into any other board over RGMII. This can be used for network extension or in-band switch management (Developing an application? We can help, get in touch.)

To stack two boards, you will need a pin header (MPN: M22-2520705), 8mm hex standoffs (MPN: 24382), and M2.5 machines screws (MPN: 29300).

Other Features

SwitchBlox Rugged can supply downstream ports with power (PoE IEEE 802.3af) up to 15W (selectable per port).

Port activity indicator signals can be brought off-board via an onboard connector.

An STM32 is embedded onboard, allowing all the managed switch features of the KSZ8567S to be enabled (requires onboard firmware).

Dimensions

We’ve squeezed all necessary Ethernet circuitry into SwitchBlox without making performance compromises. We use magnetics for improved signal integrity and electrical isolation between each ethernet bus.

Compatibility with SwitchBlox

SwitchBlox Rugged is pin compatible, cable compatible, and footprint compatible with SwitchBlox, so can be used as a direct replacement.

Cabling

We use Molex PicoBlade connectors on all our boards to keep them tiny, and we include all the cables needed to get started, which are…
5 x PicoBlade to RJ-45 300mm (SKU: BB-PBRJ1-4-0.3)

Use this cable to connect an external ethernet device with an RJ-45 port.

1 x PicoBlade to bare wires 300mm (SKU: BB-PBTL1-4-0.3)

Use this cable to connect a 5-60V DC Power Supply to power SwitchBlox Rugged.

Ruggedized Features

1) All parts rated for -40°C to + 105°C or wider temperature range
2) Automotive rated ethernet switch IC
3) USA supplied components only
4) Thicker 2mm PCB substrate board for increased mechanical strength
5) No heatsink required
6) Board ships with a silicone conformal coating
7) Small board with four equidistant mount holes to minimize strain

Specifications

Datasheets

SwitchBlox Rugged Rev A/B/C Datasheet

SwitchBlox Rugged Rev D Datasheet

SwitchBlox Rugged Rev E Datasheet

GrabCAD 3D Models

Dimensional Drawings

SwitchBlox Rugged Dimensional Drawing PDF

SwitchBlox Rugged Dimensional Drawing DXF

Custom Cables

All our boards are shipped with the required 0.3 meter power and data cables included, so you do not need to purchase extra cables. However if you need custom cable lengths for your application, you can order those here.