Business activities increasingly require a homogeneous industrial Ethernet networking solution that allows the integration of process and diagnostic data with the IT network.
Industrial Ethernet made it possible to give a new organizational setting to the factory with the aim of integrating various components with its plants in an efficient and effective industrial network system.
What is the Ethernet Protocol?
The Ethernet protocol is a set of technologies suitable for connecting different devices to each other. Thanks to this network it is possible to transmit data between the various devices also through connection media such as copper fiber optic cables and radio waves. Data communication between PCs and devices occurs through a series of layers that contribute sequentially to the functioning of the information transmission.
Anie Automazione in its “Guide for Industrial Networking” describes the various layers that we show below together with their functions:
- Layer 7 – Application layer: it manages communications between applications and directs data to the correct application. Example of managed protocols: HTTP, FTP, TFTP, DHCP, DNS, SMTP, POP3, Telnet, SSH
- Layer 6 – Presentation layer: it converts data into different formats in order to make them readable as data, characters, images, audio. Example of managed formats: GIF, JPEG, MPEG, Quicktime, ASCII, EBCIDIC
- Layer 5 – Session Layer: it opens, maintains and closes communications between devices and applications. This layer identifies the type of data and the session it belongs, ensuring that all data requests are opened, sent and closed in the correct way. Example: Password Authentication Protocol (PAP); Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
- Layer 4 – Transport layer: it transfers data from one device to another without errors, checks the data flow and the correct sending sequence for the UDP sending and receiving protocol in the case of the TCP protocol. Managed protocols: UDP, TCP
- Layer 3 – Network Layer: it is responsible for logical addresses and data routing in a network. Routers can operate at this level. Managed protocols: IP, Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest (OSPF), EIGRP, IS-IS, IPSEC, GRE
- Layer 2 – Data Link layer: it defines how the devices communicate in the network, and is responsible for managing the physical addresses of the network cards and their communication. The Media Access Control (MAC address) is managed by the Data Link Layer, the managed and unmanaged switches operate at this level. Managed protocols: Ethernet, Frame Relay, Token Ring, Point-to-Point (PPP), Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP), L2TP, PPTP
- Layer 1 – Physical Layer: it defines how the data communication passes through the media, the chosen transmission medium. The data bits can be transmitted electrically, optically, or by radio signal. The mechanical standard of connectors is also set. Standards and managed devices: Media (coaxial cable, twisted-pair copper cable, fiber-optic cable), Connectors (RJ45), NICs, HUBs, Repeater
At industrial level, companies use Ethernet technologies with customized profiles to ensure determinism in data transmission. Let’s think, for example, at the ability to provide performance in real time. This mechanism is really important for an industrial reality that requires a very short response time! The correct term to describe this interconnection of devices is Industrial Ethernet. The environment in which the network has been configured is more adverse to data communications: harsh environmental conditions, wide range of operating temperatures, radio and EMC disturbances generated by power devices.
How is the Industrial Ethernet network infrastructure organized?
The devices that composed the Industrial Ethernet network infrastructure must adapt to particular environments. For this reason, it is not always possible to use the components that are used for managing the IT/Office network, as they may not meet certain needs dictated by the industrial environments in which they are found! This is why it is important to choose the most suitable components for your industrial environment.
Industrial Switches / Routers
The switches are the basic component that allows the creation of local networks (LAN). They act on the protocol’s data layer (Layer 2) by exploiting the physical addresses (MAC) contained in the header of the Ethernet frames sent on the ports. Thanks to this system, when a switch receives information, it reads the address to which it should be delivered to and transmits the frame to the port to which the recipient device is connected. If the latter was already engaged in the transmission of another packet, the switch saves this data in its memory until the interface is available for another transmission.
Industrial safety components
These are industrial switches and routers which have intrinsic safety features able of guaranteeing the protection of industrial networks, sensitive data and unauthorized access.
Industrial wireless
To support these devices it is necessary to have technologies based on information’s transport via microwaves that allow industrial networks to communicate over the ether. Once again, Anie Automazione’s “Guide for Industrial Networking” helps us. It describes two types of technologies:
- Remote access technology: allows you to give Internet access to Industrial Ethernet devices (Modem)
- Technology for the creation of local Wireless industrial networks (or IWLAN): this technology is used by devices able to generate and manage a Wireless network, called Access Points, and devices, called Client/Bridge, able to guarantee only the simple access to Wireless networks managed by Access Point or at most a Peer-to-Peer communication
Other components
In addition, it is good to remember all passive components, such as cables, connectors, adapters and all accessories necessary for the good functioning of the networks.
The main cables are: ethernet cable, lan network cable, fiber optic cables, copper cables.
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