Smart Outdoor Applications Require a Smarter Outdoor PoE Switch

Some say the world is getting smarter. I see an abundance of articles stating that people are getting smarter. Today, we have the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), so machines and applications are getting smarter. And, according to IBM and Cisco, who are credited with coming up with the phrase, we are seeing the emergence of the “smart city!”

I don’t know how much smarter cities are getting. What I do know is that there is a convergence of technologies that are enabling capabilities that were never imagined. In the early days, computers could process information for a specific task much faster than people could. With the introduction of the Internet, connectivity enables individual applications to share and interact to provide new capabilities. New technologies such as AI are expected to enhance these capabilities.

When I first started out driving, if you did not know where to go, you needed a map. The Automobile Club of America used to provide a service where they would build you a custom map if you needed to make a long trip. Then along came ?mapping applications that would give you turn-by-turn directions you could print out and take along with you.

That was only the beginning. Today we have apps on our phone that combine multiple pieces of information. Based upon your location, as determined through Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology, it can provide you with vocal turn-by-turn directions on how to get to your destination. By combining this information with traffic data gathered from other users in real time can save you time by rerouting you around the traffic, road debris, accidents or other problems.

This is not the end of the evolution of this technology; it is likely only the beginning. With many manufacturers working on self-driving cars today, the functions of utilizing your current location, traffic patterns and current traffic conditions to determine the fastest route will be obsolete. In the future, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, along with the other information currently used, will balance your destination with all the other car’s destinations to map out the quickest route for all.

There are two basic elements to each of these applications:

-????????? Power

-????????? Data

For a community-based traffic and navigation app to operate today, you need a mobile phone, connected to a cellular network. The phone can be powered by a battery, or if your battery is running low, you can connect it to your car for power. The cellular network interacts with a central application providing data for the application. So as cities and buildings get smarter, they are going to need these two elements.

Before we get into these two elements, let’s first discuss the smart applications we see emerging in cities. From my vantage point, I see three key factors driving these applications:

-????????? Security

-????????? Quality of life

-????????? Access to information

Many cities are deploying cameras for security purposes. Whether it is to track people or read license plates to identify potential trouble, cameras are becoming ubiquitous. And, it is not only cameras, it is also sensors, security access and other security functions that require both power and data to function.

Parallel to this are quality of life issues. Today, we already have applications to collect tolls from cars so they do not have to slow down. In addition, major cities charge a toll to drive your car into the center of the city at certain times of day. Traffic is becoming overwhelming. In an attempt to reduce it, cities are charging drivers to encourage the use of public transportation and reduce the number of cars in congested areas.

Of course, everyone wants instant access to the Internet. Cellular networks charge for access and time used, whereas many municipalities are beginning to provide wireless access throughout the city as a benefit to attract more people. I live in a city that provides wireless access. As I travel, I notice more and more cities are providing free wireless access.

To drive these applications, both power and data are required. Power to operate the end device and data to provide the necessary information. PoE switches can provide both power and data; however, when it comes to outdoor applications, the PoE switch must be one that provides all the necessary features.

For many, the first way to deploy a PoE switch in an outdoor environment is to place a hardened indoor switch into an outdoor enclosure such as a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) box. This solution is doomed to fail for many reasons. First, the temperature in the enclosure can get as hot as two times the ambient outdoor temperature. Thus, in at 95° Fahrenheit (35° Celsius), the temperature inside an enclosure can approach 200° Fahrenheit. At these temperatures electrical components, especially capacitors, begin to break down. So, fans and ventilation must be incorporated, but that could compromise how the elements of the outdoors impact it such as water and moisture. Then there are other environmental factors such as lightning, so the unit must have surge protection included.

So, when deploying to an outdoor environment, it is always better to use a device designed for the outdoors. There are many options to choose from. So, what features should you look for in an outdoor switch?

First, the PoE switch should be totally sealed. Many today are rated for the outdoors; however, they typically require opening and closing for configuration. Any time a switch is opened and closed, it can wear down and compromise its seal. This can eventually cause the seal to fail, allowing in the elements and ultimately causing the switch to fail too. Another issue with outdoor PoE switches that can be opened and closed is security. If a switch on a pole can be opened and closed, then those who want to gain access have nothing to stop them. You want a switch that is totally sealed.

All switches should at least be IP66 rated. IP66 rating means the unit is dust-tight and protected against strong jets of water. Even better is a switch that is IP67 rated. This means not only is it dust-tight, but it is also protected from limited immersion and duration in water.

If security is a major issue, you do not want a layer 2 switch. Layer 2 switches only work with MAC addresses and do not interact with any higher layer address such as Internet Protocol (IP). By default, layer 2 switches do not have any built-in security features making them vulnerable to security threats, whereas layer 3 switches have many built-in security features such as access control lists to protect the network.

It is also very important to be able to get the data to the PoE switch. One way is to use a dedicated port to power a point-to-point radio to receive and transmit data. Another option is to use a fiber link, which can carry data much further. Instead of losing a port to the radio, those PoE switches with a fiber link can provide the data through fiber and use the PoE ethernet ports for the dedicated application. That is why it is always good to look for a PoE switch with at least one fiber port.

If one fiber port is beneficial, a second fiber port provides added capability for expansion. It enables the first PoE switch to forward data to a second PoE switch to daisy chain and extend the reach of the application. Also, look for PoE switches with two fiber ports that have backup/failover capabilities. This allows for the chain to eventually return to the base switch and in the event of a break in the chain, the switches will still have a path back to the base.

Finally, a sealed switch, with full security features, and two fiber ports for backup/failover support should be capable of being managed remotely. You do not want to mount a switch on a pole and then require service personnel to climb that pole to reconfigure or reset the switch. It should be able to be managed remotely through a web application or SNMPv3.

To conclude, not all outdoor PoE solutions are the same. The one you should look for should have three key characteristics:

-????????? Security

-????????? Reliability

-????????? Manageability

.These are the features that are going to enable you to power and enable devices for tomorrow’s smart cities today.