Moxa EDS-208A 8-Port Ethernet Unmanaged Industrial Switch

What the EDS-208A does on the plant network

The EDS-208A is one of the most widely specified entry-level industrial switches: eight 10/100 ports, redundant dual DC inputs and a relay-free, configuration-free design that lets a technician swap it in minutes. Moxa’s own one-line description of the EDS-208A reads: Unmanaged Ethernet switch with 8 10/100BaseT(X) ports, -10 to 60°C operating temperature.

From the manufacturer’s specification table, the power input is 12/24/48 VDC; Redundant dual inputs; operating temperature is -10 to 60°C (14 to 140°F); dimensions are 50 x 114 x 70 mm (1.96 x 4.49 x 2.76 in); weight is 275 g (0.61 lb); the enclosure is rated IP30.

Standards and approvals printed for this model include hazardous-location listings of ATEX; Class I Division 2; marine approvals (ABS; LR; NK; DNV); railway standard EN 50121-4; safety standard UL 508; EN 62368-1 (LVD). Approvals can differ between variants of a series, so check the one on the exact order code.

Technical specifications

Where it fits and what to check

It is a typical choice for oil and gas skids, water treatment panels and power substations that call for hazardous-location and marine approvals on a low-cost unmanaged switch. The same series offers multi-mode and single-mode SC/ST fiber models for plant-floor backbones.

On the practical side, mounting is listed as din-rail mounting; wall mounting (with optional kit); the housing is aluminum; the stated MTBF is EDS-208A: 3,248,014 hrs; EDS-208A-MM/SS: 2,705,157 hrs; EDS-208A-M/S: 2,943,335 hrs; the warranty period is 5 years. Treat the MTBF as a manufacturer prediction under its stated method, not a guarantee for your site.

Before ordering, confirm the copper/fiber port mix, temperature grade (standard or -T) and which approvals your project specification requires. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier in Muscat and quotes against the exact code you give us.

Related models in the EDS-208A family

The Moxa product list shows these models in the same family page (14 entries): EDS-208A, EDS-208A-M-SC, EDS-208A-M-SC-T, EDS-208A-M-ST, EDS-208A-M-ST-T, EDS-208A-MM-SC, EDS-208A-MM-SC-T, EDS-208A-MM-ST, EDS-208A-MM-ST-T, EDS-208A-S-SC, EDS-208A-S-SC-T, EDS-208A-SS-SC, EDS-208A-SS-SC-T, EDS-208A-T. Suffixes such as -T generally mark wide-temperature versions and fiber suffixes (M, S, MM, SS with SC or ST) mark the connector and fiber type, but the order code printed on the datasheet governs.

Key features of the EDS-208A

• Eight 10/100BaseT(X) RJ45 ports with auto negotiation and auto MDI/MDI-X, so straight or crossover cables both work.
• Redundant dual 12/24/48 VDC power inputs on a removable terminal block, with an operating voltage window of 9.6 to 60 VDC.
• Overload current and reverse polarity protection on the power input.
• Store-and-forward switching with a 2K MAC table and 768 kbit packet buffer.
• Compact aluminium housing of 50 × 114 × 70 mm for DIN-rail mounting, or wall mounting with the optional kit.
• Plug-and-play operation with no software configuration.

Choosing between unmanaged and managed switches

An unmanaged switch such as the EDS-208A is the right tool for small, flat networks: a machine panel connecting a PLC, an HMI, a couple of drives and a remote I/O rack, or a CCTV junction box with a few cameras. It forwards traffic without any configuration, which makes field replacement fast and reduces the risk of misconfiguration. It does not, however, provide VLANs, redundancy protocols such as ring recovery, IGMP snooping or port monitoring. If the network carries heavy multicast traffic from EtherNet/IP or PROFINET devices, or if the switch forms part of a ring backbone, a managed switch is the better choice. Where a fiber uplink is needed for longer distances or to cross electrically noisy areas, the fiber variants in this family should be considered instead of the all-copper model.

Installation and maintenance

• Feed the two power inputs from separate supplies or separate circuits so that a single supply failure does not stop the network.
• Earth the housing to the panel ground to reduce the effect of electrical noise.
• Use shielded industrial Ethernet cable on runs near drives and power cables, and respect the 100 m copper segment limit.
• Check the port LEDs during commissioning to confirm link and speed on each connection.
• Keep a spare unit on site; because the switch needs no configuration, replacement only requires moving the cables.

Use in Oman and GCC installations

Panels in the region are often installed in non-air-conditioned plant rooms or outdoor enclosures, so the operating temperature of -10 to 60 °C should be compared with the expected temperature inside the cabinet, which can exceed the outdoor ambient when the enclosure is exposed to direct sun. Where higher temperatures are expected, the wide-temperature variant of the EDS-208A family is the safer choice. The IP30 housing needs to be inside an enclosure that keeps dust and moisture out. The listed marine and hazardous-location approvals make the switch suitable for offshore and oil and gas applications, subject to checking the certificate for the exact model.

What to include in your RFQ

• Exact model, including any fiber or wide-temperature suffix, and quantity.
• Required approvals, such as Class I Division 2, ATEX or marine certificates.
• Accessories such as the wall-mounting kit or a DIN-rail power supply.
• Delivery location and any documentation requirements.

Documents and quotation

The attached file is Moxa’s published datasheet for the family (moxa-eds-208a-series-datasheet-v2.4). For a quotation, send the full order code, the quantity required and where the goods are to be delivered.

More products in this range: Industrial Communications.