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Meet EchoRing, the technology behind R3.

Discover the mechanics behind EchoRing's innovative wireless protocol.

What is EchoRing?

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.

The "massive cooperation" of all components within an EchoRing installation enables latencies of single digit milliseconds. Devices powered by EchoRing technology like the Bridge E are based on regular Wi-Fi hardware but are not Wi-Fi.

What’s the advantage from this?

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.

Determinism

The Ring in EchoRing

Real-time control through determinism

  • EchoRing ensures stable real-time performance through a deterministic “token ring” system.
  • 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.
  • A station holds the token for a predefined duration (THT: Token Holding Time) before passing it along to the next station.
  • As individual THTs are known and controllable, the overall system latency is also knowable as their total (TTRT: Total Token Rotation Time).
  • Intelligent methods allow for immediate recovery in the event of a token loss.

Cooperation

The Echo in EchoRing

Reliability through cooperation

  • Stations within an EchoRing network cooperate independently and interchangeably, rather than as sub-units directed by a controller.
  • 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.
  • Echo stations are assigned automatically, based on algorithms held within the token.
  • The echo station system is far more efficient than the standard re-transmission process employed by other wireless protocols.

Frequently asked questions

You have the questions we have the answers.

Bridge E

What is the difference compared to Wifi?
  • Ultra-reliable and deterministic performance
  • Suitable for real-time industrial controls
  • For example, it can enable real-time communication between robots or connect driverless transport vehicles wirelessly.
Which protocols can be supported?

Any Ethernet-based protocol like PROFINET, PROFISAFE, EtherNet/IP, CIP SAFETY, SafeteNetP, EtherCat, etc.

Why is it called Bridge E?

It’s a network bridge device enhanced by our patented Echoring technology.

What industrial protocol stacks run directly on EchoRing devices?
  • EchoRing protocol, but the device bridges Ethernet traffic transparently - without any modifications.
  • Bridging connects two separate networks as if they were a single network
How does EchoRing achieve such low latency?

First of all it is a protocol optimized for speed and reliability. It combines token passing and massive cooperative techniques to achieve it's impressive results.

What is token passing?

EchoRing uses token-ring technique. Only the device holding a "token" can send data. This method effectively prevents data collisions, ensuring smooth communication.

What reliabilitiy can be achieved?

Down to 0.000000001% packet loss rate

What is massive cooperation and how does it boost reliability?

If a connection between a sender and a receiver is interrupted, another device in the network will automatically resend the data to the intended receiver - an "echo". It greatly improves reliability.

What chipsets are used inside EchoRing devices?

Bridge E runs on WiLink 8 chip from Texas Instruments. R3 Solutions is the only company in the world awarded with access to the source code of the chip.

How does EchoRing coexist with other wireless networks or themselves?

Networks can coexist under condition that each network is configured on a different channel.

Do EchoRing channels overlap?

No, channel numbers are assigned along the U-NII radio band in the US and the ISM band in Europe. They do not overlap.

Configuration

What does the "Latency" parameter affect?

This setting limits possible configurations to only those that can meet its set latency.

Priority packets exceeding this threshold will dropped in favor of newer packets.

Is it possible to specify a Capacity Factor of 0 for a station not actively sending signals, i.e. a Relay node?

Not currently - this feature will become available with a future software update. Until then, the minimum Capacity Factor for inactive nodes is 1.

It seems the Configuration Server provided my laptop with a different IP than 172.30.1.10. Can this IP be used instead?

Yes, a R3 Configuration Server runs a DHCP server. The provided IP can be be used instead of 172.30.1.10

What is the recommended "Optimize For" setting?

Selecting "Exact Config" within "Optimize For" disables system optimization. This action highlights the impact of any configuration changes that are made in the "Achievable Configuration" table on the right of the interface.

Setup

Should EchoRing devices be shut down before a power cycle?

No, direct power cycling is safe for EchoRing devices. That said, please ensure the "Successful Deployment" notification appears in the Health Monitor before resuming operations.

What is the recommended transmission power for an initial EchoRing desktop test?

We recommend a transmission power of ~6dBm for desktop tests.

Is the Configuration Server required to operate an EchoRing network, after it has been configured?

No, it is no longer required. Configuration settings are stored on each Bridge E device and automatically launch the configured network upon startup.

Technical specification

What is the range?

Defined by the maximum transmission power allowed:

  • 14 dBm in EU → up to 35 meters
  • 30 dBm → up to 80 meters in USA
How many participants can join?

Up to 20 per channel, extension possible on request

Can you prioritize or classify traffic into separate streams on an EchoRing network?

Yes, up to 5 priority classes are supported.

What power options exist besides 24VDC (PoE, battery, etc)?

Bridge E supports Power over Ethernet.

Bugs

I encountered a bug. What should I do?

Please report it to us using the support@r3.group email. We appreciate you letting us know!

Diagnosis

I connected two stations in the Perfomance Analyzer with a "double arrow" link. Why am I now seeing two packet streams?

A single arrow represents a single periodic packet stream from a sender to a receiver. The receiving station will then answer each of these packets with a packet of the same size. When a double arrow is displayed, both stations send their own individual stream while answering the other's.

What does the measured Packet Loss Rate refer to, exactly?

The measured Packet Loss Rate (PLR) refers to the rate of packet exchange (request and reply). The unidirectional Packet Error Rate (PER) meanwhile is typically smaller and be calculated as PER=1-SQRT(1-PLR)

What data is important to take away from the Delay Profile when running Performance Analyzer measurements?

Increasing (round trip) latencies are displayed on the Delay Profile's x-axis, while the cumulative number of packets returned by a specific latency is displayed on the y-axis. The Delay Profile's curve therefore should be monotonic - i.e. packets returned within 5ms are grouped with packets returned within 10ms.

Updates

How are software updates installed?

Updates are installed remotely by R3. To ensure security, the client initiates the start of the update process.