A quick and dirty checklist of the questions you need to ask yourself before you get started on a project.

A very brief tutorial on digital communication – how networks work, what the major topologies and data formats are, terminology and definitions for the most essential system components.  What’s the difference between a protocol and a network?  What do all networks and fieldbuses have in common?  What are the major arbitration mechanisms for competing messages?  After reading this chapter you’ll be network-literate.  You’ll have a handle on the basics.

A very short history of Ethernet and TCP/IP, and a rundown on all the major Ethernet formats and terms.  You’ll know where terms like 10BASE2 and 100BASE-T come from and which ones apply to you.  How long can a cable run be?  How many repeaters can you use in a system?  What about half duplex and full duplex?  What about collisions on the network?  What do the LED’s mean?  What information is in an Ethernet packet?  How about a working man’s definition of that 7 layer model everyone’s always talking about?  Chapter 3 gives you just what you need about all of those things, and closes with a handy reference on all the different connector pin-outs, including DB-9’s and the new M12 “euro” design.

TCP/IP – Doesn’t the very term sound intimidating?  TCP/IP a complex beast, but it’s also the #1 network protocol in the world.  And there are some things you will need to need to understand – what it does, what it doesn’t do, how IP addresses are assigned, subnet masks, ports and sockets.  There’s a bullet list of the most important flags in a TCP/IP packet, the major services in TCP/IP (DHCP, SNMP, FTP, TELNET and others).   And functional descriptions of the major utilities: PING, Traceroute, ARP and Netstat.

Basic Ethernet building blocks: Hubs (Workgroup, Segmented, Multi-Speed, Managed Hubs and Repeaters), Bridges, Switches (Full Duplex, Multi-Speed, and different ways that switches prioritize messages), Routers, Gateways and Network Interface Cards.

Murky and controversial issues: Determinism, the performance of software drivers, and the cost issues of embedded “smart devices” compared to PC’s.  What are the most likely bottlenecks for network speed?  You’ll find out in Chapter 5.

Network health, monitoring and system maintenance: What is it that makes a network run well?  Did you know that studies show that the best run networks have 35 times less down time with less staff-per-user than poorly run networks?  What makes the difference?  Chapter 6 tells you how to manage the process, plan and prepare for success, quickly isolate problems, and how to properly invest in tools and training.  It talks about the major types of network monitoring tools and analyzers, and their strengths and weaknesses.  It explains the importance of systematic documentation and tells you what you should track over time.  And there’s a list of popular PC-based Ethernet utilities, software and tools.

Installation, Troubleshooting and Maintenance Tips: Ethernet grounding rules, linking buildings together, major cable types, reducing Electro Magnetic Interference, and subtle issues you’ll encounter when choosing cables.  Did you know that sometimes a higher speed cable can have worse performance than a “low speed” cable?  Did you know that obscure issues like capacitance imbalance can wreak havoc in your system?  What precautions should you take when pulling cables?  What about raceways with power lines?  Should you ground one end or both?  What do you do if codes require you to make less than optimum choices?

Fiber optic cables: What are the distance limitations?  How do you clean fiber connectors?  What are the major connector types?  Chapter 7 covers these topics.

Ethernet Industrial Protocols, Fieldbuses and Legacy Networks: Here’s a huge issue that’s particular to our industry.  You won’t find this information at Barnes & Noble, and most likely you’ll find yourself cobbling together dozens of articles from industry trade journals to fully understand the issues in automation & process control.  But Chapter 8 saves you that time.  It talks about the questions you must ask before selecting any network, whether it’s a serial link, a fieldbus or Ethernet.  Then it gives you a very user-friendly summary of all the major Ethernet application layer protocols.  Did you know that Modbus/TCP and EtherNet/IP were designed with a completely different purpose in mind than, say, PROFINet?  What’s the difference between Foundation Fieldbus High Speed Ethernet, and the European IDA protocol?  This section tells you what these protocols do, what they don’t do, and how they organize information.  And it tells you what to expect when it comes to compatibility issues.  The chapter closes with a quick discussion of Embedded Web Servers and the cost factors of Ethernet intelligent appliances.

Basic Precautions for Network Security: How should you mix your office LAN with your Industrial Control LAN?  Where do problems most typically come from?  Guess what: The most probable source of disasters for you isn’t likely to be a hacker in Budapest – it’s well-intended but mistaken actions taken by your own staff.  Chapter 9 covers the most likely scenarios and tells you how to prevent them.

Power on Ethernet: Did you know that the telecommunications industry has developed a clever method for powering Internet Appliances with existing Ethernet hardware?  There’s a brief appendix that points the way to powered automation devices.