Siemens SCALANCE XC208 Managed Industrial Ethernet Switch 6GK5208-0BA00-2AC2

Overview

The Siemens SCALANCE XC208, order number 6GK5208-0BA00-2AC2, is a managed Layer 2 Industrial Ethernet switch from the SCALANCE XC-200 line. It provides eight 10/100 Mbit/s RJ45 ports with securing collars, a console port, a signalling contact and a redundant 24 V DC power input in a compact housing for DIN rail, S7 mounting rail or wall mounting. The switch is certified to IEC 62443-4-2, supports office and industrial redundancy protocols, and can be integrated as a PROFINET IO device or used in EtherNet/IP networks.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Siemens SCALANCE XC208 to control system integrators, panel builders and plant network teams in the Sultanate of Oman and across the GCC. Our engineers in Muscat review your network topology, ring redundancy approach and cabinet conditions before quoting, and can supply the switch together with cables, connectors and the controllers it will serve.

How the Siemens SCALANCE XC208 Works

The Siemens SCALANCE XC208 forwards Ethernet frames between its ports using the store-and-forward method, learning device addresses so that traffic only goes where it is needed. Quality of service according to DSCP and class of service prioritise time-critical frames, and port-based VLANs, up to 257 of them, separate traffic from different plant areas or functions. IGMP snooping and querier functions and broadcast, multicast and unicast limiters keep multicast and storm traffic under control, which matters on networks carrying PROFINET or EtherNet/IP alongside SCADA and engineering traffic.

For availability the switch supports MRP as client and redundancy manager, MRP interconnection, HRP with manager and standby redundancy, STP, RSTP, RSTP+ and MSTP, link aggregation through LACP, and operation in PRP networks. In a redundant ring of up to 50 switches, the data sheet quotes reconfiguration in under about 0.3 s. As a PROFINET IO device it supports conformity class B, PROFINET diagnostics, H-Sync forwarding and PROFINET system redundancy, so it can be configured and monitored from STEP 7 like other PROFINET devices.

Engineering Design of the Siemens SCALANCE XC208

The housing combines glass-fibre reinforced polycarbonate and die-cast aluminium, measures 60 mm wide, 147 mm high and 125 mm deep, weighs 0.52 kg and is rated IP20 for cabinet installation. Power is connected through a 4-pole terminal block for a redundant 24 V DC supply with a range of 9.6 V to 31.2 V, the input is fused, and typical power loss is 4.2 W. A 2-pole terminal block provides the signalling contact, an RJ11 socket provides the console, and a C-PLUG slot holds the removable configuration memory so a replacement unit can take over the configuration of a failed one.

The Siemens SCALANCE XC208 is specified for −40 °C to +70 °C in operation and −40 °C to +85 °C in storage, with up to 95% relative humidity at 25 °C without condensation. Approvals listed in the data sheet include CE, cULus, KC and RCM, ATEX, IECEx, UKEX, UL hazardous location, FM and CCC for hazardous areas, railway use to EN 50121-4 and IEC 62443-4-2:2019 for IT security in industrial automation.

Key Features of the Siemens SCALANCE XC208

The data sheet describes the following functions of the Siemens SCALANCE XC208.

• Eight 10/100 Mbit/s RJ45 ports with securing collars, plus an RJ11 console port and a signalling contact.
• Ring and network redundancy with MRP, MRP interconnection, HRP, STP, RSTP, RSTP+, MSTP, LACP and PRP operation.
• Management by web interface, CLI, SNMP v1, v2 and v3, STEP 7 configuration and RMON, with email traps and Syslog.
• Security functions including IEEE 802.1X with RADIUS client, SSH, SSL and HTTPS access, and broadcast blocking.
• DHCP server and client with option 82, 66 and 67 support for automated device addressing.
• Time synchronisation as NTP and SNTP client, with SICLOCK support.
• Port mirroring, multiport mirroring, port diagnostics and packet statistics for troubleshooting.
• Configuration in RUN through CiR/H-CiR for changes without stopping the plant.

Industrial Applications

A typical role for the Siemens SCALANCE XC208 is the field or cabinet switch in a PROFINET ring: linking an S7-1500 controller, ET 200SP stations, HMIs and drives within one control panel, or forming the ring that ties several panels together around a process unit. In Oman this includes water pumping stations and reservoirs, desalination plants, oil and gas gathering stations, power plant balance-of-plant systems and tank farms, where the wide temperature range and hazardous-area approvals help when cabinets are installed outdoors or near classified zones.

Operators in Muscat, Sohar, Duqm and Salalah also use the switch to segment control networks with VLANs and 802.1X as part of IEC 62443-based security programmes. Seven Star LLC supplies the Siemens SCALANCE XC208 with engineering support in Muscat, together with network items such as the Siemens IE TP cord M12/RJ45, the SCALANCE XC-100 unmanaged switches for simple machine networks and the SCALANCE WAM766-1 EEC wireless access point.

Technical Specifications

The figures below for the Siemens SCALANCE XC208 come from the Siemens data sheet for 6GK5208-0BA00-2AC2; confirm the final order with our team.

How to Order

To order the Siemens SCALANCE XC208, send Seven Star LLC the number of switches, the redundancy protocol your network uses and any hazardous-area or temperature requirements for the cabinet. We will confirm stock and delivery for Oman and the GCC, suggest C-PLUG and cabling options, and the Siemens data sheet can be downloaded from this page.

It is commonly installed with the Siemens CPU 1515-2 PN and Siemens IM 155-6 PN ST interface module.