Kontron has presented a new 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet switch that is designed to significantly enhance and standardize data throughput in network-centric OpenVPX applications. The outstanding feature of the fully managed Layer 2/Layer 3 Switch Kontron VX3920 is its 24 high-throughput 10 Gbit/s ports to the data plane. These can be scaled through channel bundling even up to 40 Gbit/s bandwidth. By using this new rugged switch for inter- and intra-system communication, OEMs can achieve an enormous performance boost for their applications. Also, other highly individual data buses can now be replaced. Rugged COTS systems profit from the application of Ethernet – the standard high bandwidth network protocol of the IT business – by reduced costs, comprehensive enterprise class switching functionalities and a stable technology roadmap, which can also increase long-term system availability.

With its high port density and bandwidth, the new IPv4/v6 VXP switch is an ideal backbone and infrastructure building block for COTS systems in various mobile and stationary ground based, naval and airborne applications. Application areas include, for example, High-Performance Embedded Computing (HPEC) systems for radar, sonar and image processing, "vetronics" systems (vehicle electronics) as well as rapidly deployable networks for flexible communication in the field. With up to 60 Gbit/s data throughput provided by one Rear I/O module with 40 Gbit/s Ethernet QSFP+ and two 10 Gbit/s SFP+, it also enables a powerful networking for complex system clusters, which are found on larger military intelligence and surveillance applications such as naval vessels.

The Kontron 10 Gbit/s Ethernet Switch VX3920 in detail:
The non-blocking L2/L3 gigabit switch Kontron VX3920 offers 24x 10 Gbit/s ports to the backplane. These can also be bundled in groups of four on data leads with 40 Gbit/s. For system interconnection 2x SFP+ cages for 10 Gigabit Ethernet are offered on the front. These can be used with cost saving copper cables or fibre-optic cables for long distance networking. An optional rear transition module conducts a 40 Gbit/s Ethernet QSFP+, two 10 Gbit/s SFP+ and one RJ45 1000Base interface. On the front side, there is a separate 1000 base RJ45 port available for switch-management via SNMP, telnet and command line interface. For management and debugging there is an EIA-232-port which can also be routed to the backplane. Two master/slave capable I²C buses allow communication with Kontron’s VPX Chassis Monitoring Board CMB. The Kontron VX3920 switch is available as an air cooled version for environmental temperatures of 0°C up to +55°C and as a rugged-condition cooled (RC) version for the extended temperature range (-40°C up to +85°C).

The Kontron 10 Gbit/s Ethernet Switch VX3920 is available now. OEMs can order it either as a stand-alone board for upgrades of existing OpenVPX applications or have it is supplied pre-configured in Kontron's High Performance Embedded Computing System StarVX and Kontron’s Multi-Mission System ApexVX.

Further information can be found on Kontron's 10 Gbit/s Ethernet VPX Switch VX3920 product page.

Further information on Open VPX can be found on Kontron's VPX technology page.