WHITE PAPER

ETHERNET BASICS GUIDE

Regular, Fast, Ultrafast Ethernet What Means What?

10Base5 – “Thick Ethernet or Thicknet” – is the original The IEEE naming convention for Ethernet is:
Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE)
802.3 Ethernet. • The first number (10, 100, 1000) indicates the
transmission speed in megabits per second (mbps).
10Base2 – “Thin Ethernet, Thinnet, or Cheapernet” – • The second term indicates transmission type:
resembles 10Base5, was introduced to reduce the cost Base = baseband; BROAD = broadband.
and complexity of installation, and became very popular
for replacing Thick Ethernet as an office-cabling solution. • The last number indicates segment length. 5 means
a 500-meter (500-m) segment length from original
10Base-T, an IEEE 802.3i physical later that uses two Thicknet.
pairs of unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) telephone-type
In newer IEEE standards, letters replace numbers. For
cable: one to Transmit; the other to Receive.
example, in 10Base-T, the T means unshielded twisted-pair
cables; in 100Base-T4, the T4 indicates four such pairs.
10Base-F refers to 3 different fiber-optic specifications:
• 10Base-FL (Fiber Link) replaced the 1987 Fiber
Optic Inter-Repeater Link (FOIRL) Specification and
is backward compatible with existing FOIRL devices. 7 Layer Network Concept
It is the most popular 10Mbps fiber standard. [Adapted from Sensors Magazine, July 2001 ©Advanstar]

• 10Base-FP and 10Base-FB are dead. P means For many years, the ISO/OSI model described the layers of
passive; B means backbone. information in a network, particularly the low-level transport
mechanisms. From top to bottom, these are the layers and
how these layers relate to your product design:
Fast Ethernet 100Base-T is 10Base-T with original
Ethernet Media Access Controller (MAC) at 10 times the Layer Name Function
speed. It allows three physical-layer implementations,
7 Application Meaning of data
all part of IEEE 802.3u: 100Base-TX has two pairs of
6 Presentation Building blocks of data and encryption
Category 5 UTP or Type 1 STP cabling and is most
5 Session Opening and closing of specific communication paths
popular for horizontal connections; 100Base-FX has two
4 Transport Error checking
strands of multi-mode fiber and is popular for vertical or
3 Network Determination of data paths within the network
backbone connections; 100Base-T4 has four pairs of
2 Data Link Data transmission, source, destination, and checksum
Category 3 or better cabling and is not common.
1 Physical Voltage levels, signal connections, wire, or fiber

Gigabit or 1000Mbps Ethernet is the 1998 IEEE 802.3z

Most networks do not use all layers. For example, Ethernet
standard that includes the Gigabit Ethernet MAC and
and RS-232 are physical layers: layer 1 only for RS-232;
three physical layers. Gigabit uses 8B/10B encoding and
layers 1 and 2 for Ethernet. TCP/IP is a protocol, not a
encompasses three physical standards: 1000Base-SX
network, and uses layers 3 and 4 regardless of whether
Fiber (horizontal fiber), 1000Base-LX Fiber (vertical or
layers 1 and 2 are a telephone line, wireless connection, or
campus backbone), 1000Base-CX Copper (Copper-
10Base-T Ethernet cable.
Twinax cabling), and 1000Base-T.
 WHITE PAPER

Ethernet Network Design Rule

The “5-4-3-2” rule states that the maximum transmission Hub Types: workgroup, usually stand-alone units with four
path is composed of 5 segments linked by 4 repeaters to eight ports; stackable, with many more ports that can
and, at most, the segments can be made of 3 coaxial be linked to form a “super hub;” segmented which allow
segments with station nodes and 2 link [10Base-FL] available ports to be divided among multiple groups and
segments with no nodes between. Exceeding these rules collision domains; two-speed which allow multiple baud rates
means that some nodes will be unable to communicate to operate on the same hub, auto-detecting the data rate at
with some other nodes. each port and linking ports together with a speed-matching
bridge; managed which have modest levels of intelligence
Below is a popular simplification of the IEEE 802.3 Rule and can be controlled remotely via a configuration port; and
regarding maximum transmission length between two repeaters, essentially two-port hubs, which clean up the
nodes: signal and boost it over distances.

