The Hirschmann BOBCAT BRS20-8TX is an 8-port managed industrial Fast Ethernet switch from Hirschmann, a Belden brand, providing a practical step up in copper port count from the compact 4-port BOBCAT variants while maintaining a slim 73 mm wide fanless DIN rail footprint suited to space-constrained industrial panel and cabinet environments. The switch offers 8x 10/100BASE-TX RJ45 ports, dual redundant 12 to 24 VDC power inputs, and USB-C local management at just 6 W consumption, making it energy-efficient and thermally low-impact in panel installations. TSN 802.1Qbv support on interfaces 1/1 to 1/3 delivers deterministic real-time Ethernet scheduling for machine control, motion coordination, and IIoT-integrated automation nodes, while the full redundancy feature set — HIPER-Ring, MRP (IEC62439-2) as both client and manager, RSTP, LACP, Link Backup, and Redundant Network Coupling — enables the BRS20-8TX to participate in high-availability ring and star industrial topologies. PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, and IEC61850 protocol support ensures seamless integration with PLCs, SCADA systems, and protection relays across manufacturing, energy, and process sectors. Security is addressed through Secure Boot, signed firmware, 802.1X port access control, RADIUS authentication, VLAN-based ACLs, and DoS prevention, meeting modern OT network security expectations. Management is available via HTML5 web GUI, CLI, SNMP v1/v2/v3, SSHv2, HTTPS, IPv6, and PTPv2 boundary and transparent clock for precision time synchronisation. With an MTBF of approximately 4.47 million hours and a 60-month guarantee, the BRS20-8TX is a highly reliable choice for long-lifecycle industrial automation, building automation, and process control applications. Available from Recab, your Nordic partner for Hirschmann industrial switch solutions.
