Overview

Advances in automated factories and smart vehicles require advanced networking capabilities, real-time processing and more advanced motor-control topologies. TI Networking solution packaged with the SDK provide a rapidly growing need for Sitara MCU to out space traditional MCUs and deliver processor-like capabilities. Networking is a broad terms used to cover Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), EtherCAT Profinet and other ethernet-like communication protocols used in industrial, automotive and other general use cases.

Figure: Industrial And Automotive Networking Applications

This document covers driver software architecture, Application Programming Interfaces (API), protocol stack usage, LwIP (Light Weight IP stack), examples and demos that are packaged in the SDK. The out-of-box Ethernet (CPSW) Examples enables fast on-board and accelerates the development cycle. This document also provides API guide for low level Ethernet, Industrial communication protocols drivers along with Layer-2 (low level) examples to enable advanced users to integrate the custom stack.

Networking is supported using following two hardware Peripherals:

Common Port SWitch (CPSW) : CPSW subsystem provides IEEE 802.3 standard Ethernet gigabit speed packet communication for the device and can also be configured as an Ethernet switch. CPSW supports RGMII and RMII Interfaces.
Programmable Real-Time Unit and Industrial Communication Subsystem (PRU-ICSS) : PRU-ICSS is firmware programmable and can take on various personalities like Industrial Communication Protocol Switch (for protocols like EtherCAT, Profinet, EtherNet/IP), Ethernet Switch, Ethernet MAC, Industrial Drives, etc. PRU-ICSS supports MII mode.

To know more about the hardware peripherals, please refer to datasheet and Technical Reference Manual (TRM) on the product page:

AM2431, AM2432, AM2434
AM2634, AM2634-Q1
AM2732
AM6411, AM6412, AM6421, AM6422, AM6441, AM6442

Salient Features

Figure: Networking Software Features

Software Components Overview

Below is the software components overview highlighting mainly the components used in the Networking software development.

Figure: Networking Software Components Overview

Examples and Demos

You can find out-of-box examples and demos here.

Performance

You can find ethernet performance data here.

Ethernet Driver

Ethernet Low-Level Driver (Enet-LLD) is a driver that aims at providing the interface for standard Ethernet MAC and switch using CPSW Peripheral.

Enet-LLD

ICSS-EMAC Driver

ICSS-EMAC (Industrial Communications Subsystem Ethernet Media Access Controller) driver provide APIs to transmit and receive packets with a firmware based MAC and Ethernet Switch that has been implemented on PRUICSS cores.

ICSS-EMAC describes the driver features and debugging guide.
Dual EMAC and Switch describes the firmware features supported.
ICSS-EMAC Lwip Example is ICSS-EMAC application using the LwIP networking stack.

ICSS TimeSync

ICSS TimeSync is a separate driver based on ICSS-EMAC, which provides APIs for PTP/1588 v2 receiver implementation on PRU-ICSS.

TCP/IP Stack

-Lightweight IP (LwIP)

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