4. Conclusion

As we have seen, an analysis of architectures according to hardware type leads to a distinction being made between field networks, cell networks and factory networks. But an analysis of the communication needs of distributed application processes leads us to distinguish :

• client-server or producer-consumer networks;

• networks with a three-, four- or seven-layer architecture;

• networks in which transmission of periodic states or events is preferred;

• networks in which certain behaviors are statically defined;

• networks in which exchanges tend to be periodic;

• networks that have to ensure time-constrained exchanges.

In fact, any industrial LAN...