Ethernet network analyzer
100 BASE-TX | NANL-B500-RE Hilscher

Automation technologies require linear network topologies, which have been established in the fieldbus technology.
The application of a Real-Time Ethernet protocol leads to the need of Ethernet devices with two ports, internal switches or hubs and critical demands on delay and jitter.
Today's analysis programs, such as the popular "Wireshark', are available free of charge from the Internet and are using the PCs built in Ethernet ports as analyzer hardware. To connect to the Ethernet cables, additional TAPs (test access points) are required. Delay measurements in full-duplex mode require four recording channels, which usually exceeds the number of available Ethernet ports on a PC; its time stamp accuracy in the microsecond range should be more precise by the factor 1000 to obtain a sufficient resolution.
The netANALYZER is a network analyzer which has two built-in TAPs, allowing the bidirectional capture of two Ethernet links. During the capture process each Ethernet frame is time-stamped with 10 ns resolution, from which one can determine delay and jitter. For further analysis data is stored in the open WinPcap format, allowing Wireshark to open the file and using its so-called protocol dissectors available for EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Powerlink, PROFINET and SERCOS III.
The netANALYZER offers a Windows API, which allows using the hardware in customer specific measurement applications. The integrated netload analysis enables the graphical acquisition of netload scenarios, for example defined in the PROFINET standard.