SKY-1PE-1U-23R=: High-Density 1U Rack-Mount Platform, Technical Specifications, and Carrier-Grade Deployment Use Cases

Introduction to the Cisco SKY-1PE-1U-23R=

The ​​Cisco SKY-1PE-1U-23R=​​ is a ​​1U rack-mounted multi-service platform​​ designed for ​​carrier-grade edge (CGE)​​, ​​enterprise WAN aggregation​​, and ​​industrial IoT gateway​​ applications. Combining ​​23x 1G/10G SFP/SFP+ ports​​ with ​​dual redundant power supplies​​ and ​​Cisco IOS-XR software​​, this device supports ​​MPLS-TP​​, ​​Segment Routing​​, and ​​Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)​​. Built for harsh environments, it operates in ​​-40°C to 70°C​​ temperatures, making it ideal for mobile backhaul, smart grid communications, and private 5G network deployments.

Technical Specifications and Hardware Architecture

​​Core Hardware Components​​

• ​​CPU​​: ​​ARM Cortex-A72 quad-core​​ @ 2.4 GHz, paired with ​​16 GB DDR4 ECC RAM​​ for control-plane processing.
• ​​Data Plane​​: ​​Cisco Qumran-2A ASIC​​ delivering ​​480 Gbps throughput​​ with ​​hardware-accelerated MACsec​​ and ​​IEEE 1588v2 PTP​​.
• ​​Port Density​​: ​​23x SFP/SFP+ slots​​ (20x 1G/10G, 3x 10G/25G), plus ​​2x 40G QSFP+ uplinks​​ for spine connectivity.
• ​​Power​​: ​​Dual 650W AC/DC power supplies​​ with ​​N+1 redundancy​​, supporting ​​-48V DC​​ and ​​240V AC​​ inputs.

​​Environmental and Compliance​​

• ​​Operating Temperature​​: ​​-40°C to 70°C​​ (NEBS Level 3 compliant), ​​5–95% humidity​​ (non-condensing).
• ​​Certifications​​: ​​ETSI EN 300 386​​, ​​GR-1089-CORE​​ for EMI/ESD, and ​​IEC 61850-3​​ for substation automation.
• ​​MTBF​​: ​​≥500,000 hours​​ under full load, validated via ​​Telcordia SR-332​​ testing.

Key Features and Software Capabilities

​​Carrier-Grade Network Virtualization​​

• ​​Cisco Crosswork Automation​​: Orchestrates ​​MPLS-TP tunnels​​ and ​​Segment Routing policies​​ across SKY-1PE-1U-23R= nodes, reducing provisioning time by ​​75%​​.
• ​​Time-Sensitive Networking​​: ​​IEEE 802.1Qbv​​ support ensures ​​≤1 μs jitter​​ for industrial control systems like ​​Modbus TCP​​ and ​​Profinet​​.

​​Resilience and Security​​

• ​​Hitless Software Upgrades​​: ​​ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade)​​ minimizes downtime during IOS-XR updates.
• ​​MACsec Encryption​​: ​​256-bit AES-GCM​​ on all ports, compliant with ​​FIPS 140-3​​ for government networks.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

​​1. Mobile Backhaul for Private 5G Networks​​

A telecom operator deployed SKY-1PE-1U-23R= units to aggregate ​​CBRS 5G small cells​​, achieving ​​10G fronthaul capacity​​ with ​​99.999% availability​​ in outdoor industrial sites.

​​2. Smart Grid Substation Gateways​​

A utility company uses the platform to terminate ​​IEC 61850-9-2LE Sampled Values​​ from ​​300+ substations​​, enforcing ​​≤2 ms latency​​ for fault detection and isolation.

​​3. Enterprise SD-WAN Aggregation​​

A global retailer consolidated ​​200 branch sites​​ onto SKY-1PE-1U-23R= hubs, leveraging ​​Cisco SD-WAN vManage​​ to prioritize ​​SAP HANA​​ traffic with ​​QoS policies​​.

Addressing Critical User Concerns

​​Q: How does the platform handle power outages in remote sites?​​

A: The ​​dual DC power inputs​​ support ​​48V battery backup​​, while ​​Cisco EnergyWise​​ throttles non-critical services during brownouts, sustaining operations for ​​≥8 hours​​.

​​Q: Can it interoperate with third-party industrial PLCs?​​

A: Yes. ​​Cisco IOx​​ hosts Dockerized ​​OPC UA proxies​​ and ​​Modbus converters​​, enabling legacy PLC integration without hardware upgrades.

​​Q: What tools diagnose ASIC-level packet drops?​​

A: ​​Cisco IOS-XR Telemetry​​ streams ​​NetFlow v9​​ and ​​Inband OAM​​ metrics to ​​Cisco Crosswork Network Controller​​, pinpointing drops to specific queues.

Procurement and Compatibility Guidelines

• ​​Software Licensing​​: Requires ​​Cisco Network Advantage​​ license for advanced features (MPLS, Segment Routing).
• ​​Transceiver Support​​: Validated with ​​Cisco SFP-10G-SR​​, ​​SFP-1G-LH​​, and third-party MSA-compliant optics.

For certified refurbished units, visit the ​​[SKY-1PE-1U-23R= link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/)​​.

Strategic Advantages Over Competing Platforms

• ​​Port Density​​: ​​23x 1G/10G ports​​ in 1U outperforms Juniper ACX710’s 16 ports, reducing rack space by ​​30%​​.
• ​​Industrial Resilience​​: ​​IEC 61850-3 certification​​ ensures reliability in substations, unlike HPE Aruba 8400.
• ​​Total Cost​​: ​​40% lower TCO​​ over 10 years vs. Nokia 7250 IXR, factoring in power and licensing.

Final Perspective

The SKY-1PE-1U-23R= defies the trade-off between ruggedness and sophistication. While many vendors treat industrial networking as a niche, Cisco embeds carrier-grade intelligence into a platform that thrives where others falter—be it a desert solar farm or a freezing oil rig. Organizations clinging to cobbled-together solutions for critical infrastructure risk operational fragility; adopters of this platform invest in a unified architecture where every packet and watt is optimized for resilience. In an age of escalating connectivity demands, this isn’t just hardware—it’s the backbone of tomorrow’s industrial ecosystems.