Belden presents new OBR40 optical bypass relay from its Hirschmann Brand

Use of this relay serves to further enhance the availability of Ethernet networks. The relay can also be used to deactivate specific parts of a system, when maintenance work needs to be carried out on individual turbines of a wind farm, for example.



The bypass relay is connected to a switch's optical uplink ports via two duplex I/O. These are available for three different fiber types (multi-mode 62.5/125 µm, multi-mode 50/125 µm, single-mode 9/125 µm). In the event of a power failure, the bypass function is activated and the affected switch is bridged. The bypass function can also be specifically activated via a control contact. The switching threshold is adjustable within a range of 1 V to 32 V by means of a DIL switch.



A switch-on delay (adjustable to up to 40 s) ensures that the switches seamlessly rejoin the network after the problem has been eliminated or maintenance work has finished. This delay time permits the switch boot process to be completed, and any incoming data packets are therefore passed on immediately.



Further features of the bypass relay include an IP40 protection rating, an operating temperature range of -40°C to +70°C, and a redundant 24 VDC power supply. The 115 x 61 x 113 mm housing is made of metal and can be mounted on DIN rails. LEDs on the front panel indicate the status of the device and network.



The new OBR40 optical bypass relay from Belden's Hirschmann product range makes Ethernet networks even more reliable. As Product Manager Rolf-Dieter Sommer says: Even multiple failures are no longer a problem. With the exception of the directly affected applications, the network and most of the processes continue to be available.