PRINCETON, N.J. — Outdoor security cameras are designed to operate in sun, heat, rain, sleet, and snow. The rest of the system, such as the switch, router, and power source, needs to be protected against the elements. Therefore, when Static Electric Co. decided to install security cameras at 50 substation and transformer locations, the team knew they would need industrial-grade networking equipment housed inside IP65 NEMA enclosures. When choosing equipment for this type of environment, there were several factors the company took into consideration.

Many commercial-grade networking devices rely on airflow to dissipate heat generated by internal components. However, because IP65 NEMA enclosures are unvented, the equipment inside must be rated to operate in temperatures of minus 40° to 167°F.

The cameras would be mounted on poles, or the sides of buildings, at the various substation and transformer locations. Therefore, they would also need to provide power over Ethernet (PoE) to the security cameras as well as copper Ethernet to single-mode fiber conversion for data transmission between the cameras and recording stations at corporate headquarters.

“We selected the Perle IDS Switches, as they met the operational connectivity requirements and could provide power to the surveillance cameras,” said Hassan Shifaz, Network Engineer at STELCO. “As the switches are fan-less and support high temperatures, the conditions within the NEMA enclosure prove no challenge to them. They are working well.”

Each switch provides 30-W PoE to the attached IP camera and performs copper-to-fiber conversion. Their small form factor ensures easy installation into the compact NEMA enclosures. Unused Ethernet ports are designated for future surveillance expansion with additional cameras, motion detector devices, and other equipment.