Specifications

BLACK BOX
®
White
with
5th black
diamond
2
Tech Support: 030-241 77 99 | Sales: 030-241 77 77
CAT6 UTP StrandedIntroduction & Content
Industrial environments present much harsher conditions than
are found in typical office environments. They not only often have
extremes of temperatures, humidity, dirt, and corrosive materials,
they may also contain devices such as motors and mechanical switch-
es, which cause a large amount of electromagnetic interference
(EMI).
The challenge with industrial controls as well as with other
electronic devices intended for use in these environments is to have
them function reliably in spite of adverse conditions. This may mean
using a device that’s built to withstand harsh conditions, protecting
the device in a specialized cabinet, or both.
Extended temperature range
Home and office electronics operate in climate-controlled rooms,
but industrial devices are often subject to temperature extremes.
Many industrial devices are installed outdoors in unventilated sealed
enclosures, which freeze in the winter and heat to extremely high
temperatures in the summer — think of a car’s interior after it’s been
sitting in the sun on a hot day.
Industrial devices and their power supplies are expected to
perform over a wide temperature range. Typically they’re rated so
you can select one appropriate to your environment. Temperature
tolerances from -25 to +60° C are common and you can even find
devices rated for extremes to -40 to +75° C.
Because industrial components are sealed against contaminants
and also because they’re often installed inside enclosures, they rely
on air convection rather than fans for cooling.
Resistance to moisture and contaminants
Moisture is the enemy of electronic components, and industrial
devices are often subject to water in all its forms from high humidity
and condensation to drips and splashes. Industrial devices are also
often subject to dirt, dust, oil, salt spray, and chemicals when they’re
installed outdoors or indoors in an environment such as a factory
floor.
For these reasons, industrial components are usually housed in
hardened metal cases that are sealed against contaminants including
particulates such as airborne dust, as well as moisture, and
sometimes chemicals.
Conformal coating is a special film or coating applied to electronic
circuitry to provide additional protection from contaminants such
as chemicals, dust, and moisture. Many Black Box industrial network
components can be ordered with conformal coating. For availability,
call our free Tech Support.
Another way to protect industrial devices from their
environment is with an enclosure designed to seal out
contaminants such as dust and moisture. These enclosures are
usually NEMA rated to describe the amount of protection they
provide. For more information about NEMA ratings, see page 3.
Power supplies
Powering industrial control devices tends to be more complex than
powering network devices intended for home, office, and data center
use.
The power supplied to or used at industrial sites is widely different
and can be 230Vac single-phase, 400Vac triple-phase of AC current
or 24 or 48Vdc of DC current.
Industrial power may be three-phase power, which is used for
power transmission across power grids and is favored for large motors
and heavy loads at industrial sites. It’s also frequently “dirty” power,
subject to noise, voltage fluctuations, and spikes. This inconsistent
power is hard on the electronic components in industrial devices
and can cause equipment damage or data loss.
• Heavy industry
and manufacturing
• Oil and gas industries,
including refineries
• Self-storage facilities
• Utility substations
• Agriculture
• Military bases
• Research facilities
• Water treatment plants
• Factory floors
• Distribution centers
• Food service
• Municipal services
• Anywhere you need extra
reliability
Where to use industrial components