By Fischer Connectors, the Swiss-based global leader in high-performance connectivity solutions, showcases on International Police Expo stand A31 its new Fischer KEYSTONE™ 4, a small, versatile, plug-and-play tactical hub for reliable power distribution, seamless connectivity, and high adaptability to every operational challenge on the battlefield.
The new Fischer KEYSTONE™ 4-port power and data hub offers an unmatched combination of compactness, ruggedness, and performance in the soldier hub marketplace, enhancing in particular the mission of fast-moving special operation forces and small-squad team leaders.
The housing of KEYSTONE 4 is 69.2 mm long, 38 mm wide, 17 mm thick, weighs 125 g, and is sealed, along with its connectors and cable assemblies, to IP68 for -2m/24. Other environmental MIL-STD-810G features include operating temperature from -32 °C to +55 °C, operating altitude up to +9,754 m, and resistance to shock of 40 G / 11 ms, to vibration of 7.7 Grms / 1 h per axis, and weather conditions such as solar radiation, salt, sand and dust, rain and water, and fungus.
In compliance with standard MIL-STD-461G, the Fischer KEYSTONE™ 4 effectively reduces emissions and detection risks. With minimal thermal and EMI/EMC signatures, optimized circuitry, and a fully shielded enclosure, it ensures operational discretion in the most demanding environments.
Olivier Thormann, Product Manager for Fischer KEYSTONE, explains how the new 4-port hub helps “minimize the physical and cognitive burden on soldiers: tiny and lightweight, the hub is easy to mount on the MOLLE system with a removable clip, and connects easily and reliably to the wearable devices soldiers need on the battlefield. KEYSTONE 4 is extremely easy to use and requires no training.”
With two PAN ports, one EUD HOST port, and one RADIO BATT port, the hub efficiently distributes power (100 W total, 5 A under 20 V DC) while seamlessly transferring data (USB 2.0) from tactical devices, adapting to different operational configurations.
Pointing to the typical use case of the hub interconnecting a single battery with the EUD, a target locator, and a mesh radio with a PTT headset, Olivier Thorman reports rapid adoption of KEYSTONE 4 by soldiers: “The feedback we get from the field is always the same, underlining the simplicity and ultra-reliability of the tactical solution. Soldiers adopt KEYSTONE 4 as soon as they test it. They clip it on, plug it in, and it just works.”
Intermateable with Nett Warrior and NATO STANAG 4695/4851 interfaces, the Fischer KEYSTONE™ Tactical Hub series ensures seamless integration with existing systems, enhancing warfighter situational awareness and contributing to overall operational efficiency within the Battlefield Management System (BMS) framework.
Fischer KEYSTONE 4 is a product extension of Fischer Connectors’ tactical hub series launched on March 29, 2023, with Fischer KEYSTONE 6, a 6-port tactical hub featuring a power management app and an ATAK plug-in. Both KEYSTONE 6 and 4 benefit from a versatile suite of cable assemblies including extensions, adaptors, as well as assemblies interconnecting EUD, radios, and a variety of other devices (October 25, 2023).
* Full technical specifications: Fischer KEYSTONE™ Tactical Connectivity Solution
* Fischer Connectors website: Fischer KEYSTONE™ data & power hub