Ethernet Switches route communication to the desired

end devices instead of broadcasting the communication
to everyone connected to the LAN. This is done by the
Note: these rules only apply when using hubs, not switches or routers.) switch’s ability to set up a table of device addresses
connected to each leg of the switch. With this information
the switch knows where to send each Ethernet packet once
Building Blocks it is received. Switches are plug and play and increase
The power of an Ethernet LAN (Local Area Network) the number of nodes and the length of the LAN. They
is tremendous when applied to a factory floor or other are designed to divide the network into separate collision
industrial application. However, to take full advantage domains. This reduces overall traffic on a LAN, improving
of its features, it requires more than simple wire communication speed and reducing errors.
connections from one device to another. Networks can
have hundreds of cables and nodes along with infinite Managed Switches allow advanced control of your LAN.
combinations of hubs, switches, bridges, routers, They usually include software to configure your network and
network interface cards and servers. Following are diagnostic ports to monitor LAN traffic. If communications
descriptions of some infrastructure devices that can fail, most managed switches will alert the manager via e-mail
make your Ethernet LAN come alive. or by closing a relay to trigger an audible signal or flash a
light. Another feature available on managed switches is QoS
(Quality of Service) programming which prioritizes messages
Ethernet Hubs are an easy way to increase of nodes, ensuring important data receives the highest priority on the
extend distances with low latency. Hubs are “dumb” LAN segment. See Managed Ethernet Switches.
and do not examine Ethernet packets for destination
information so they deliver packets faster than switches. Media Converters change Ethernet twisted-pair copper
All messages received are sent out on all legs to all wires into fiber optic signals. Fiber optic is often preferable
connected devices. They indiscriminately transmit data because it is impervious to interference that can disrupt the
to all other devices, which are still on the same collision signals being carried by copper. Because fiber can extend
domain, connected to the hubs. Hubs isolate the the distance of a network up to 2 km in each segment, media
impedances of multiple spokes in a star topology. Some converters can also increase the range of a network.
hubs have limited store-and-forward capability. They are
plug and play and not assigned MAC or IP addresses.
 WHITE PAPER

Stacking or Crossover Cables allow multiple hubs to Gateways convert messages from one protocol to another,
be connected in a daisy-chain topology. You cannot use such as Modbus on RS-232 to Ethernet Modbus/TCP, or
standard cables to link two hubs or two NIC cards together DeviceNet to EtherNet/IP. In most cases, the physical layers,
because they link transmit pins to transmit pins instead protocols, and speeds are different. Gateways must normally
of transmit pins to receive pins. Note: Some hubs have be configured to work properly and are temporary rather than
crossover ports, which allow standard cables to be used. permanent solutions. Interface cards (NICs) link the PC to
Ethernet via the PCI, ISA, PCMCIA, PC/104, or other buses.
Bridges, which operate at layer 2 of the OSI model, extend NICs handle layers 1 and 2, while the host processor in the
the reach of each segment and allow traffic to selectively PC handles everything else.
pass between two network segments. Bridges make
forwarding decisions based on MAC addresses. Software handles all other network layers, including TCP/
IP, which comes built-in to nearly all PC operating systems,
Intelligent bridges learn over time what devices are including Windows, Linux, DOS, UNIX, VxWorks, etc.
connected on each side and figure out which messages Software applications for control or operator interfaces have
to forward and which ones to block. Such a bridge will drivers that pass application data, including higher-layer
automatically adapt to changes made to the networks over protocols like Modbus/TCP and EtherNet/IP to TCP/IP.
time.
Driver performance – There are no defined standards for
driver performance and there can be significant performance
Do not form loops on networks with multiple connecting
issues and delays with respect to driver and application
bridges. The IEEE 802.1 spanning-tree algorithm removes
performance. Many drivers are not written to serve the needs
loops: One bridge in a loop becomes the root and all other of deterministic applications.
bridges send frames to it. Note: Bridges are not assigned
MAC or IP addresses. Response time can vary considerably on the basis of CPU
speed, memory, how well the drivers are written, what other
Routers, which maintain tables of IP addresses on each applications are running on the PC, etc. In most cases,
segment, learn the most direct paths for sending data the speed of industrial Ethernet networks will be limited by
packets to their destination. Routers are protocol-dependent software and drivers, not by Ethernet itself.
because they operate at layer 3. Types include: 2-port;
multi-port; access, which use modems; bridging, also called
“brouters”, which change from router to bridge when they
receive a packet that they do not understand and send the
Selecting the Right Cable
Select the right cable – and ensure that all components
message.
and interconnects on the network are equal to the cable’s
quality level. Grounding coaxial cable is generally good as
Terminal Servers connect multiple serial devices – RS-232,
it dissipates static electricity and makes your network safer.
RS-422, RS-485 – to Ethernet. Types include: thin which
Use fiber optic cables to link buildings, not copper.
link a single device to Ethernet and allow COM ports on the
other side of the network to appear as though they are local
Shielded twisted pair (STP) cable is naturally noise immune
to your PC; and network time servers which use a global
and preferable to unshielded twisted pair (UTP) in noisy
positioning system (GPS) to provide accurate local time for
situations. STP should have at least 40 dB CMRR and less
synchronization of devices and time stamping of events.
than 0.1 pF capacitance unbalance per foot. Ground the STP
cable, ensuring the ground is connected only at one end.
Cat5 STP patch panels can provide a grounding strip or bar.
 WHITE PAPER

