ARCNET Tutorial
What is ARCNET?
Attached Resource Computer NETwork
Token-Passing Local Area Network (LAN)
Originally 2.5 Mbps data rate
255 Nodes or Stations
Variable Packet Length
Bus or Distributed Star Wiring
Unicast or Broadcast Messages
One to one or one to all
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What is ARCNET?
Coaxial, Fiber Optic, Twisted-pair Cabling
Over 20 Million Installed Nodes
Originally developed by Datapoint Corporation as an
office network
Chip sets available from SMSC
ATA 878.1-1999 Local Area Network: Token Bus
Ideally suited for an industrial network
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What are ARCNET’s Benefits?
Broad Acceptance
Large Installed Base
Deterministic Performance
Simple to Install
Low Cost per Node
Robust Design
Multiple Cable Media Support
Multi-master Communication
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Where is ARCNET Used?
HVAC
Motor Drives
Power Generation
Data Acquisition and Control
Manufacturing Information Systems
Office Automation
Shipboard Automation
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Where is ARCNET Used?
Printing Press Controls
Telecommunications
Gaming Machines
Vehicular Navigation
Security Systems
Any application where real-time performance, high
security and robust design is important.
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How Does ARCNET Work?
Distributed Star topology requires the use of hubs
NODE
NODE NODE
NODE
HUB
HUB HUB
NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE
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How Does ARCNET Work?
OSI Reference Model
Application
Presentation
Session
Transport
Network
Data Link
Physical
ARCNET defines the bottom two layers of the OSI model
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ARCNET Protocol
Only Five Simple Commands
ITT - Invitation to transmit
FBE - Free buffer enquiry
PAC - Packet
ACK - Acknowledgement
NAK - Negative acknowledgement
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ARCNET Protocol Features
Deterministic Token Passing
Packet Flow Control
Error Detection
Auto Reconfiguration
Variable Packet Size
Supports Various Transceivers & Media
Supports Various Software Drivers
Up to 255 Nodes Per Network
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ARCNET Protocol Features
Token Passing - Transmitting on the network is only
permitted when a node has the token
Every node can transmit once during each token
rotation
Benefits:
Every node has a guaranteed response time to transmit
Deterministic behavior
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ARCNET Protocol Features
Auto-Reconfiguration - Network is automatically
reconfigured when a node joins or leaves the network
Token pass is automatically reconfigured
Typical time 20 - 30 ms
Supports live node insertion and deletion
Variable Packet Size
From 1 to 507 bytes per packet
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ARCNET Protocol Features
Packet Flow Control - Transmitter checks receiver to
make sure it is ready to receive a packet
Reduced software overhead
Increased bandwidth
No lost packets due to input buffer overruns
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ARCNET Protocol Features
Error Detection - 16 bit CRC checks each packet
Corrupted packets automatically rejected
Transmitter is aware of the error
Reduced software overhead
Better CPU utilization
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ARCNET Logical Ring
Token passes from low to high address
109
122
6
255
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ARCNET Frames
ITT = ALERT EOT DID DID
FBE = ALERT ENQ DID DID
PAC = ALERT SOH SID DID DID CP DATA … DATA CRC CRC
ACK= ALERT ACK
NAK= ALERT NAK
Only PAC has a variable length frame
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Token Pass
Source Destination
Node Node
ITT
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Packet Transmission
Source Destination
Node Node
FBE
ACK
PAC
ACK
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Receiver Unavailable
Source Destination
Node Node
FBE
NAK
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Failed Packet Transmission
Source Destination
Node Node
FBE
ACK
PAC
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ARCNET Message Timing (2.5 Mbps)
ITT 15.6 (invitation to transmit)
Tta 12.6 (turnaround time)
FBE 15.6 (free buffer enquiry)
Tta 12.6 (turnaround time)
ACK 6.8 (acknowledge)
Tta 12.6 (turnaround time)
PAC 33.2 +4.4 sec/byte
Tta 12.6 (turnaround time)
ACK 6.8 (acknowledge)
Tta 12.6 (turnaround time)
141 sec + 4.4 sec/byte
Minimum Message: 141 Microseconds
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If You Cut ARCNET...
