netMIRROR 10/100 MBit Ethernet Mirror-TAP

Description

Thanks to the use of the proven Ethernet technology, industrial networks have become very robust against interference. Nevertheless, also Ethernet based industrial networks require the possibility to have a quick and easy to use trouble-shooting access in case of disturbance. Unlike the traditional field busses, Ethernet based systems are connected in daisy-chain topologies, thus a diagnostic device cannot be connected at any point of the network, as not the whole telegram traffic can be observed at every network node. Due to this fact, network access is typically done directly behind the controller. In order to connect a diagnostic device, Ethernet‘s point to point connection must be disconnected shortly, this leads to a disruption of the controller-device communication, and thus to a break-down of the plant.

To eliminate the need of performing network disruptions, the netMIRROR Test-Access-Point (TAP) allows continuous mirroring of the Ethernet traffic without influencing the network itself. A TAP is built in permanently, typically directly on the controllers outgoing Ethernet connection and thus allows the disruption-free connection of a diagnostic device during run-time. Additionally TAPs ensure that a connected diagnostic device or PC for telegram capture would not interfere the network by accidentally injected Ethernet traffic.

TAPs, compared to switches with activated mirror port, guarantee that the timing of the network traffic is maintained, and that no traffic will be rejected at high network load or telegram errors.