SWITCHES & ROUTERS that meet the global GL standards for Environmental Category D are certified for use in harsh environments .
Today ’ s intelligent switches can provide diagnostic data regarding temperature , power level , port usage , PoE status and much more . Alerts can be defined for a wide range of parameters , enormously reducing the amount of time required to track and repair faults . Connectivity is becoming more and more integral to switches . Compliance with standard requirements is essential , as well as devices such as intelligent switches , which can convert a wide range of controller signals . We see this in power substations , for example , many of which are currently being replaced by intelligent substations with control , measurement and monitoring facilities . These are interconnected and linked to the central station via modern communication networks using communication standard IEC 61850 . This uses TCP / IP as the protocol that provides many of the benefits of modern Ethernet communication infrastructure . Devices within power substations , equipped with surveillance , control , measurement and monitoring units , may now communicate without additional convertors or specialised sub-networks .
Medical networks merging with IT
A hospital or clinic is a prime example of an environment in which downtime caused by faulty switches or cabling can be immediately life threatening . In a healthcare environment , often characterised by high levels of electromagnetic interference , the network must be safe and secure to minimise risks . Even the slightest outage or interruption is unacceptable . However , the hospital , as an operator of medical and data processing infrastructure , is fully responsible for the electrical safety of equipment used .
Today ’ s medical facilities have highly diverse , complicated IT requirements . Electrocardiography devices , patient monitoring systems , infusion pumps and other critical networked appliances , equipped with network interface cards , must function flawlessly besides non-medical equipment , including computers and network devices .
These mixed medical / IT networks may introduce new risks that impact well established processes in the hospital as well as patients ’ health . The IEC 60601-1 standard defines general requirements for the safety and security of medical electrical equipment and systems in the hospital network that the manufacturer has specified for diagnosis , treatment or patient monitoring . The IEC 60601-1 standard applies only to devices and systems in direct physical electrical contact with the patient . IEC 60601-1 envisages that medical equipment , which may come into direct contact with patients , should be equipped with two independent safety protection measures . This ensures electrical safety , even in the event of failure of one of the measures .
In accordance with IEC 60601- 1 , network isolators must be used to separate all electrically conductive components between connected network devices and medical devices in Ethernet based networks . One solution would be to provide each user port with a separate , stand alone network isolator to prevent transmission of unwanted voltages and currents between different parts of a medical electrical system . An even better solution would be to exclusively use dedicated medical devices , such as medical PCs , medical servers and medical laptops . These devices are equipped with integrated isolators in accordance with IEC 60601- 1 and do not require additional protection measures . However , the costs would rise very quickly . A more cost effective , smarter solution is to use so-called medical switches with integrated galvanic isolators . These separate the medical network from the data network and offer reliable protection against DC and AC voltages of up to 4kV . Not only is effective galvanic separation of grounding potentials ensured , but this solution also makes the entire network easier to manage and maintain .
Systems used daily in medical environments
Picture Archiving and Communication Systems ( PACS ), Hospital and Radiology Information Systems ( HIS and RIS ), Patient Data Management Systems ( PDMS ), Communication Server , Alarm , digital signage and positioning and entertainment systems IPTV , Wireless AP , mobile Telemedicine and VPN , and IP based building automation and security management systems .
‘ Networks in harsh environments are often linked to mission critical application .’
Further considerations
Switches that are capable of handling extreme temperatures , dust , humidity , and vibration and so on significantly help prevent failure and increase uptime in mission critical systems . By limiting the number of different switch models used , which are often amongst the most expensive network components , you can limit the number or spare devices and spare parts that need to be kept in stock . It is also vital that a wide range of staff can carry out maintenance , not only the most highly qualified employees . Antihacking protection , link protection , compliance and certification are also vital .
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