Hubs and switches don’t provide grounding—use cables.

• What is the speed (“response time”) requirement for the
most time-critical devices? Do all devices require that
It is wise to be conservative about cables’ ability to reject
speed? Should some have a higher priority than others?
noise from 220 VAC and 440 VAC power lines and noisy
power supplies of a factory. Capacitance imbalance greater • Does the network allow you to prioritize messages?
than 70 pF per 100 m can introduce harmonic distortion, • Do the devices that you want to use support the same
resulting in bit errors. network standard? Are there open versus closed
architecture considerations?
The cost of cable is quite low compared to total equipment • If you are developing a network-capable product, what
cost. If you are looking to save money, this is not a place to is the hardware bill of materials and cost of software
do it. Choose a well-designed cable to minimize bit-error rate development for that network?
after installation for faster throughput and fewer glitches.
• How much electrical noise is present in the application
and how susceptible is the cabling to such interference?
Fiber-optic cable – certainly more expensive but bypassing
the electrical issues such as noise and harmonic distortion, • What is the maximum required packet size for the data
grounding, etc., especially in high-speed networks – it is a that will be sent? If the data can be fragmented over
very attractive choice. several packets, how fast does a completed message
have to arrive?
If one section of a network is exposed to excess amounts of • What type(s) of device relationships are desired: master/
electrical noise, it is best to isolate that section with switches. slave, peer-peer, or broadcast?
But, if you must use a hub in a noisy environment, use one
• Does the network need to distribute electrical power? If
with some level of intelligence instead of a buffer.
so, how much current?

If your equipment is subject to washdown or exposure to • What kind of fault tolerance needs to be built into the
corrosive chemicals, select cables with insulation that is network architecture?
rated to withstand exposure to those chemicals, such as
• What is the total estimated installed cost?
polyurethane (PUR).
###

Choosing the Best Network

Ethernet must work with other network technologies and, for
some applications, other networks will deliver more cost-
effective performance. Ask these question:

This white paper includes excerpts from Industrial Ethernet—A Pocket Guide. How
• What is the distance requirement? to Plan, Install, and Maintain TCP/IP Ethernet Networks: The Basic Reference
Guide for Automation and Process Control Engineers. By Perry S. Marshall. ISA.
• What physical cabling arrangement makes sense for this 2002. Research Triangle Park, N.C. ISBN 1-55617-788-7.
application?

Worldwide Headquarters US Corporate Headquarters Cellular Product Group OEM & Product Modification
Taiwan 707 Dayton Road Sokolská 71, 562 04 Ústí nad Orlicí Ill. Phone: 815-433-5222
ADVANTECH Ottawa, IL 61350 USA Czech Republic Fax: 815-433-5104
No. 1, Alley 20, Lane 26, Rueiguang Road, Phone: 1-815-433-5100 Phone: +420 465 521 020 Attn: Custom Dept.
Neihu District, Taipei 11491, Taiwan, R.O.C. Fax: 1-815-433-5109 Fax: +420 464 647 299 [email protected]
Toll Free: 0800-777-111 [email protected] GSM: +420 603 872 287 Custom Quote Request Form:
www.advantech.com www.advantech-bb.com [email protected] www.advantech-bb.com/custom

European Headquarters Middle East, UAE, Africa Latin America, Caribbean advantech-bb.com
10 Westlink Commercial Park AG Silver Tower, JLT, P.O. Box 48777 Phone: 1-727-797-0300
Oranmore, Co. Galway, Ireland Dubai, UAE Cell: 1-727-480-5920
Phone: +353 91 792444 Mobile: +971 50 943 65 62 [email protected]
Fax: +353 91 792445 [email protected] © Advantech B+B SmartWorx. All rights reserved. 3618
[email protected]