Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on my personal experiences wiring up my lab. I am not a certified electrician. The descriptions and methodologies outlined here are intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional electrical advice. Electrical work can be hazardous and should only be performed by qualified professionals. If you intend to undertake similar projects, especially for production networks or environments, I strongly advise consulting with a licensed electrician to ensure safety and compliance with all applicable standards and regulations.
As I was learning more about Operational Technology (OT) environments the topic of rugged gear continued to come up and got me interested.
I had no experience with either OT or rugged gear except in theory.
Since then I have received many questions about my rugged lab, and so, I thought it would be best to document how I put together my rugged lab.
Don't want to read and just want the shopping list? Here it is!
Case - https://amzn.to/3TWRe6R
Din Rail - https://amzn.to/4aVsdzT
Machine Screws - https://amzn.to/3Q0Ub56
SMA Antenna Coupler - https://amzn.to/3TVAj4N
SMA Extension Cable - https://amzn.to/3JgcsrA
AC to DC Power Supply - https://amzn.to/43ZWBH6
12 Gauge Wire - https://amzn.to/4azBLAV
C14 Plug Adapter - https://amzn.to/4aD2JaW
Disconnects - https://amzn.to/3U0A5cp
Heat Shrink Tubing - https://amzn.to/441LLQW
DC Power Distribution Strip - https://amzn.to/4aD2HzQ
Electrician's Tool Kit - https://amzn.to/4azGWAO
Tools not linked because I had them:
Drill
Dremel
Going shopping for Parts and Tools
First off, I needed something to put this lab in. My labs are usually 19 inch rack for regular IT gear but this needed to be compatible with DIN Rail. I also wanted to be able to bring this around as seeing something like this in person is much more helpful than reading about it.
It's a tight fit but this case worked out for me. It's rated for IP67 but I planned on making changes that would invalidate that. This is not meant to be usable in the field, just in a home lab.
Case - https://amzn.to/3TWRe6R
I wanted small DIN Rails so I could move things around if needed and found these along with the listed screws which fit with the holes in the case.
Din Rail - https://amzn.to/4aVsdzT
Machine Screws - https://amzn.to/3Q0Ub56
Since the lab is going to be a tight fit I also wanted to be able to mount the antennas for the 3G/4G connectivity on the top of the case so I got SMA extension cables as well as female to female connectors.
SMA Antenna Coupler - https://amzn.to/3TVAj4N
SMA Extension Cable - https://amzn.to/3JgcsrA
My lab was going to consist of a FortiGate Rugged 70F and a FortiSwitch Rugged 112D-POE. I immediately noted that both of these are only able to be powered by DC power which is something I had not ever had to deal with. My first hurdle was to find a way to convert my homes AC power to DC power. I was also planning on making this all DIN-Rail mounted as that was a new thing for me so I wanted the power supply to be DIN-Rail mountable.
After reviewing the Quick Start Guides for the Gate and Switch for power requirements, I came across the following power supply that appeared to meet my needs.
AC to DC Power Supply - https://amzn.to/43ZWBH6
I also grabbed some 12 gauge wire to hook everything up as it met all the ratings.
12 Gauge Wire - https://amzn.to/4azBLAV
I planned on using a regular C14 cable to power all of this so I needed to get an adapter for the cable to the wires inside the case. I found the following adapter as well as some disconnects to connect to the inside portion.
C14 Plug Adapter - https://amzn.to/4aD2JaW
Disconnects - https://amzn.to/3U0A5cp
Since I was planning on taking this around to show others I also thought I would add some heat shrink tubing to make things look a little neater.
Heat Shrink Tubing - https://amzn.to/441LLQW
I needed was a way to get the DC power to multiple devices. While there are two outputs on the power supply I may need to be able to power more devices over time if I decide to add a PLC so I got a distribution strip.
DC Power Distribution Strip - https://amzn.to/4aD2HzQ
The last thing I needed was the tools to complete this. I have screwdrivers but I lost my wire stripper and didn't ever have a crimper before so I grabbed an electrician's tool kit.
Electrician's Tool Kit - https://amzn.to/4azGWAO
Assembling the Lab
Now that I had all of my parts and tools I could start assembling it!
The first thing that I did was to modify the case for my power adapter and SMA couplers.
I traced out the power outlet while leaving space on the sides for the screws. I then used my drill and dremel to cut the hole out.
I used some 1/2 inch wood screws I had sitting around but I could have used the machine screws with nuts and just drilled out a hole for that.
The next thing was to drill out two holes for the SMA connectors on the top of the case.
Note: I originally built this using a FGR-60F and the SMA extensions fit but with the 70F I need to get longer extensions so I won't be showing hooking that up but you can probably figure that part out.
I had already placed all components into the case to make sure that things fit and had adequate spacing. Once I knew where they would line up, I placed DIN Rails where the backings would be.
I had to install the DIN Rail mount on the back of the FortiSwitch and FortiGate.
Before figuring out wire lengths I installed all of the devices without power.
Now that everything is installed I cut the wire to length, placed the heat shrink tubing on the pairs of wires and applied heat to shrink it to the cables, stripped the ends, and installed the ends to the various connectors and devices. I plugged in the AC power and all the devices booted up!
Now I just needed to hook up the data connections and start configuring!
I hope that was helpful and maybe you'll decide to set up a lab similar to this for yourself or if you need to stage devices before deployment.
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