Two networking technology trends are helping to shape multiple trackside Ethernet networks. IEEE Time Sensitive Networks (TSN) technology and proposed redundancy protocols will help enable radical reduction in the complexity of rail metro Ethernet networks, assisting in reductions of both CAPEX and OPEX costs.

The goal is to offer device manufacturers a one-stop shop for TSN certification of the entire stack, and to impose no restrictions on the choice of test houses. This work will create a faster process towards an open, interoperable ecosystem of devices that take advantage of Time-Sensitive Networking’s full benefits.

CC-Link IE TSN enables time sharing communication over Industrial Ethernet, making it easy to use Ethernet devices. The protocol has also been redesigned for high-speed cyclic communication, significantly improving performance and functionality for general control and motion control in the OT field.

A new proof-of-concept TSN conformance testing tool enables systems designers the chance to see how their devices and networks perform in real-world settings, before they are being rolled out as products. The goal is to create a faster process towards an open, interoperable ecosystem of devices.

Cyber security and protection of technical systems from attacks are key elements in the transition to digitization, especially in the automation industry. Due to a lack of regulations and knowledge in cyber security, many companies face uncertainty as to how to tackle this important issue.

In modern control architectures, Ethernet has become ubiquitous as a means of communicating between devices. In today’s Ethernet implementations, network hierarchy, non-standard solutions segmentation and traffic restricting techniques are often used to manage real-time network traffic flows on Ethernet networks.

A technology enabling the embedding of Excel spreadsheets in Word documents, is enabling Industry 4.0. In the ’90s, automation companies adapted Microsoft’s object linking and embedding (better known as OLE) for their needs. The resulting Open Platform Communications (OPC) protocol later became OPC UA in 2008.

Wired TSN for industrial use is gaining acceptance but the next challenges developing seamless, wireless Time-Sensitive Networking capabilities. This article explores leveraging the existing industrial wired TSN design for wireless TSN, and thoughts on a roadmap for wireless TSN in the industrial environment.

Integrating EtherCAT segments into a Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) network can combine the benefits of both technologies without requiring any changes to the EtherCAT slaves. The adaptation requires an upgrade at the master side and a moderate extension in terms of the switches that connect EtherCAT segments.

In the future, Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) or its substandards will make it possible to supplement traditional Ethernet with real-time features, even at high data transfer rates up to the gigabyte range. In addition to real-time capability and determinism, TSN offers other tremendous technical advantages.