Component Snapshot At-a-Glance
- Model: ETHERWAN EL100T
- Alt. P/N: EL100C (SC fiber connector variant); EL100L (single-mode long-distance fiber version)
- Product Series: EL100 series unmanaged fast Ethernet media converter, compatible with EMC1600 rack chassis for centralized cabinet deployment
- Hardware Type: Compact aluminum standalone converter, ST multimode fiber port + RJ45 copper port, rear DIP configuration switches, front bank of status LEDs, wall/DIN rail mount tabs
- Key Feature: Hardware-configurable Link Fault Pass-Through (LFPT) via DIP switches, auto MDI/MDIX RJ45, store-and-forward cut-through selectable packet forwarding
- Primary Field Use: Convert 10/100 copper Ethernet to multimode fiber to extend DCS/PLC control links past 100m copper limit and isolate ground loops across substation/mill cabinet zones.
Hard-Numbers: Technical Specifications
- Protocol Support: IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T, 802.3u 100BASE-TX/FX, 802.3x full-duplex flow control
- Port Count: 1 x Auto MDI/MDIX RJ45 10/100TX, 1 x ST 100BASE-FX multimode fiber port
- Baud/Data Rate: 10Mbps / 100Mbps auto-negotiate; 128Kbit onboard packet buffer
- Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ +45°C cabinet operational; -10°C ~ +70°C storage
- Isolation Rating: Fiber optical galvanic isolation eliminates copper ground loop voltage offsets
- Power Draw: Max 1.92W, 0.16A @ 12VDC nominal input
- Input Power: 12VDC barrel jack DC power supply, negative ground chassis
- Fiber Spec: 1310nm transmit wavelength, 2km max distance on 62.5/125 multimode fiber
- DIP Switch Options: LFPT enable/disable, forward mode select, port duplex lock
- EMC Compliance: CE Class A, FCC Part 15B for industrial control cabinet EMI tolerance
- Physical Weight: 150g solid aluminum heat-dissipating housing
- Mount Options: Wall screw mount, DIN rail clip, EMC1600 chassis slide-in tray
The Real-World Problem It Solves
Unshielded copper Ethernet maxes out at 100m and picks up heavy VFD/MV switching EMI in refinery and power plant cabinets. Fiber breaks ground loops and stretches control links to 2km without signal corruption.Basic cheap unbranded converters lack LFPT; a broken fiber trunk stays undetected by upstream DCS switches, leaving operators blind to offline remote I/O racks until manual troubleshooting.Where you’ll typically find it:
- Fossil power plant turbine DCS cabinet inter-building fiber control links
- Pulp & paper machine distributed PLC racks separated by long production line distances
- Mineral processing concentrator MCC motor control cabinet remote Ethernet extensionsThis low-power aluminum converter removes copper distance and EMI limits, and LFPT hardware signaling delivers immediate fault visibility to upstream control switches without extra monitoring software.
Hardware Architecture & Under-the-Hood Logic
This is fully unmanaged hardware-only converter, no embedded CPU or web interface; all forwarding and fault logic runs on discrete PHY transceiver chips and DIP switch hardware jumpers.
- 12VDC barrel power feeds internal EMI filter and isolated DC-DC regulator to power RJ45 PHY chip, fiber optical transceiver, and DIP switch logic bank.
- RJ45 copper PHY auto-negotiates speed/duplex with connected DCS switch/PLC; auto MDI/MDIX eliminates crossover cable requirement for field wiring crews.
- Packet traffic passes through user-selectable store-and-forward (default) or cut-through forwarding to match control network latency requirements.
- LFPT hardware logic monitors link state on both copper and fiber ports; if one side drops carrier, the opposite port forces link down to propagate fault status to upstream network gear.
- Front panel dedicated LEDs for power, copper link/activity, fiber link/activity, duplex/collision for quick fault checks without laptop diagnostic tools.
Field Service Pitfalls: What Rookies Get Wrong
Swapping EL100C SC Fiber Or EL100L Single-Mode Units In Place Of ST Multimode
New techs grab alternate EL100 series spares without matching full model suffix. EL100C uses incompatible SC fiber connectors; EL100L single-mode transceivers cannot light multimode fiber runs, both break control network communications.Field Rule: Only deploy for existing ST multimode fiber links; store SC and single-mode variants in separate labeled spare bins.
Disabling LFPT On DCS Control Trunks
Rookies flip the LFPT DIP switch off during quick cable swaps, leaving upstream DCS switches unaware of fiber outages. Operators receive no automatic alarm for offline remote I/O racks.Field Rule: Leave LFPT enabled for all critical DCS/PLC control links; only disable LFPT for temporary test bench troubleshooting.
Running Unshielded Copper Patch Cords Parallel To VFD Motor Power Harnesses
Wiring crews use cheap unshielded CAT5 cable between PLC and RJ45 port routed alongside variable frequency drive power cables. Inductive EMI causes random packet loss and spurious I/O dropout during motor startup transients.Field Rule: Use shielded CAT5e patch cables for copper side terminations; route copper patch cords in signal-only cable trays separated from AC motor power wiring.
Commercial Availability & Pricing Note
Please note: The listed price is for reference only and is not binding. Final pricing and terms are subject to negotiation based on current market conditions and availability.
