Performance evaluation of FDDI-based fieldbus interconnection in factory automation environment

In the area of factory automation, the communication networks currently being used to connect field devices-sensors, actuators and control devices-share a common bus topology and are called fieldbuses. In a realistic scenario fieldbuses do not operate in an isolated fashion, but they communicate with each other through bridges. The large number of fieldbuses connected by bridges may cause problems regarding the time constraints of the control processes. This paper discusses the possibility of using an FDDI network as a backbone for fieldbuses. The performance of the FDDI protocol are evaluated by means of simulation in order to see whether an FDDI, used to interconnect fieldbus nodes, is able to respect the time constraints of periodic and asynchronous traffic generated in each fieldbus system.