US-12625535-B2 - Ethernet switch with integrated power supply unit

Abstract

An ethernet switch includes a housing that has at least one communication input for data of a controller, at least one system input for a system voltage and at least one communication output. At least one voltage output to an electrical load is also provided. A power supply unit, which provides the voltage supply for the switch, is provided in the housing of the switch. The power supply unit also feeds the at least one voltage output to an external load. A field bus element, which is preferably configured to monitor and/or to control the voltage output to an external load, is integrated in the housing of the switch.

Inventors

• Olaf Prein
• Markus Rentschler
• Ingo Wolff

Assignees

• MURRELEKTRONIK GMBH

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240329

Priority Date

20230406

Claims (16)

1. 1 . An ethernet switch comprising: a housing having at least one communication input for data of a controller, at least one system input for a system voltage, and at least one communication output; at least one electrical supply output configured to connect to an electrical load; a power supply unit disposed in said housing; said power supply unit having a primary side and being connected to the system voltage at said primary side, wherein the system voltage is 90 Volts to 800 Volts; said at least one system input for the system voltage being looped through to a system output provided in said housing for the system voltage; said system output being configured to connect a further switch; said power supply unit being configured to provide a voltage supply for the ethernet switch; said power supply unit being configured to feed said at least one electrical supply output to an external load with an output voltage of said power supply unit; and, a field bus element integrated in said housing and configured to at least one of monitor and control said at least one electrical supply output to the external load.
2. 2 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein the ethernet switch is a subscriber of a field bus.
3. 3 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said field bus element is adapted to start a self-configuration when the power supply unit is switched on and configure the ethernet switch.
4. 4 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said field bus element is configured to form a gateway to further protocols in a field.
5. 5 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said at least one electrical supply output is integrated at least into a PoE output.
6. 6 . The ethernet switch of claim 5 , wherein said PoE output is at least one of a pluggable design and configured with a protection rating of IP54 or higher.
7. 7 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said at least one electrical supply output is integrated at least into an SPE output.
8. 8 . The ethernet switch of claim 7 , wherein said SPE output is at least one of a pluggable design and configured with a protection rating of IP54 or higher.
9. 9 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said at least one electrical supply output is integrated at least into an IO-Link output.
10. 10 . The ethernet switch of claim 9 , wherein said IO-Link output is at least one of a pluggable design and configured with a protection rating of IP54 or higher.
11. 11 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said communication input for data of the controller is looped through to a communication output provided in said housing.
12. 12 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein said at least one system input for the system voltage and said at least one communication input are combined to form a power line.
13. 13 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein the system voltage is 90 V to 800 V AC.
14. 14 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein the system voltage has a nominal voltage of 110 V to 480 V AC.
15. 15 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein the system voltage lies in a range of from 600 V DC to 800 V DC.
16. 16 . The ethernet switch of claim 1 , wherein the ethernet switch has a protection class of IP54 and higher.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority of European patent application no. 23167161.1, filed Apr. 6, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates to an Ethernet switch including a housing that has at least one communication input for data of a controller and at least one communication output for actuating at least one module. A system input for a system voltage and at least one electrical supply output to an electrical load are also provided. BACKGROUND It is a known practice to also provide the power supply for connected electrical loads such as communication devices, sensors and/or actuators by way of network cabling. In a simple embodiment, this is known under the term PoE (Power over Ethernet), in the case of which individual lines of an Ethernet cable that are not used for data transmission are used to supply power. In the case of a single-pair Ethernet, what is known as PoDL (Power over Data Line) technology is used, in the case of which the data to be transmitted are overlaid on the voltage-carrying line by modulation. In production installations, conveyor installations or similar installations of greater physical extent, data lines and/or lines for supplying power are often laid in parallel, in particular if electrical loads (sensors and/or actuators) present in the system are to be operated with different voltages. SUMMARY It is an object of the disclosure to specify an Ethernet switch, which is of simple configuration and is able to be used in a versatile manner, for use in industrial installations of greater physical extent, via which different electrical loads can be supplied with energy and actuated. The object is, for example, achieved by virtue of a power supply unit being provided in the housing of the switch itself, which power supply unit provides the voltage supply for the switch itself, on the one hand, and feeds an external load via the at least one electrical supply output, on the other hand. In particular, a field bus element is integrated in the housing of the switch. The field bus element advantageously operates with Profinet (Process Field Network) protocols, an Ethernet/IP (EtherNet Industrial Protocol, also often called EIP), an OPC/UA (Open Platform Communication/Unified Architecture) and/or an EtherCAT (Ethernet Control Automation Technology). The field bus element is configured to monitor and/or to control the electrical supply output. This makes it possible to electrically monitor a connected external load by way of the field bus element in the housing of the switch. The monitoring makes it possible to identify malfunctions in good time and to report them, for example, to a central controller, by way of the field bus. Furthermore, controlling the electrical supply output makes it possible to vary the voltage level supplied to an external load, the supplied current and/or the supplied power. In particular, the power is limited for a PoE output or management for the power is provided at a PoE output. The maximum current is restricted for an IO-Link output. In particular, there is the possibility of providing a supply voltage that is adapted to the load depending on the characteristic data of the connected external load. A system voltage only has to be supplied to the switch via just one connection, with which the power supply unit in the switch can be operated. A respective supply output can advantageously be integrated in an outgoing line of the switch, with the result that a load that is to be connected not only can be controlled via a communication link, but at the same time is connected to a supply voltage. The supply voltage advantageously can be variable, in particular can be adapted to characteristic data of the load. Therefore, the level of the supply voltage can be adjusted, the maximum current can be adjusted or the output electrical power can be adjusted. The electrical values can also be adjusted according to an average value by switching the voltage and/or the current on and off. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the switch is in the form of a subscriber of a field bus. Any number of switches can be connected via the field bus. The system voltage necessary for operating the power supply unit is looped through to the respective switches in the field. Alternatively or additionally, provision can be made for one or more T-pieces to be provided in the power cable supplying the system voltage, via which T-pieces one or more further switches can be connected. In an embodiment of the disclosure, provision is made for the field bus element to be configured to configure the switch itself. The switch is therefore adapted to its place of use and the work to be carried out in a simple manner. In a particular configuration of the disclosure, the field bus element is provided in the housing of the switch and in particular forms a gateway to other protocols in the field of the ins