SLAAEM2 October   2024 AM2434

 

  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Introduction
    1. 1.1 Real-Time Communication in Factories
    2. 1.2 Industrial Protocols
    3. 1.3 Serial and Ethernet-Based Communication Protocols
  5. 2Industrial Protocols
    1. 2.1 Ethernet-Based Communication Protocols
    2. 2.2 Network Topologies
    3. 2.3 OSI Layer Model
    4. 2.4 Industrial Ethernet System Block diagram
      1. 2.4.1 Two-Port Device
      2. 2.4.2 One-Port Controller
    5. 2.5 Ethernet Physical Layer (PHY)
    6. 2.6 Media Access Controller (MAC)
      1. 2.6.1 Device MAC
      2. 2.6.2 Controller MAC
    7. 2.7 Industrial Protocol Stacks
    8. 2.8 Industrial Communication Software Development Kit (SDK)
    9. 2.9 EtherCAT Device Example Using the AM243x Processor
  6. 3Conclusion

2.6.2 Controller MAC

The industrial Ethernet controller typically features one Ethernet port dedicated to connecting industrial Ethernet (IE) devices. Additionally, a second Ethernet port is often included to interface with the network backbone and intranet, providing diagnostic and status information to the management level. The first port's speed is determined by the specific industrial Ethernet protocol in use, commonly operating at 100Mbit/s. The second port usually supports higher speeds, typically 1Gbit/s, to handle the additional data traffic and management functions.

Certain industrial Ethernet protocols, such as EtherCAT, do not necessitate a specific MAC implementation. Therefore, the MAC requirement has to be evaluated based on the particular industrial Ethernet protocol being deployed.

The controller CPU frequently operates a High-Level Operating System (HLOS) such as Linux to support services such as PLC (for example, CoDeSys run-time) and OPC UA. Consequently, a processor with a robust architecture, such as a Cortex® A53 or Cotrex A73, is typically used to meet the performance demands.