17.3 Full Managed DIN Rail Switches

Lite managed switches handle basic needs. When an application requires TSN, 10 GbE uplinks, Layer 3 routing, wire-speed ACLs, or seamless redundancy (HSR/PRP), full managed DIN rail switches provide the necessary feature depth.

BOBCAT

The BOBCAT is Hirschmann’s TSN-ready compact switch. TSN operates on all ports, enabling deterministic data delivery for time-critical industrial applications.

Specification	Value
Ports	Up to 12 (FE/GE TX + tri-speed SFP: 100M/1G/2.5G)
TSN	IEEE 802.1 TSN on all ports
Security	Wire-speed ACLs (MAC, IPv4, VLAN), automatic DoS prevention
Digital input	External alarm integration
Temperature	-40 C to +70 C
Software	HiOS L2S or L2A

MSP (Modular Switch Platform)

The MSP is the high-port-count workhorse for large-scale industrial networks. Hot-swappable media modules allow field expansion without downtime.

Specification	MSP30	MSP40
Ports	Up to 4 GE + 24 FE	Up to 2 x 10 GE or 4 x 2.5 GE + 24 GE
PoE+	Up to 24 ports, 120 W/module	Up to 24 ports, 120 W/module
Software	HiOS L2A, L3A	HiOS L2A, L3A
Temperature	-40 C to +70 C	-40 C to +70 C
Certifications	IEC 61850-3, IEEE 1613, ATEX Zone 2, DNVGL, EN 50121-4	Same

RED (Redundancy Switch)

The RED25 is a 4-port entry-level switch pre-configured for seamless redundancy. It ships with HSR, PRP, DLR, or Fast MRP already active.

Specification	Value
Ports	4 FE (TX or 2TX + 2SFP)
Redundancy	HSR, PRP, DLR, Fast MRP (pre-configured)
Software	HiOS L2S
Temperature	-40 C to +70 C
Power	12-48 V DC and 24 V AC (redundant)

Tip

Use RED switches at the edge of HSR/PRP networks where a device needs seamless redundancy but only has a single Ethernet port. The RED acts as a RedBox.

RSP (Rail Switch Power)

Modular DIN rail switch with media module expansion. Enhanced redundancy variants (RSP25/35) add hardware IEEE 1588v2, PRP, Fast MRP, and HSR.

Specification	RSP20/25	RSP30/35
Ports	Up to 11 FE	Up to 11 FE + 3 GE
Enhanced redundancy	RSP25: PRP, Fast MRP, HSR, IEEE 1588v2	RSP35: same
Software	HiOS L2S, L2A, L3S	HiOS L2S, L2A, L3S
Certifications	IEC 61850, IEEE 1613, ATEX Zone 2, DNVGL, EN 50121-4	Same

RSPE

The RSPE is the large-scale modular DIN rail switch for substations, transportation, and marine applications.

Specification	RSPE30/32	RSPE35/37
Ports	Up to 28 (24 FE + 4 GE combo)	Up to 28 (24 FE + 4 GE combo)
PoE+	RSPE32: 274 W total	RSPE37: 274 W total
Redundancy	MRP, RSTP, LACP	HSR, PRP, Fast MRP
Software	HiOS L2S, L2A, L3S	HiOS L2S, L2A, L3S
Certifications	IEC 61850-3, DNVGL, EN 50121-4, ATEX Zone 2	Same

The following script queries the HiOS software level from a switch via SNMP. The sysDescr OID contains the firmware version and software level.

from pysnmp.hlapi import (
    CommunityData, ContextData, ObjectIdentity, ObjectType,
    SnmpEngine, UdpTransportTarget, getCmd,
)

def get_hios_version(ip: str, community: str = "public") -> str:
    """Query sysDescr to extract HiOS firmware and software level."""
    iterator = getCmd(
        SnmpEngine(),
        CommunityData(community),
        UdpTransportTarget((ip, 161), timeout=2, retries=1),
        ContextData(),
        ObjectType(ObjectIdentity("1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0")),
    )
    err_ind, err_st, _, var_binds = next(iterator)
    if err_ind or err_st:
        return f"Error: {err_ind or err_st.prettyPrint()}"
    return var_binds[0][1].prettyPrint()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print(get_hios_version("192.168.1.1"))

The output contains the product name, HiOS version, and software level (e.g., “Hirschmann MSP30 HiOS-3A 09.0.00”).

Key Takeaways

BOBCAT for TSN-ready networks

TSN on all ports, 2.5 GbE SFP, wire-speed ACLs. The compact choice for next-generation industrial Ethernet.

RED/RSP/RSPE for seamless redundancy

Pre-configured HSR/PRP on RED. Modular expansion on RSP/RSPE. IEC 61850 certification for substations.

What Comes Next

DIN rail switches serve control cabinets. Transportation applications require M12 connectors, rail certifications, and ruggedized housings. The next section covers BXS, BXP, and OCTOPUS managed switches.

References

• Belden/Hirschmann. (2024). Hirschmann Essentials Product Catalog. Belden Inc.