Patent ID: 9019959
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A node including an application execution section and/or an upper layer protocol processing section capable of operating by conforming to one of a plurality of Ethernet standards for industrial applications, the node comprising: an Ethernet controller unit that performs auto-negotiation with a switch to exchange, in a Fast Link Pulse (FLP) format, information concerning an interface speed, to determine an interface speed to be used based on the information concerning the interface speed, and to receive, in the FLP format, information including a plurality of setting Ethernet standards; a storage unit that stores the node's one or more available Ethernet standards, each of which is an Ethernet standard to which the node can conform; and a controller that performs setting of the Ethernet controller unit and setting of the application execution section and/or the upper layer protocol processing section such that the node communicates using an Ethernet standard selected from one or more coincident Ethernet standards between the Ethernet standards to which the node can conform stored in the storage unit and the setting Ethernet standards received by the Ethernet controller unit in the FLP format after the Ethernet controller unit performs the auto-negotiation concerning an interface speed and receives the information including the plurality of setting Ethernet standards, and connects a link to the switch.