Below you will find a description of the connections in the multistation network.

FO sync connection

The multistation master is connected to each synchronized slave via a fiber optic cable. The connection runs from an output of an ibaFOB-4o-D card in the master system to an input of an ibaFOB-4i-Dexp card in the synchronized slave.

The ibaFOB-4o-D module must be connected to the mirror socket of the ibaFOB-4i-Dexp card (white connector on the card). This ibaFOB card must be configured to Interrupt mode "Master mode internal".

The ibaFOB card in the synchronized slave must also be set to Interrupt mode "Master mode internal", as it may provide the clock for additional cards within the computer.

The master transmits a clock signal via the fiber-optic connection, enabling all synchronized participants to sample measured values at exactly the same time. This clock is used to synchronize devices of the ibaPADU-S device family connected to the synchronized slaves.

ibaPDA compensates for protocol-related transmission delays, ensuring precise synchronization of signals transmitted via different fiber optic protocols and originating from different devices.

No fiber optic synchronization connection is required for non-synchronized slaves within a multistation network.
Ethernet connection

Besides the fiber optic synchronization connection, an Ethernet network is used between all systems. This establishes two different types of network connections:

  • Control connections, with the the following functions:

    (synchronized slaves only)

    • Transmission of start and stop commands

    • Monitoring (watchdog)

    • Negotiation of the timing between the systems in the starting phase

    • Check for validation errors

    • Control of the precisely synchronized start of the acquisition

    • Ensuring synchronized data processing on all systems

    • Trigger configuration

  • Data connections, with the the following functions:

    (all slaves)

    • Transmission of trigger events

In synchronized multistation operation, communication takes place via TCP/IP. For non-synchronized slaves, you can choose between UDP unicast and UDP multicast.

The control and data connections are established between the master and slaves during the start phase. If there is more than one slave in the network, a data connection is also established between the slaves so that each participant has a data connection to all other participants. Via the control connection, specific messages are exchanged between the slaves, which contain the system time of the master and furthermore information regarding the defined trigger events, which have been calculated based on the data volume to be processed.

In synchronized operation, acquisition only starts when each participant has received a message from all other participants.