Hirschmann RS20 Modules: RS20-0800T

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

Hirschmann RS20 Series: Comprehensive Module Range and Technical Overview

The Hirschmann RS20 series is a line of compact, DIN-rail-mounted Industrial Ethernet switches engineered for deterministic network communication in mission-critical process environments. Deployed extensively across petrochemical refineries, offshore platforms, nuclear auxiliary systems, and continuous-process chemical plants, the RS20 occupies a foundational position in plant-floor Ethernet infrastructure globally. Its ruggedized design — rated for operation from -40 °C to +70 °C, with conformal coating options and redundant ring protocol (HiPER-Ring / MRP) support — makes it a standard specification item in IEC 61511 and IEC 62443 compliant installations. The series interfaces natively with Siemens PROFINET, Rockwell EtherNet/IP, and ABB 800xA distributed control architectures, which accounts for its widespread installed base in brownfield DCS upgrade projects where network topology cannot be redesigned from scratch.

The Evolution of RS20 Architecture

The RS20 platform was introduced by Hirschmann (subsequently acquired by Belden) as a successor to the earlier MICE and MACH100 compact switch families. Early RS20 variants shipped with 100BASE-TX copper ports only and relied on Hirschmann's proprietary HiPER-Ring for network redundancy, with ring recovery times under 500 ms. Subsequent firmware generations introduced IEEE 802.1w RSTP and IEEE 802.1s MSTP support, enabling interoperability with third-party managed switches in mixed-vendor topologies.

The introduction of combo SFP slots (100BASE-FX / 1000BASE-X) in mid-generation RS20 variants addressed fiber backbone integration requirements in large-footprint plants where copper segment length limits were a constraint. Later hardware revisions added PROFINET IO device functionality, allowing the switch itself to be addressed and diagnosed from a Siemens TIA Portal engineering station without a separate SNMP management workstation.

The RS20 series has entered the mature/end-of-active-production phase. Hirschmann's current active platform is the RSP/RSPE and OCTOPUS series. However, the RS20 remains in active service across thousands of installed sites, and OEM replacement parts, tested refurbished units, and compatible firmware images continue to be required for lifecycle maintenance contracts extending to 2030 and beyond.

RS20 Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent the verified RS20 series module range, classified by port configuration and media type. Each entry reflects a distinct hardware variant with unique order number.

RS20-0800T: 8-port 10/100BASE-TX unmanaged rail switch, DIN-rail mount, -40 to +70 °C operating range.

RS20-0800M2M2SDAEHH: 8-port managed switch, 2x 100BASE-FX MM SC + 2x 100BASE-FX MM SC, PROFINET IO device, conformal coated.

RS20-0800M2M2SDAEH: 8-port managed switch, 2x 100BASE-FX MM SC + 2x 100BASE-FX MM SC, standard industrial coating.

RS20-0800T1T1SDAEHH: 8-port managed, 1x 100BASE-FX SM SC + 1x 100BASE-FX SM SC, conformal coated, extended temp.

RS20-0800T1T1SDAEH: 8-port managed, 1x 100BASE-FX SM SC + 1x 100BASE-FX SM SC, standard coating.

RS20-1600T: 16-port 10/100BASE-TX managed switch, DIN-rail, HiPER-Ring / RSTP / MSTP support.

RS20-1600M2M2SDAEHH: 16-port managed, 2x MM fiber SC + 2x MM fiber SC, conformal coated, PROFINET IO.

RS20-1600M2M2SDAEH: 16-port managed, 2x MM fiber SC + 2x MM fiber SC, standard industrial.

RS20-1600T1T1SDAEHH: 16-port managed, 1x SM fiber SC + 1x SM fiber SC, conformal coated.

RS20-1600T1T1SDAEH: 16-port managed, 1x SM fiber SC + 1x SM fiber SC, standard coating.

RS20-2400T: 24-port 10/100BASE-TX managed switch, extended DIN-rail housing, full Layer 2 feature set.

RS20-2400M2M2SDAEHH: 24-port managed, 2x MM SC + 2x MM SC fiber uplinks, conformal coated.

RS20-2400T1T1SDAEHH: 24-port managed, 1x SM SC + 1x SM SC fiber uplinks, conformal coated.

RS20-0800T-EEC: 8-port unmanaged, extended environmental class, -40 to +70 °C, vibration-rated per EN 60068-2-6.

RS20-1600T-EEC: 16-port unmanaged, extended environmental class, vibration and shock rated for rail/mobile applications.

RS20-0800M2SDAEH: 8-port managed, single MM fiber SC uplink, standard coating, SNMP v1/v2c/v3 management.

RS20-1600M2SDAEH: 16-port managed, single MM fiber SC uplink, SNMP management, HiPER-Ring capable.

Sourcing Hard-to-Find & Obsolete RS20 Parts

DriveKNMS maintains a dedicated inventory program for Hirschmann RS20 series units that have been discontinued from the Belden/Hirschmann active catalog. For plant operators running long-term service agreements on RS20-equipped control networks, sourcing replacement units through standard distribution channels is no longer reliable. DriveKNMS sources RS20 inventory through verified industrial surplus channels, decommissioned plant asset liquidations, and authorized secondary-market suppliers.

All RS20 units processed by DriveKNMS are subject to full functional verification before dispatch. For end-of-life models where new-old-stock (NOS) is unavailable, DriveKNMS can provide tested refurbished units with documented test records. Customers operating under IEC 62443 or ISA/IEC 84.00.01 lifecycle management frameworks can request full traceability documentation upon order.

Quality Control for the RS20 Range

The RS20 series presents specific verification challenges due to its managed switch architecture and backplane bus communication design. DriveKNMS applies the following test protocol to all RS20 units:

Port-level continuity and link negotiation: Each copper port is tested for 10/100 auto-negotiation, MDI/MDI-X crossover function, and sustained frame throughput at 100% line rate using RFC 2544 methodology.

Fiber transceiver validation: For fiber-equipped variants (MM/SM SC), optical power output and receive sensitivity are measured against Hirschmann factory specifications. SFP modules are tested for DOM (Digital Optical Monitoring) data accuracy.

Ring protocol functional test: HiPER-Ring and RSTP failover are tested by inducing a ring break and measuring recovery time. Acceptable threshold: <500 ms for HiPER-Ring, <1 s for RSTP.

Management plane verification: SNMP v1/v2c/v3 polling, web interface access, and CLI command response are verified. PROFINET IO device identity and diagnostic data are confirmed via a Siemens S7-1500 test PLC where applicable.

Thermal stress test: Units are cycled through operating temperature range under load to screen for latent solder joint or capacitor degradation common in aged industrial electronics.