With the new one-day real-time Ethernet seminar IXXAT presents a topical theme and enables de-velopers and decision makers to get a quick overview of the important currently available pro-tocols as well as the specific features and char-acteristics at the implementation.

During the seminar, the protocols EtherNet/IP, Profinet RT & IRT, POWERLINK, EtherCAT, and SERCOS III are introduced. Besides functional criteria, e.g. the level of real-time capability, modeling of process and parameter data as well as data transmission functions, also implementa-tion options, extendability, flexibility and popularity are discussed.

All this criteria are important for selecting the right protocol for a specific application.
Furthermore, the fields of application as well as the strong and weak points of the protocols are introduced.

The seminar provides a comprehensive, quick and open-minded overview of the new industrial Ethernet fieldbus technologies in a compact for-mat.

Since more than 20 years, IXXAT offers seminars in the area of industrial and automotive data communication. The real-time Ethernet seminar, as well as further seminars e.g. for CAN, CANopen, EtherNet/IP and FlexRay, are offered as in-house seminar in English or German language in a customized version on request.

Seminar dates: March 25, 2010 and Sept. 22, 2010.

For further information about the new real-time Ethernet seminar please visit www.ixxat.com/seminars.

The IEM implements a cost efficient and flexible solution to adapt to various Industrial Ethernet technologies. The IEM is based on a powerful Altera Cyclone III FPGA which includes, besides an integrated 32-bit CPU, PHYs, magnetic modules and RJ45 jacks, the new 3-port switch IP for Profinet, EtherNet/IP and Modbus-TCP.

The switch IP has been developed by IXXAT in close co-operation with one of the world’s leading experts in switch technologies. The IP implements a store-and-forward switch and is explicitly designed for real-time Ethernet networks. An implementation as cut-through switch is already in preparation.
The switch IP makes use of the priority information to transfer real-time Ethernet frames with lowest latency and jitter (in the range of a few microseconds).
The switch IP comes with integrated MACs which support 10/100 Base-T, half and full duplex. To make use of features like static or dynamic address table, aging mode, routing mode, etc, the customer can configure the IP by using its management interface. On top of this, the internal port supports filters and backpressure to reduce the load of the connected system.

The switch IP is also available as a product, based on Altera Cyclone III (further FPGA types on request). Furthermore, IXXAT also offers the development of fully customized adaptations of the switch IP on a project base.

Read more about the Industrial Ethernet Module

As one of the first devices, the IXXAT POWERLINK Starterkit Controlled Node (CN)
receives the official certificate of the EPSG POWERLINK Conformance Test. The Starterkit consists of an IXXAT Industrial Ethernet Module, a carrier board, a CPU module as well as a demo application. The IEM, as base hardware for different real-time Ethernet protocols, is based on the IXXAT POWERLINK stack, in the protocol variant for POWERLINK, and comes with an integrated Ethernet hub for the 2-port network connection.

The certificate ensures the conformity to the latest POWERLINK DS301 V1.1.0 specification. In addition, the Industrial Ethernet Module passes herewith the Multi-Vendor Test at the first attempt, which approves the interoperability with managing nodes of various vendors. The interoperability test shows again, that the guaranteed performance of the IXXAT IEM is a substantial characteristic of a POWERLINK module. Especially the very low response jitter below 250 ns as well as the guaranteed cycle time of minimal 400 µs enables the stable and error free operation of the Industrial Ethernet Module with almost every POWERLINK control unit.

The POWERLINK IEM is the optimal basis for an easy implementation of CN solutions, which also demonstrably works reliable in inhomogeneous systems. Due to the FPGA technology used, future enhancements, like POWERLINK High Availability (EPSG WDP 302-A) or Multi Poll-Response, can be made available to the customer without hardware modifications.

Besides POWERLINK, IXXAT supports the Industrial Ethernet Module also with firmware for PROFINET, EtherCAT and EtherNet/IP. SERCOS III and Modbus-TCP will follow soon. To change the used protocol, only the firmware including the FPGA IP has to be exchanged.

For an integration into customer devices the Industrial Ethernet Module can also be produced with customer specific form factors. Besides this, IXXAT also offers the design-in of the FPGA based Ethernet connection directly on the customer hardware. All variants are supported with appropriate services, like consultation, system design and development services.

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To enable the best possible integration of the protocol software into the customer application, various options for configuration and adaptation of the software are available. This includes e.g. the possibility to manage the Primary Table data either by the customer application or directly within the software stack.

Due to independent abstraction layers for the operating system and the TCP/IP software, the Modbus-TCP server protocol stack can be adapted easily and fast to various microprocessors or operating systems.

The software is delivered as source code with a product license. The demo application for Windows 2000/XP as well as the detailed user manual and example code enable a fast start of the development.

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