Diamond Systems EPSILON-2400 Rugged Managed PC/104 Gigabit Ethernet Switches with Optional SFP Ports

A PC/104 stack in a vehicle or industrial machine often has to connect more Ethernet devices than its host SBC can serve, and an office switch will not survive the vibration, temperature or power found there. The Diamond Systems EPSILON-2400 series, which Diamond lists as the Epsilon-24000 family, puts a managed Gigabit switch on the PC/104 footprint, designed for industrial, on-vehicle and military applications.

Every model is a managed Layer 2+ switch run by a built-in microcontroller, so it works standalone or alongside a host computer. Management runs through an in-band web interface over any Ethernet port or a command-line interface over RS-232, and on-board memory holds dual application images. The switch supports 8K MAC addresses, 4K IEEE 802.1Q VLANs with push and pop of up to two tags, eight priorities and eight CoS queues per port, storm control, IEEE 802.3ad link aggregation, RSTP and MSTP, IEEE 802.1X and jumbo frames at all speeds. Advanced security and prioritisation run through a multistage TCAM engine, and VeriPHY cable diagnostics help trace wiring faults. All I/O connectors are latching, and ActiPHY and PerfectReach power management reduce power on unused ports and short cable runs.

Two models make up the series. The EPS-24016-104 carries 16 Gigabit copper ports on the main board and draws 10.4 W maximum at +12 V; the ACC-EPS24000-DB daughterboard upgrades it later. The EPS-24026-104 adds that daughterboard as standard, for 24 copper ports plus a 1G SFP socket and a 1G or 2.5G SFP socket, drawing 15.7 W maximum at +12 V. Its 2.5G port supports stacking two switches for a combined total of 50 ports. Both models share the same management software, feature set and connectors, so a design can start on 16 ports and move to 26 without changing its network set-up.

Both models take +5 to +34 V DC through a built-in DC/DC supply, compatible with common vehicle and industrial power sources, and operate from -40 to +85 °C. Latching connectors give better protection against vibration, and each board follows the PC/104 form factor. DK-EPS24016 and DK-EPS24026 development kits pair each switch with a cable kit and an LED accessory board. Diamond names industrial, on-vehicle and military uses, and outdoor and vehicle installs, as target applications.