Blog
Recent Posts
Industrial Ethernet Guide - Limitations Of Ethernet
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.There are, in fact, only few limitations to Ethernet as a standard networking technology, and those that exist can be rectified easily.There are practical limits to the size (physical network length, number of devices) of a complete Ethernet network that shares a single [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - Ethernet, CSMA/CD, TCP/IP, and UDP
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.The following chapter explains, in brief, the functionality of Ethernet, CSMA/CD (Carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection), TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol), and UDP (User Datagram Protocol).EthernetEthernet represents the physical protocol layer, i.e., it covers the physical medium (e.g., cables, RJ45 ports, LAN cards, [...]
Internet-Of-Things (IoT) Development Board With Cortex M4 Core And Arduino Expansion
The LPC54018 IoT module, developed by NXP in partnership with Embedded Artists, is suitable for applications that require online and cloud access. It also includes software that allows your application to interface with AWS IoT Services. The module is based on NXP’s LPC54018 microcontroller, which comes with a Cortex-M4 core capable of operating at up to a 180 [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - Ethernet and TCP/IP Basics
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.Note: This chapter can only provide a rudimentary overview of the underlying Ethernet technology. There are already a significant number of works on TCP/IP available (see also the “References” appendix) that explain the topic in great detail.Nevertheless, the information in this chapter is [...]
Texas Instruments Introduces MCU With EtherCAT, Ethernet, And CAN FD Connectivity
Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced their F2838x MCU, designed for AC servo drives and other industrial automation devices. The 32-bit MCU is part of the C2000 micro-controller family. The MCU allows designers the utilization of a single chip to achieve serial connectivity, including EtherCAT, Ethernet, and CAN FD. Devices equipped with such communication ports frequently necessitate an external [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - TCP/IP Protocol Positions Within OSI Reference Model
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.The TCP/IP layer model follows the OSI 7-Layer Reference Model to a certain degree as demonstrated in the image documenting the Ethernet TCP/IP protocol layers. The similarities to the OSI model are apparent.However, they do have their subtle differences. After all, OSI is [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - Standard Ethernet TCP/IP
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.As the term Ethernet TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) indicates, Ethernet TCP/IP is not a single protocol. It comprises of a full suite of protocols based on the two original protocols TCP and IP. In other words, Ethernet TCP/IP is a layered protocol, where each layer [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - The OSI Reference Model
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss. The OSI Reference Model is at the heart of serial networking technologies, including Industrial Ethernet. The understanding of the model is mandatory, not only when it comes to understanding Ethernet TCP/IP, the underlying technology of Industrial Ethernet; it also serves as a model explaining how the different [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - A Brief History of Ethernet and TCP/IP
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.The Ethernet technology came to life in 1972 at the Xerox Corporation’s Palo Alto Research Center, more commonly known as PARC, when researcher Bob Metcalfe designed and tested the first Ethernet network. While working on a way to link Xerox’s "Alto" computer to a printer, Metcalfe developed [...]
Industrial Ethernet Guide - Client/Server Vs. Master/Slave
The following is part of A Comprehensible Guide to Industrial Ethernet by Wilfried Voss.Note: There is an ongoing discussion regarding the political correctness of the term "Master/Slave", specifically in the United States, due to its history. While the author would welcome a revised, standardized term, the industry and the various standardization organizations have been slow to [...]