What Is the Cisco C9105AXIT-Z?
The Cisco C9105AXIT-Z is a Class 1 Division 2 (C1D2)-certified Wi-Fi 6 access point engineered for hazardous environments. Designed for oil refineries, chemical plants, and mining sites, it provides explosion-proof wireless connectivity while adhering to strict safety standards like ATEX and IECEx.
Critical Technical Specifications
- Safety certifications: C1D2 rating for operation in flammable vapor, gas, or dust-laden atmospheres.
- Durability: Stainless steel enclosure with IP68 sealing, resistant to corrosive chemicals and pressurized water jets.
- Wi-Fi performance: Dual-band 4×4 MU-MIMO with 4.8 Gbps aggregate throughput and OFDMA for low-latency IoT communication.
- Power: Supports 802.3bt UPOE or 24V DC for deployments where traditional power sources are restricted.
Why Choose the C9105AXIT-Z Over Standard Industrial APs?
Unlike generic ruggedized APs, this model:
- Eliminates spark risks with intrinsically safe design for Zone 1/21 hazardous areas.
- Operates in -40°C to 75°C without external heating/cooling accessories.
- Integrates with Cisco Cyber Vision for OT-IoT traffic segmentation and threat detection.
Primary Hazardous Environment Use Cases
- Oil and gas: Enables real-time telemetry from drilling sensors and pipeline monitors in explosive atmospheres.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing: Supports cleanroom-compliant wireless for sterile production lines.
- Mining: Delivers underground vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication in methane-rich tunnels.
For teams requiring mission-critical wireless in high-risk zones, the C9105AXIT-Z is available at itmall.sale.
Addressing Safety and Performance Concerns
Q: How does it prevent ignition in volatile environments?
A: The AP’s hermetically sealed enclosure and energy-limiting circuits ensure radio emissions stay below ignition thresholds for gases like hydrogen or methane.
Q: Can it coexist with legacy OT systems like Modbus or Profinet?
A: Yes. Cisco Industrial Network Director prioritizes OT traffic via Deterministic Wireless, reducing packet loss to <0.1% even during spectrum congestion.
Best Practices for Hazardous Area Deployments
- Grounding: Use Cisco-recommended grounding kits to dissipate static charges in dusty environments.
- Antenna selection: Deploy fiberglass omnidirectional antennas to avoid metal-induced spark risks.
- Firmware compliance: Enable Cisco Threat Defense to meet NIST SP 800-82 Rev3 guidelines for industrial control systems.
Field Validation
During a refinery deployment plagued by radio signal restrictions, the C9105AXIT-Z’s ability to bypass Faraday cage effects via 5 GHz DFS channels ensured uninterrupted leak detection alerts. In sectors where safety and uptime are non-negotiable, this AP isn’t just a connectivity tool—it’s a lifeline.