netX 51

netX 51 - More functions & higher Performance for Real-Time Ethernet

• Two communication channels for Real-Time Ethernet equipped with PHY or fieldbus
• Extended communication function support amongst others, PROFINET V2.3 - Dynamic Frame Packing and IO link V1.1
• Second RISC CPU for time-critical IO tasks
• Additional CAN and MAC controller
• Fast SPI host interface with Read/Write functions

Real-Time Ethernet systems are successfully used and further developed in many applications. The demands made on the resources and functionalities of network controllers are therefore increasing. The network controllers netX 51/52 bank on the further developed netX 50 communications architecture, which features considerably more internal storage capacity and additional function units. The netX 51 hardware is compatible with the netX 50. The netX 52 contains the same silicon, but dispenses with an external memory bus, and due to its smaller housing, is more costeffective. These three components are thus optimized for designing modular or compact slaves, or as a Real-Time Ethernet controller on a high-performing CPU. The communication channels take all actual and future requirements from the PROFINET Specification V2.3, such as „Dynamic Frame Packing“ into consideration. Furthermore, the new PHYs manufactured by Renesas are applied, ensuring faster throughput times and expanded diagnosis properties.

Through the internal memory for more than 670 KByte, it is possible to build together with a QSPI Flash very compact solutions with twice the performance of netX 50. For processing the fast IOs, the application is provided with a second RISC CPU. It works in parallel to ARM and significantly relieves the demands made on the ARM software via short bus cycle times. Typical applications are IO-Link Master Gateways. The xPIC takes over the IO-Link data transfer, leaving the ARM completely available for processing the transmission protocol to the master. A third Ethernet interface for connecting a PC for diagnosis and configuration purposes is implemented. Alternatively, it can also be used for connecting the netX to a host CPU. The netX then behaves like a PHY on this MII interface.

Some Real-Time Ethernet systems use the CANopen object models or the same communication services such as Ethernet/IP and DeviceNet. This results in the task of connecting CAN as the „legacy“ network to the Real-Time Ethernet system. Up to now, that entailed using an expensive netX 100 controller, with its three communication channels. As an alternative, a dedicated CAN controller is now available.

With this possibility, the netX 51 / 52 is so much more than just a Real-Time Ethernet interface chip equipped with a dual-port memory.