Cisco Systems

Catalyst IE 3400 Rugged Series

Cisco's Catalyst IOS XE-powered industrial switch for IT/OT convergence — TSN-capable Gigabit ports, on-box IOx application hosting for edge analytics, Cisco Cyber Vision OT security, and conformal coating for harsh factory and outdoor environments.

IOS XETSN IEEE 802.1ASIOx Edge AppsCyber Vision−40 to +70°C
CISCO Catalyst IE-3400H-24FT-E PoE+ Ports 1–12 PoE+ 30W/port PoE+ Ports 13–24 SFP+ 10G Uplinks 10G 10G 10G 10G SYS ERR ALM IEEE 802.1AS-2020 PTP/TSN IOx Container Runtime IT / OT Stack Cisco DNA Center Cyber Vision (OT Sec) IOx Edge Apps PROFINET / EIP Field Devices / PLCs
Ports24× PoE+ Gigabit + 4× 10G SFP+
PoE Budget740 W (24-port model)
OSCisco IOS XE
Operating Temp−40 to +70°C
Edge ComputeIOx (Docker containers)

Overview

The Cisco Catalyst IE 3400 Heavy Duty (IE-3400H) series brings enterprise-grade IOS XE networking to plant-floor environments with IP67 ingress protection and M12 connectors — the first Cisco industrial switch designed for direct panel mounting without an enclosure. The standard IE-3400 rack/DIN-rail series offers 12 or 24 PoE+ Gigabit ports plus 10G SFP+ uplinks, all managed by the same Cisco IOS XE feature set that enterprise network teams already know, eliminating the need for OT-specific network expertise.

What distinguishes the IE 3400 from OT-only switches is its IOx application hosting framework: containerised (Docker-compatible) edge applications run directly on the switch CPU, enabling local data preprocessing, protocol translation, or MQTT publishing without a separate edge computing device. Cisco Cyber Vision integration provides passive deep-packet inspection of industrial protocols (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850) to build a real-time asset inventory and detect anomalous behaviour — bringing IT-level OT security to field devices that cannot run agents.

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) features — IEEE 802.1AS-2020 (gPTP), 802.1Qbv (Scheduled Traffic), and 802.1Qcc — allow the IE 3400 to serve as a PTP grandmaster or boundary clock for synchronised motion control and process measurement applications. This positions it as a future-proof switch for CC-Link IE TSN and PROFINET IRT networks as they migrate to TSN standards.

DIN-rail mounted industrial Ethernet managed switch, the same compact form factor used by the Cisco IE 3400 industrial switch series
DIN-rail mounted industrial Ethernet media converter and managed switch.

Key Features

  • IOS XE — Unified IT/OT Management — Full Cisco IOS XE feature set including OSPF, BGP, MPLS, and NETCONF/YANG, allowing the same network management platform (Cisco DNA Center / Catalyst Center) to manage both OT switches and enterprise core switches. Brings zero-trust segmentation (SGT) and ISE integration to factory floor networks.
  • IOx Edge Computing — Runs Docker-compatible containers alongside the switching ASIC. Edge apps can perform local machine-learning inference (predictive maintenance), store-and-forward buffering, MQTT/Sparkplug B publishing, or OPC UA server functions — reducing cloud bandwidth and latency for time-critical analytics.
  • Cisco Cyber Vision OT Security — Passive DPI of 60+ industrial protocols provides continuous asset inventory, vulnerability detection, and behaviour baseline monitoring without impacting network performance. Automatically builds a Purdue-layer network map and flags protocol anomalies for SOC investigation.
  • TSN — IEEE 802.1AS / 802.1Qbv — Hardware PTP timestamping with sub-microsecond accuracy enables the IE 3400 to serve as a grandmaster or boundary clock for PROFINET IRT, OPC UA PubSub, and emerging TSN motion networks, ensuring time-synchronised sensor fusion and coordinated multi-axis motion.

Technical Specifications

Cisco IE 3400 Key Specifications
ParameterSpecification
Copper Ports12 or 24× 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ (802.3at, 30W)
Uplink Ports4× 10GBASE-X SFP+
PoE BudgetUp to 740 W (24-port with dual PSU)
Switching Capacity128 Gbps (non-blocking)
Edge ComputeIOx — 8-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, 16 GB flash for containers
TSN SupportIEEE 802.1AS-2020, 802.1Qbv, 802.1Qcc, 802.1Qbu
SecurityCisco TrustSec SGT, 802.1X, MACsec (SFP+), IPSec
OT SecurityCisco Cyber Vision — DPI of EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus, DNP3
Operating Temperature−40°C to +70°C (IE-3400); IP67 (IE-3400H Heavy Duty)
Power Input100–240 V AC or 24/48 V DC optional; dual input PSU
ManagementCisco DNA Center, IOS XE CLI, NETCONF/YANG, RESTCONF
RedundancyREP, RSTP, EtherChannel (LACP), UDLD
CertificationsUL/cUL, CE, ATEX Zone 2, IECEx, CISPR 32 Class A

Application Areas

  • IT/OT converged manufacturing networks (Industry 4.0)
  • Large-scale EtherNet/IP and PROFINET plant floors
  • Edge computing for predictive maintenance and quality inspection
  • Smart grid and utility substation SCADA/IEC 61850
  • Oil & gas ATEX Zone 2 control rooms

Sources & References

  • Cisco, Catalyst IE3400 Rugged Series Data Sheet (2024)
  • Cisco, IE 3400 Software Configuration Guide, IOS XE 17.x
  • IEEE 802.1AS-2020 — Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications
  • IEEE 802.1Qbv-2015 — Enhancements for Scheduled Traffic (TSN)