Industrial Network Switch – The Hunt For CSMA/CD

A long time ago, when networking first started, the only way data could be transferred wirelessly between computers was through a physical cable connection. At some point people realized they could use a wireless frequency to send that data, which made things easier. However, not all frequencies are great for this purpose. Some were better than others, but interference and distance could still affect how well the connection would work with those frequencies.

In order to combat these problems people invented CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detection). This poe switch din rail mount technology is used in Ethernet networks and ensures that all devices on the network have a chance of using the bandwidth at any given moment without creating any collisions and slowing down the communication process.

The Configuration of CSMA/CD

poe switch din rail mount

CSMA/CD defines a few rules that must be followed when it comes to the use of bandwidth on a network. The first rule is “Listen and Seize” which means that each device on the network has to listen for other devices on the network. After that, a device can send data. If there are multiple devices trying to transmit data at the same time, then all of them will wait until there is free bandwidth available and only one device will be allowed to transmit data through industrial network switch. This means that other devices must listen for free space before they can transmit.

CSMA/CD in Action

The first device that notices free space on the network will transmit data and the other devices on the network will not be able to do anything because they are waiting for free space. This is called “Collision”. The only things they can do while they are waiting is to send a jamming signal, which is done by all devices at the same time, or listen for free space again. The last option will most likely result in another collision so it is not recommended. We would have 3 collisions if both jamming and listening were possible. This procedure is also known as “backoff”.

The Analysis of CSMA/CD

CSMA/CD works very well to create the connection between devices but there are certain cases where it does not work. The most common case is when an Ethernet device does not have enough power and its signal is weak in a bad area. The other case is when the signals from different devices cross each other and cause collisions. In some networks these causes occur more often than others but they are still quite frequent at times. These problems can be solved by installing new repeaters or by installing extra antennas. Both of these solutions will decrease the chances of collisions on a network but do not eliminate them completely.