Overview
EchoRing technology is based at its core on the Token Ring method: All network nodes connected within a system permanently exchange information about the respective channel states. Thus, EchoRing technology ensures optimal and delay-free data transmission even when channel changes are necessary for a short time. The "massive cooperation" of all components within an EchoRing installation enables latencies of less than five milliseconds. Devices powered by EchoRing technology like the R3 Solution Bridge E are based on regular Wi-Fi hardware but are not Wi-Fi.
Networks based on EchoRing technology act like a "wireless industrial cable". EchoRing-powered devices form an ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) network that can easily handle the performance of industrial requirements while freeing operators from wired systems' engineering and operational limits. In this way, EchoRing provides a keystone technology of Industry 4.0.
Cooperation – The “Echo” in EchoRing
Reliability through cooperation
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Stations within an EchoRing network cooperate independently and interchangeably, rather than as sub-units directed by a controller.
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Signal reliability is ensured through a flexible "echo station” protocol – should an information packet fail to deliver on the first attempt, the sender’s echo station immediately relays it.
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Echo stations are assigned automatically, based on algorithms held within the token.
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The echo station system is far more efficient than the standard re-transmission process employed by other wireless protocols.
Determinism – The “Ring” in EchoRing
Real-time control through determinism
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EchoRing ensures stable real-time performance through a deterministic “token ring” system.
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A station within a token ring network can only transmit data when it receives the token (a small control packet), preventing signal interruptions from other stations.
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A station holds the token for a predefined duration (THT: Token Holding Time) before passing it along to the next station.
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As individual THTs are known and controllable, the overall system latency is also knowable as their total (TTRT: Total Token Rotation Time).
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Intelligent methods allow for immediate recovery in the event of a token loss.
