Energy Efficient Ethernet for the industrial communication scenario

The IEEE 802.3az amendment, known as Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), has been conceived to reduce the overall power consumption of Ethernet networks, defining a new operational mode, namely Low Power Idle, that allows the partners of a network link to timely enter a state characterized by a limited consumption. In this paper we focus on the application of EEE concepts to industrial real-time Ethernet networks. We firstly describe the behavior of EEE-enabled links when subjected to typical industrial traffic, providing an assessment of both actual power savings and delays that might affect frames delivery. Subsequently, we carry out a simulation analysis for a specific network, Ethernet POWERLINK, aimed at verifying its real behavior when EEE is adopted. The results show that considerable power savings may be achieved without influencing network performance.