Predictika · Industrial Ethernet switch orders

An AI sales agent's modular industrial switch order, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares an order for a Hirschmann MS20 or MS30 modular industrial Ethernet switch (Hirschmann is a Belden brand) with its media modules, supply voltage and operating temperature. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the product code and installation rules in the public MS20/MS30 installation guide, and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: Hirschmann MS20 and MS30 modular switch orders: product code, media module slots, MB20 extender, media modules, supply voltage and ambient temperature. See everything this validator covers

This validator models orders for the MS20 (no Gigabit ports) and MS30 (two Gigabit ports) modular switches in their 8-, 16- and 24-port base units, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Product code — the MS20 has no Gigabit ports and the MS30 has two; a code that pairs them the other way round is blocked.
  • Module slots — the 8-, 16- and 24-port base units have 2, 4 and 6 media module slots; the number of fitted modules cannot exceed them.
  • MB20 extender — adds two slots to the 16-port base unit only (MS20-1600 and MS30-1602).
  • Media modules — four 4-port module types (4 RJ45; 4 multimode fiber; 4 singlemode fiber; 2 RJ45 plus 2 multimode fiber), with twisted-pair and fiber ports counted against what the site needs and against the port count the quote states.
  • Power and temperature — voltage range A (18 to 32 V DC) or C and E (18 to 60 V DC); standard temperature class (0 to 60 °C) or extended classes (-40 to 70 °C).

Any MS20/MS30 order that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (no list prices are published), other Hirschmann or Belden switch families, the Gigabit MM4 modules, the PoE and digital I/O modules, the 2-port and 3-port modules other than the one listed, and software options.

The AI sales agentBuilds the switch order from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
A module count that exceeds the base unit's slotsOnly with care
Slots depend on the base unit and on whether the extender is fitted, so each combination needs its own rule.		Base unit, extender and module counts arrive in one request and are checked together on every call.
An extender fitted to the wrong base unitOnly with care
A product rule must be written for each base unit and kept current as variants are added.		The extender and the base unit are compared on every call, in any order.
A site supply or temperature outside the code's rangeOnly with workarounds
The ranges belong to letters in the product code, so they need lookup tables and separate validation rules.		The voltage and temperature codes carry their limits, and the site values are compared with them.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as a step is completed, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1The quote fits 3 media modules, but the selected switch has 2 module slots.
2The quote fits 7 media modules, but the selected switch has 6 module slots.
3The quote fits 5 media modules, but the selected switch has 4 module slots.
4The MB20 extender module expands only the 16-port base units (MS20-1600 and MS30-1602), not the 8-port or 24-port units.
5The product code pairs the switch family with the wrong number of Gigabit ports; the MS20 has no Gigabit ports and the MS30 has two.
6The site supply is 33 V DC, outside the 18 to 32 V DC range of the selected voltage code.
7The site supply is 61 V DC, outside the 18 to 60 V DC range of the selected voltage code.
8The site supply is 17 V DC, outside the 18 to 60 V DC range of the selected voltage code.
9The ambient temperature is 61 degrees C, outside the 0 to 60 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
10The ambient temperature is -1 degrees C, outside the 0 to 60 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
11The ambient temperature is 71 degrees C, outside the -40 to 70 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
12The site needs 9 fiber ports, but the media modules provide 8.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Slots and the MB20 extender: A 16-port MS20 base unit fitted with six media modules

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS20 modular switch with a 16-port base unit and no Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range C (18 to 60 V DC), fitted with 3 MM2-4TX1 modules (4 RJ45) and 3 MM3-4FXM2 modules (4 multimode fiber), for a site with a 24 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 30 degrees C that needs 12 twisted-pair and 12 fiber ports. The quote states 24 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • More media modules than slots. The quote fits 6 media modules, but the selected switch has 4 module slots.
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2. Slots and the MB20 extender: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS20 modular switch with a 16-port base unit and no Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range C (18 to 60 V DC), plus the MB20 extender module, fitted with 3 MM2-4TX1 modules (4 RJ45) and 3 MM3-4FXM2 modules (4 multimode fiber), for a site with a 24 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 30 degrees C that needs 12 twisted-pair and 12 fiber ports. The quote states 24 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 6 media modules in 6 slots, 24 fast Ethernet ports (12 twisted-pair, 12 fiber).
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3. Power and temperature: An MS30 24-port switch on a 48 V supply at 65 degrees C

