Modular industrial router for VDSL and ADSL applications
The MRX series of modular routers from Insys icom, enables broadband (digital subscriber line or DSL) communication connections for industrial applications. MRX DSL routers support conventional asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) as well as the high-speed very high bitrate digital subscriber line (VDSL) standard.
The modular design allows 4G, RJ45, RS232, and RS485 interfaces as well as inputs/outputs (I/Os) to be added or swapped as needed by inserting or exchanging extension cards (MRcards). This also allows users to, for example, implement alternative, redundant communication routes, parallel virtual private network (VPN) tunnels, or an unmodified integration of serial legacy devices into internet protocol (IP) networks. The existing basic local area network (LAN) and 4G type MRX routers can also be upgraded through an MRcard PD extension card with a DSL interface.
The flexibility of the modular MRX series is especially helpful when dealing with major current challenges in telecommunications, such as putting the POTS (plain old telephone service) and integrated services digital network (ISDN) out of operation, or rolling out more and more VDSL lines in countries such as Switzerland. This is because MRX DSL routers are suited to migrating from analogue networks to digital IP networks, since they feature interfaces for serial devices as well as IP-enabled components. Both can be easily connected locally and integrated into a common infrastructure, says Inys. Like all professional INSYS icom routers, MRX DSL routers provide IT security through firewall and VPN (OpenVPN, IPsec, GRE) technologies, as well as extra security features like event-based alerts.
Each MRX router is also equipped with an integrated Linux environment, called icom SmartBox, that is claimed to significantly expand its range of functions, turning the router into a smart device for industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications. It enables users to run multiple applications side-by-side or combine them, if needed.
With the icom Data Suite software package, Insys icom provides a tool that facilitates protocol-independent data collection from various digital or analogue peripheral devices connected to the routers, as well as subsequent data processing with a variety of logical or arithmetic functions and visualisation on a dashboard. Further icom Data Suite functions include the monitoring of connected devices, event-triggered dispatch of short messaging service (SMS), e-mail or message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) messages, and handling control tasks on-site.
In addition to local data processing, the (pre-) processed data can be sent to cloud services, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems or customer-specific infrastructures. Local applications can be controlled from the cloud or accessed via secure remote maintenance connections. For such purposes, Insys icom provides a proprietary VPN service and special machine to machine (M2M) subscriber identification module (SIM) cards for mobile data communications.
