PROFINET Forum

AlfredoAtSherpa wrote: ↑28 Oct 2023, 10:15 Hello. This is my first post.
I have some experience with PROFINET testing. I have a problem. We have two X005 SCALANCES, the part number recommended for the Netload test.
One of the switches works as expected. But the other does not work as expected. I explain myself: The standard setup for netload shoes the S7-1500 (device 'a') communicating normally with DUT and device 'c' (the ET-200). But this one switch does not capture LLDP packets, hence the test fails with this switch but passes with the other one.
For the switch that lets LLDP packets get to the capture, the LEDs in the switch are orange, whereas in the other the LEDs are green.
Why is this. Is there a way to fix or reconfigure the switch so that it allows capture of LLDP packets?
Thanks.

llindemann wrote: ↑06 Nov 2023, 15:43 Hi,
to my knowledge there are two different versions of the switch out there one forwarding LLDP frames and one IEEE compliant version that does not forward the LLDP frames.

The test spec request the E7 (an kind of revision of the switch) which is the older, LLDP forwarding one. Unfortunately, I'm unable to read the label on your picture. Could you please try to upload a better image of the labels only.
Who would have thought, the older version is the good one.

So any switch that forwards LLDP would do?

BR

AlfredoAtSherpa wrote: ↑07 Nov 2023, 03:14

llindemann wrote: ↑06 Nov 2023, 15:43 Hi,
to my knowledge there are two different versions of the switch out there one forwarding LLDP frames and one IEEE compliant version that does not forward the LLDP frames.

The test spec request the E7 (an kind of revision of the switch) which is the older, LLDP forwarding one. Unfortunately, I'm unable to read the label on your picture. Could you please try to upload a better image of the labels only.
Who would have thought, the older version is the good one.

So any switch that forwards LLDP would do?

BR

BR, thanks very much for these words of wisdom. Sorry for poor picture quality. Did not notice the revision version of the spec. I guess that is the problem of using eBay. Here is a new picture with better resolution.

j.rost wrote: ↑07 Nov 2023, 08:35

AlfredoAtSherpa wrote: ↑07 Nov 2023, 03:14

llindemann wrote: ↑06 Nov 2023, 15:43 Hi,
to my knowledge there are two different versions of the switch out there one forwarding LLDP frames and one IEEE compliant version that does not forward the LLDP frames.

The test spec request the E7 (an kind of revision of the switch) which is the older, LLDP forwarding one. Unfortunately, I'm unable to read the label on your picture. Could you please try to upload a better image of the labels only.
Who would have thought, the older version is the good one.

So any switch that forwards LLDP would do?

BR

BR, thanks very much for these words of wisdom. Sorry for poor picture quality. Did not notice the revision version of the spec. I guess that is the problem of using eBay. Here is a new picture with better resolution.

According to the test specification only the X005 switch with the order number 6GK5005-0BA00-1AA3 and only in the specific version E7 can be used for the testing. The switch with the order number 6GK5005-0BA10-1AA3 as mentioned by llindemann before is an updated version of the switch which behaves IEEE compliant and drops BPDU (Port To Port protocol) frames like LLDP, PTCP, ...

The currently recommended switch for buying (as this revision of X005 switch is discontinued since several years) is the Phoenix Contact 2891001 FL Switch SFNB 5TX. Please have a look at the current test specification, which is either part of the PROFINET certification bundle or is available as separate document.

To answer your other question: In theory any switch which supports the forwarding of P2P protocol frames is sufficient.
BUT: As in the netload robustness test cases (formerly known as SL1T) 100% line rate loads are sent to the switch, it is relevant, that the resource model in the switch is actually is sufficient for these loads, e.g., it prioritizes PROFINET cyclic frames accordingly and no frames are dropped due to overload. To achieve comparable results in different test locations (e.g., vendor in house testing, certification labs, ...) the switches from the test specification, as mentioned above, are required to be used. For the switches which are mentioned within the test specification intensive validations were actually performed within the TSDG/C2 WGs.

For inhouse testing another switch might be used, but this can lead to different behavior when going for the certification test in a official PROFINET testlab. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use one of the models mentioned in the test specification.

BR