...You Just Get Two ARCNETS Within Milliseconds
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ARCNET Cabling
Flexibility
Distributed Star Topology Requiring Hubs
Hub-less Bus Topology
Coaxial Cable
Twisted Pair
Fiber Optics
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Traditional ARCNET
Coaxial Cable In a Star Topology
Either a star or distributed star topology
Utilize active or passive hubs
NODE
NODE NODE NODE
HUB
HUB HUB
NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE
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Traditional ARCNET
Coaxial Star
Original method of communication
RG-62/u coaxial cable
BNC connectors
Only two transceivers per segment
Segment length up to 2,000 feet
Requires the use of a hub to go beyond two stations
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Traditional ARCNET
Coaxial Bus
Lower cost hub-less network
RG-62/u coaxial cable
Up to eight NIMs per bus segment
Segment length limited to 1,000 feet
BNC connectors and Tees
Requires end of line terminators
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Traditional ARCNET
Twisted-Pair Star
Requires active hubs for network expansion
Only 328 foot segment length
RJ-11 connectors
Utilizes BALUN’s to convert from coaxial cable to twisted-pair
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Traditional ARCNET
Twisted-Pair Bus
Modified circuitry of coaxial bus implementation
Supports eight nodes
Reduction in segment length to 400 feet
RJ-11 or RJ-45 connectors
Requires end of line terminators
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Traditional ARCNET
Fiber Optics
850 nm wavelength with ST connectors
62.5/125 duplex multimode fiber cable
6000 foot segment length
Large networks can be achieved by cascading hubs
ARCNET controller chips may need to be set to extended
timeouts
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Traditional ARCNET
Fiber Optics
1300 nm wavelength with ST connectors
62.5/125 duplex multimode or duplex single-mode fiber cable
10,000 m multimode and 14,000 m single-mode
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Traditional ARCNET
Dipulse Signaling at 2.5 Mbps
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Newer ARCNET Controllers
Will default to traditional ARCNET or can be set for
additional features
SMSC 20019; 20020; 20022
Wide data rate selection up to 10 Mbps
Introduces backplane mode as a lower cost alternative to dipulse
signaling
Directly supports low cost EIA-485 transceivers
AC coupled EIA-485
DC coupled EIA-485
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COM20020
ARCNET Communications Processor
Direct bus interface to all processors (maps into data memory)
Internal 2Kx8 Packet buffer RAM
Data rates up to 5Mbps
Various media and topology
Command chaining
Receive all packets mode
Built-in diagnostics
Industrial temperature range (-40C to +85C)
28 pin PLCC or 24 pin DIP package
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COM20022
High Performance ARCNET Controller
19 Kbps to 10 Mbps
8/16 bit bus
DMA channel
Programmable Reconfiguration Timer
48 pin TQFP package
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Enhanced ARCNET
DC coupled EIA-485 transceivers
Non-return to zero (NRZ) encoding
Twisted-pair bus cabling
RJ-11 or screw terminals
17 stations per bus segment
900 foot maximum segment length
Data rates from 156 kbps to 10 Mbps
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Enhanced ARCNET
AC coupled EIA-485 tranceivers
Alternate mark inverted (AMI) encoding
Twisted pair bus cabling
RJ-11 or screw connectors
13 stations per bus segment
700 foot maximum segment length
Data rates from 125 Mbps to 10 Mbps
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Network Interface Modules
Support for all the popular bus structures
8-bit ISA bus
PC/104 bus
Universal PCI bus
USB 2.0 bus
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Hubs, Links and Repeaters
Modular or fixed-port active hubs
Passive hubs
Fiber optic links
Bus repeaters
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ARCNET Trade Association
Promotes the use of ARCNET
Manages the ARCNET Resource Center
Manages ARCNET related standards
ATA 878.1-1999 Local Area Network: Token Bus
ATA 878.2 ARCNET Packet Fragmentation Standard
ATA 878.3 ARCNET Protocol Encapsulation Standard
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Thank You
