INVESTIGATION OF DETERMINISTIC NETWORK ARCHITECTURES FOR CRITICAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

INVESTIGATION OF DETERMINISTIC NETWORK ARCHITECTURES FOR CRITICAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Authors

  • Daniel Denev Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46687/jsar.v30i1.486

Keywords:

Deterministic networking, Industrial Ethernet, Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, EtherCAT, PROFINET, OPC UA, real-time communication, Industrial automation, Low latency, Jitter, Synchronization, Fault tolerance

Abstract

Modern industrial automation systems increasingly rely on network communication for the exchange of time-critical information between sensors, controllers, actuators, robots, and supervisory systems. In conventional Ethernet networks, communication delays, packet loss, congestion, and variable latency can make it difficult to guarantee predictable system behavior. These limitations become particularly important in critical industrial applications, where communication failures or excessive delays may affect production processes, equipment safety, and system availability. Deterministic network architectures address these challenges by providing predictable communication latency, low jitter, accurate time synchronization, traffic prioritization, and mechanisms for redundancy and fault tolerance. Technologies such as Time-Sensitive Networking, EtherCAT, PROFINET, and OPC UA have become important components of modern industrial communication architectures. This report investigates the main principles of deterministic networking and examines the characteristics of several technologies used in industrial environments. Particular attention is given to latency, synchronization, reliability, scalability, and security. The analysis demonstrates that deterministic networking provides an important foundation for the integration of real-time control, industrial automation, and emerging Industrial Internet of Things applications.

Author Biography

Daniel Denev, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

Department Of Communication and Computer Engineering and Security Technologies, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Shumen 9712, 115, Universitetska St., e-mail: d.denev@shu.bg

References

Zhang T., Wang G., Xue C., Wang J., Nixon M., Han S., Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for Industrial Automation: Current Advances and Future Directions, 2024, ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 57, no. 2, ISSN 0360-0300, DOI 10.1145/3695248, pp. 1-38.

Jiang J., Li Y., Zhang X., Yu M., Lee C. D., Hong S. H., Assessing the traffic scheduling method for time-sensitive networking (TSN) by practical implementation, 2023, Journal of Industrial Information Integration, vol. 33, ISSN 2452-414X, DOI 10.1016/j.jii.2023.100464, Art. no. 100464.

Lo Bello L., Ashjaei M., Patti G., Behnam M., Schedulability analysis of Time-Sensitive Networks with scheduled traffic and preemption support, 2020, Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, vol. 144, ISSN 0743-7315, DOI 10.1016/j.jpdc.2020.06.001, pp. 153-171.

Vitturi S., Peretti L., Seno L., Zigliotto M., Zunino C., Real-time Ethernet networks for motion control, 2011, Computer Standards & Interfaces, vol. 33, no. 5, ISSN 0920-5489, DOI 10.1016/j.csi.2011.01.005, pp. 465-476.

Wang X. et al., Performance evaluation of industrial Ethernet protocols for networked control application, 2019, Control Engineering Practice, vol. 84, ISSN 0967-0661, DOI 10.1016/j.conengprac.2018.11.022, pp. 208-217.

Ferrari P., Flammini A., Vitturi S., Performance analysis of PROFINET networks, 2006, Computer Standards & Interfaces, vol. 28, no. 4, ISSN 0920-5489, DOI 10.1016/j.csi.2005.03.008, pp. 369-385.

Song Y., Guo C., Xu P., Li L. et al., Research on routing and scheduling algorithms for the simultaneous transmission of diverse data streaming services on the industrial internet, 2021, Scientific Reports, vol. 11, ISSN 2045-2322, DOI 10.1038/s41598-021-97613-9, Art. no. 18351.

Nasrallah A. et al., Ultra-Low Latency (ULL) Networks: The IEEE TSN and IETF DetNet Standards, 2019, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 2271-2295, ISSN 1932-4529.

Wollschlaeger M., Sauter T., Jasperneite J., The Future of Industrial Communication: Automation Networks in the Era of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, 2017, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, vol. 11, no. 1, ISSN: 1731-4428 pp. 17-27.

Pfrommer J., Ebner A., Ravikumar S., Karunakaran B., Open Source OPC UA PubSub over TSN for Realtime Industrial Communication, 2018, 2018 IEEE 23rd International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA), DOI: 10.1109/ETFA.2018.8502565, pp. 1087-1090.

Specht J., Samii S., Urgency-Aware Packet Scheduling for Time-Sensitive Software-Defined Networks, 2016, Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA), DOI: 10.1109/ETFA.2016.7733645.

Downloads

Published

05.11.2026

How to Cite

Denev, D. (2026). INVESTIGATION OF DETERMINISTIC NETWORK ARCHITECTURES FOR CRITICAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS: INVESTIGATION OF DETERMINISTIC NETWORK ARCHITECTURES FOR CRITICAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. JOURNAL SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH, 30(1), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.46687/jsar.v30i1.486

Issue

Section

Communication and computer technologies