What Is an Ethernet Network Card?

Ethernet is the most common type of computer network in the real world. There are two types of Ethernet: the first is classic Ethernet and the second is switched Ethernet.

The story of Ethernet begins

Classic Ethernet meanders around a building with a long cable that connects all computers. The architecture of classic Ethernet is shown below:

The development of Ethernet is very fast, starting from the typical Ethernet structure of a single long cable. Problems with a single cable, such as finding connections related to breaks or loose locations, have driven people to develop a different type of wiring pattern. In this mode, each station has a dedicated wire connected to a central

Early Ethernet

Megabit Ethernet

• Xerox Ethernet (also known as "Xerox Ethernet")-is the prototype of Ethernet. The original 2.94Mbit / s Ethernet was only used internally at Xerox. And in 1982,

  Because the traditional Ethernet protocol uses

  Industrial Ethernet technology is derived from Ethernet technology, but there are great differences and differences between it and ordinary Ethernet technology. The industrial Ethernet technology itself has been adjusted in terms of adaptability. At the same time, the corresponding control application functions have been added in accordance with the requirements of industrial production safety and stability, and corresponding solutions have been proposed to meet the requirements of specific industrial applications. Industrial Ethernet technology can meet the needs of industrial production efficiency, stability, real-time, economy, intelligence, scalability and other aspects in practical applications, and can truly extend to the control level of field equipment in the actual enterprise production process Combined with the characteristics of its technology application, it is a very important technical means to give full control and management of the industrial production process of actual enterprises. ^[7]

  The advantages of industrial Ethernet technology applications are as follows:

  First, industrial Ethernet technology has a wide range of applications. As an important basic computer network technology, Ethernet technology itself can be compatible with many different programming languages. For example, common Java, C ++ and other programming languages support application development in Ethernet. ^[7]

  Second, industrial Ethernet technology has good application economics. Compared with the investment in the fieldbus network card infrastructure in the traditional industrial production in the past, the Ethernet network card cost has a very significant advantage. With the continuous development of the current Ethernet technology, the design and application of the overall Ethernet technology has become very mature. In terms of specific technology development, there are many existing resources and design cases for application, which also further reduces the system development and promotion costs, and also makes the subsequent training work more efficient. It can be said that strong economics, low cost, high application efficiency, short transition, and mature solutions are a significant advantage of industrial Ethernet technology. ^[7]

  Third, industrial Ethernet technology has a higher communication rate. Compared with the field bus, the communication rate of Industrial Ethernet is higher, and the technical application of 1Gb / s has also become very mature. On the premise of the ever-increasing demand for performance and throughput of industrial control networks, this rate advantage is obvious. It can better meet the current bandwidth standards and is an important development direction of modern industrial production network engineering in the new era. Relative to the control network, the real-time data of different nodes in the industrial control network is relatively small, but it requires high real-time transmission. The Ethernet technology itself has significant advantages in terms of network load, which also better meets the real-time requirements of the entire communication process. A good communication rate standard can further reduce the network load and reduce the network transmission delay, thereby avoiding the probability of collisions to the greatest extent, and ensuring the safety and reliability of industrial production. ^[7]

  Fourth, industrial Ethernet technology has good sharing capabilities. With the continuous development and maturity of the current network technology, the entire Internet system has become more mature. Any computer connected to the network can realize the browsing and calling of relevant data in the field of industrial control. It is said that it has good advantages, and at the same time it also exceeds the convenience of the previous fieldbus management mode, and is an important foundation for modern industrial production management. ^[7]

  Fifth, the industrial Ethernet technology has a good development space. Through the application of industrial Ethernet technology, the entire industrial network control system itself will have a wider development space and prospect. In the process of subsequent technical transformation and upgrade, Ethernet technology can provide a good basic platform for it. This scalability advantage is very obvious compared to fieldbus technology. At the same time, in the current environment of the development of artificial intelligence and other related technologies, the standards of network communication quality and efficiency are higher, and the application of many new communication protocols also requires corresponding support from industrial Ethernet technology. ^[7]