Description
The GE 336A4940DNP516TX is a ruggedized, 16-port 10/100BaseTX unmanaged industrial Ethernet switch manufactured for General Electric by N-Tron (a Red Lion Controls brand). This specialized component is cataloged under General Electric’s internal part number classification for integration into Mark VI and Mark VIe Speedtronic gas and steam turbine control systems. Operating as a critical link within the Unit Data Highway (UDH) and Input/Output network (IONet) layers, this switch manages high-volume deterministic data distribution between controller racks, termination boards, and distributed I/O packs without introducing packet collision bottlenecks.
Commercial and Lifecycle Logistics
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| Parameter | Value |
+---------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product Condition | New Surplus (Original Factory Box) or Tested Rebuilt |
| Warranty | 12-Month Comprehensive Warranty |
| Availability | In Stock / Priority Shipping Available |
| Standard Lead Time | 1–2 Business Days via DHL Express / FedEx / UPS |
| Price Notice | Price subject to market conditions; contact us for a firm |
| | quote |
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Technical Specifications and Hardware Architecture
The 336A4940DNP516TX is a customized hardware variant derived from the N-Tron 516TX baseline series. It is purpose-built to withstand the high vibration, thermal stress, and electromagnetic interference typical of turbine auxiliary compartments.
Network and Performance Layer
- Physical Ports: 16 x 10/100BaseTX RJ-45 copper Ethernet ports.
- Port Capabilities: Auto-sensing and auto-configuring speed, duplex, and MDIX (Medium Dependent Interface Crossover) mapping.
- Switching Method: Store-and-Forward data packet processing.
- Backplane Bandwidth: 2.6 Gbps maximum data throughput.
- MAC Address Table: Supports up to 4,000 unique layer-2 MAC addresses; features an automated 300-second aging timer.
- Network Latency: Typically 2.1 \mus under baseline operational traffic loads.
Electrical and Input Constraints
- Input Voltage: 10 to 30 V DC redundant power terminal inputs (dual-diode isolated power inputs prevent module drop-out during primary power rail failure).
- Power Consumption: 2.16 W steady-state at 24 V DC (no-load); 2.88 W maximum at 24 V DC under a full 16-port multi-cast load.
- Protection Circuitry: Built-in overcurrent and surge protection fields.
Environmental and Mechanical Infrastructure
- Operating Temperature: −40 to +85 °C (−40 to +185 °F) continuous industrial-tier envelope (fanless convective casing design).
- Humidity Limits: 10% to 95% relative humidity, non-condensing.
- Mounting Configuration: Standard 35 mm DIN-Rail integrated clip system.
- Physical Footprint: 5.8 cm Height x 18.8 cm Width x 8.8 cm Depth (2.3″ H x 7.4″ W x 3.5″ D).
- Weight: 0.9 kg (1.9 lbs).
Regulatory and Safety Compliance Profiles
This unit satisfies stringent global testing standards, making it suitable for hazardous deployment environments:
- Hazardous Area Ratings: UL / cUL: Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C, D; Temperature Code T4A. ATEX Zone 2 compliance (II 3 G Ex nA).
- Industrial Infrastructure Standards: Fully compliant with IEEE 802.3, IEEE 1613 (substation environments), and NEMA TS1/TS2 traffic control configurations.
- Marine Approvals: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Type Approval for shipboard application environments.
Field Integration and Maintenance Guidelines
Critical Turbine System Architecture Note:
The GE 336A4940DNP516TX serves as an unmanaged plug-and-play network element within the Mark VIe IONet framework. Unlike managed enterprise switches, it does not require an IP address assignment or local configuration file initialization to run. It uses internal hardware-level queues to maintain microsecond-level synchronization across Triple Modular Redundant (TMR) controller cores (R, S, and T).
- Redundant Power Configuration: To optimize network availability, route primary power from the main turbine control cabinet 24 V DC bus to Power Input 1, and route secondary power from an independent auxiliary battery-backed supply to Power Input 2.
- Grounding Continuity: Ensure the DIN-rail interface surface is entirely clean and unpainted. The switch relies on its heavy-duty metallic chassis casing and integral rail clip to dump transient electromagnetic noise to the main panel master earth ground terminal.
- Cable Distances: Keep standard Cat5e/Cat6 copper network segments below the 100-meter threshold to prevent packet dropped-frame penalties within high-speed loop controllers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I substitute a standard commercial N-Tron 516TX switch for the GE 336A4940DNP516TX?
While the physical internal electronic hardware matches, the GE cross-reference model number ensures compliance with the specific environmental and safety certification tracking registries required by GE Speedtronic control systems. Substituting a non-GE labeled component may violate plant insurance frameworks, factory turbine warranties, and hazardous-area site classifications.
Does this switch model include fiber-optic ports?
No. The “TX” suffix indicates that this specific variant is an all-copper RJ-45 configuration (16 ports). If your turbine layout requires an uplink over a long-distance fiber backbone, look for the companion model suffix 336A4940DNP517FX, which integrates fiber-optic transceiver port linkages.
What is the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for this industrial unit?
The baseline platform design features a calculated MTBF exceeding 2,000,000 continuous operation hours under standard industrial thermal conditions, primarily driven by its robust fanless heat dispersion design and heavy industrial-grade solid-state capacitors.