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS30 modular switch with a 24-port base unit and two Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range A (18 to 32 V DC), fitted with 2 MM3-4FXM2 modules (4 multimode fiber), 1 MM3-4FXS2 module (4 singlemode fiber) and 3 MM3-2FXM2/2TX1 modules (2 RJ45 and 2 multimode fiber), for a site with a 48 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 65 degrees C that needs 6 twisted-pair and 16 fiber ports. The quote states 24 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Supply voltage outside the voltage range. The site supply is 48 V DC, outside the 18 to 32 V DC range of the selected voltage code.
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  • Ambient temperature outside the temperature class. The ambient temperature is 65 degrees C, outside the 0 to 60 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
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4. Power and temperature: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS30 modular switch with a 24-port base unit and two Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range C (18 to 60 V DC), fitted with 2 MM3-4FXM2 modules (4 multimode fiber), 1 MM3-4FXS2 module (4 singlemode fiber) and 3 MM3-2FXM2/2TX1 modules (2 RJ45 and 2 multimode fiber), for a site with a 48 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 65 degrees C that needs 6 twisted-pair and 16 fiber ports. The quote states 24 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Ambient temperature outside the temperature class. The ambient temperature is 65 degrees C, outside the 0 to 60 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
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5. Power and temperature: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS30 modular switch with a 24-port base unit and two Gigabit ports, with the extended (-40 to 70 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range C (18 to 60 V DC), fitted with 2 MM3-4FXM2 modules (4 multimode fiber), 1 MM3-4FXS2 module (4 singlemode fiber) and 3 MM3-2FXM2/2TX1 modules (2 RJ45 and 2 multimode fiber), for a site with a 48 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 65 degrees C that needs 6 twisted-pair and 16 fiber ports. The quote states 24 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 6 media modules in 6 slots, 24 fast Ethernet ports (6 twisted-pair, 18 fiber).
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6. Product code: An MS20 base unit coded with Gigabit ports

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS20 modular switch with an 8-port base unit and two Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range C (18 to 60 V DC), fitted with 1 MM2-4TX1 module (4 RJ45) and 1 MM3-2FXM2/2TX1 module (2 RJ45 and 2 multimode fiber), for a site with a 24 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 25 degrees C that needs 6 twisted-pair and 2 fiber ports. The quote states 8 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Gigabit ports do not match the switch family. The product code pairs the switch family with the wrong number of Gigabit ports; the MS20 has no Gigabit ports and the MS30 has two.
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7. Product code: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Hirschmann MS30 modular switch with an 8-port base unit and two Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range C (18 to 60 V DC), fitted with 1 MM2-4TX1 module (4 RJ45) and 1 MM3-2FXM2/2TX1 module (2 RJ45 and 2 multimode fiber), for a site with a 24 V DC supply and an ambient temperature of 25 degrees C that needs 6 twisted-pair and 2 fiber ports. The quote states 8 media ports. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. 2 media modules in 2 slots, 8 fast Ethernet ports (6 twisted-pair, 2 fiber).
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares an order for a Hirschmann MS20 or MS30 modular industrial Ethernet switch (Hirschmann is a Belden brand). Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the product code and installation rules in the public MS20/MS30 installation guide, and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please quote a Hirschmann MS30 modular switch with a 24-port base unit and two Gigabit ports, with the standard (0 to 60 degrees C) temperature class and voltage range A (18 to 32 V DC). The quote states 24 media ports. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. The site supply is 48 V DC, outside the 18 to 32 V DC range of the selected voltage code. The ambient temperature is 65 degrees C, outside the 0 to 60 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
    6. 
      
  6. The validator returned two blocking findings in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
    7. 
      
  7. What this shows: for a site supply or temperature outside the code's range, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the voltage range to Range C.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. Still blocked, with one finding, all in one answer. The ambient temperature is 65 degrees C, outside the 0 to 60 degrees C range of the selected temperature class.
    12. 
      
  12. One finding cleared. Still blocking: ambient temperature outside the temperature class.
    13. 
      
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
    14. 
      
  14. The revised request. It changes the temperature class to extended.
    15. 
      
  15. It calls the validator once more.
    16. 
      
  16. This time the validator clears it.
    17. 
      
  17. The earlier finding is cleared, and the validator's figure matches the quote.
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  18. Two problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.