The Evolution of Ethernet
May 4, 2022
Venerable Ethernet provides the backbone of the internet.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/blogs/altembedded/article/21240842/electronic-design-the-evolution-of-ethernet

A Peek into the Future of Industrial Communications
May 19, 2022
This article provides an overview of the most promising network technologies and innovations, such as time-sensitive networking, and looks at how they’re revolutionizing industrial communications.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/article/21242235/cclink-partner-association-a-peek-into-the-future-of-industrial-communications?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS220523008&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

What you’ll learn:

How manufacturers can develop less complex and less expensive wireless communications that integrates with Wi-Fi, 5G, and single-pair Ethernet.
How TSN enables digital manufacturing with deterministic communications.
How to enhance smart-factory connectivity in the IIoT.

NXP Semiconductors rolled out a family of high-performance microcontrollers that integrates a gigabit-per-second, time-sensitive networking (TSN) switch, in a bid to expand its footprint in the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The new i.MX RT1180 is the latest in the company’s i.MX RT series of high-performance crossover MCUs.

With up to five Gb/s Ethernet ports, NXP said the i.MX RT1180 MCU supports a wide range of networking protocols for industrial communications, including the latest TSN Ethernet standards, as well as real-time legacy protocols such as EtherCAT, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, and CC-Link, among others. The company said the i.MX RT1180 takes the place of a standalone Ethernet switch, saving board space and reducing costs.

TSN is a set of networking standards that bring deterministic real-time communication to factory floors and industrial systems. It provides a shared understanding of time to sensors and other devicesso they can connect safely with each other over Ethernet, supplementing many of the legacy protocols in use today. With TSN, information (IT) and operational technology (OT) can both run on the same network.
Networking Event

According to NXP, the i.MX RT1180 is the first in its i.MX RT family to incorporate its EdgeLock secure enclave. NXP said EdgeLock eases the challenge of implementing robust security and intelligence in IIoT devices.

The secure enclave acts as a root of trust with secure boot. It can handle authentication, secure management of the device throughout its lifecycle, and advanced key management for the IIoT.

Functional safety (fail-safe) is the overall part of safety which aims to prevent hazards due to the incorrect functioning of industrial machinery. Traditionally, functional safety systems relied on separately wired circuits that are expensive to build, commission, and maintain. Nowadays, functional safety can be done over the fieldbus, shifting from safety in hard relays to safety in logic.

PROFIsafe can provide functional safety over the bus. It is designed to eliminate the need for a separate safety network and reduces industrial network architectures to one bus. PROFIsafe extends the Profinet communication protocol to address unique requirements for safety-related information necessary to conform to strict safety standards.
Functional safety standards

PROFIsafe ensures the integrity of fail-safe signals transmitted between safety devices and a safety controller, meeting relevant safety standards. That includes the highest safety categories: up to SIL3 according to IEC 61508/IEC 62061, and Category 4 according to EN 954-1, or PL “e” according to ISO 13849-1.
Network components and implementation

Not all Profinet devices support PROFIsafe. Therefore, the user must carefully select safety components. During implementation, the user selects the elements within the network that require safety; only those network components require PROFIsafe capabilities. As shown in the figure, the overall network configuration may contain a mix of fail-safe (yellow) and standard (gray) components. Also, PROFIsafe is designed to work independently of the base transmission channel, whether that channel is copper wire, fiber optics, wireless, or a backplane.

PROFIsafe components are commonly called F-components (fail-safe). The following are PROFIsafe elements in an F-system:

The F-GSD file (General station description file: Profinet device description provided by the device manufacturer) contains all the information to allow an F-controller to set up and communicate with the device. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) protects the F-GSD file to ensure its safety conformance.
The F-config tool is the programming environment. It uses F-GSDs to create and download the system configuration and F-program to the F-controller. The F-program and configuration are subject to PROFIsafe safety checks to ensure correct functioning.
The F-controller executes the safety program.
F-Devices use hardware safety techniques to ensure their safe operation. Input/output (I/O), light curtains, valves, and drives are a few examples of F-devices.

Time-sensitive networking (TSN) can help manufacturers boost productivity by simplifying machine design, improve transparency and more.

Time-sensitive networking (TSN) can help enable Industry 4.0 applications and bring data transfer to the next level. While TSN adoption is still in its early stages, with future-oriented businesses picking up the pace, this technology holds enormous potential for numerous manufacturing sectors. Manufacturers can realize its potential in these four ways:

1. Simplified machine design and higher performance for the converting sector
2. Transparency and traceability for food & beverage
3. Better quality for automotive assembly plants
4. Higher levels of semiconductor manufacturing integration

More than TSN

While TSN offers a number of advantages to manufacturers per se, it provides a comprehensive solution when combined with an open network technology that offers high bandwidth. In this way, businesses are able to handle the large volume of data Industry 4.0 applications will generate. As a result, they can further enhance network reliability, productivity and quality assurance strategies. By relying on this cutting-edge network technology, manufacturers from any sector can find a key solution to boost their processes.