Ethernet testing
Ethernet testing
(OP)
I have several embedded designs that need to be validated
and tested. Is there any software or test equipment that
can test the TCP/IP stack and give preformance specs.
ie. connection speed, throughput, response time ect.
Maybe even simulate a high trafic network.
and tested. Is there any software or test equipment that
can test the TCP/IP stack and give preformance specs.
ie. connection speed, throughput, response time ect.
Maybe even simulate a high trafic network.





RE: Ethernet testing
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Ethernet testing
Peter
RE: Ethernet testing
Recently we used a Fluke scopemeter, the Fluke-125 which has some capability of analyzing the physical signals and telling you if they are within spec, what the data rate, jitter, the common mode voltage, etc in addition to having the capability of looking at the waveforms.
Also, a lot of oscilloscopes, especially the modern computer based ones have add on packages, presumably a combination of hardware and software, specifically geared towards communication bus monitoring and analysis.
I appologize for not having more specific recommendations, but I haven't used anything of this sort. From when I was looking for a tool that can analyze RS-485 lines and came upon the Fluke-125 I discovered that there appear to be a lot of products out there geared towards TCP/IP testing so a search should bear some easy fruit. You might want to take a look at BlackBox as I think they had a lot of testers of this nature.
RE: Ethernet testing
Not being a network person I have little ethernet knowledge.
Do to personel cuts, I've become the resident expert.
I've inherited 4 ethernet connected projects, 2 with PICs,
1 ARM , and 1 TI dsp. Currently all we do is connect them
to a pc and see if the web page comes up. I think I'll
get the TeK and Agilent reps in and demo their stuff.
The iperf looks interesting. So far I get about .5k
transfer then it locks up. Don't know if its my device or
Windows.
Thx again.
RE: Ethernet testing
I doubt anyone but the router people bother with this.
There are so many other bottle necks in there, that are totally unrelated to the direct raw throughput, that measuring the direct raw throughput, will be like trying to measure the color of the electrons.. It just doesn't matter.
In most cases if the unit can talk at all it has to have the hardware ability to talk period. These are 10Mb/s and 100Mb/s links. You can't talk at 11Mb/s! If you can talk at the two standard rates that's it.
Now about your latency issues. Those are internal to your products. Just how fast can your unit cobble up the requested info and feed it to the media? You find that out buy writing PC code to ask rapidly. Then just sweep the speed until it chokes. This doesn't require any special hardware test gear. It does require some test software writing.
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Ethernet testing
Anything controlled by a PIC is not going to have performance concerns due to the Ethernet... the PIC itself is the bottleneck by orders of magnitude. The ARM is 50/50, depending upon what family you're using, but most will be taxed out by a 100Mb link. A good TI DSP is about the only piece I would think needs testing.
In all of the above cases, I would think a software test suite would be the way to go... I assume you're running some form of OS on the chips (maybe not the PIC), so capturing response times, etc. should be easy-peasy.
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Ethernet testing
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Ethernet testing
example
If you have designed this "device a" and your communicating to "device b". Make sure that you can properly communicate to this device at your maximum rate and throughput without crashing.
I would also run a test through various commercial switches and their various settings since this always effects rate and throughput.
RE: Ethernet testing
RE: Ethernet testing
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Ethernet testing
http://www.iol.unh.edu/services/
Looks like I can get out of a lot of work for a
reasonable price.
Thx
RE: Ethernet testing
Just do not use a hub when sniffing the port. make sure your on a mirrored port on the switch to get your dump on the ethernet device your trying to test.