ETHERNET/IP: TECHNIQUES FOR FAULT TOLERANT NETWORKS
S. Balasubramanian · 2007
This paper describes a protocol for EtherNet/IP networks that can tolerate multiple failures in network infrastructure and network interfaces on end devices. This protocol is called Multiple Fault Tolerant Protocol or MFTP. A network based on the MFTP protocol is called an MFTP network. The MFTP network is based on ISO/IEC 8802-3 (Ethernet) and IEEE 802.1 standards and redundant infrastructure. In MFTP network, the decision to switch between infrastructures is made individually in each end device. The MFTP protocol allows realization of very large networks with 10,000 end devices or more and with worst case fault detection and switchover time of 1 ms or less for most types of faults.