3.9. Network Impairment and Bit Error Insertion

3.9. Network Impairment and Bit Error Insertion

MLE NPAP has an optional integrated Network Impairment Generator (Network Impairment is also known as Bit Error Insertion). This helps to rigorously test and validate the robustness of your network by emulating real-world network impairments, such as Bit Error Rates (BER), at line speed.

The Ethernet standard requires a BER no higher than 1×10⁻¹². NPAP’s Network Impairment Generator allows you to test your system far beyond this ideal requirement, simulating real-world conditions like those found in high-EMI environments or when using slip rings, for example.

The Network Impairment Generator IP Core sits on the data path between the TCP/UDP/IPv4 layer and the Ethernet MAC layer, allowing for precise, controlled injection of errors. This enables you to perform stress testing and gain valuable insights into system performance under non-ideal conditions, ensuring your implementation remains resilient against link quality degradation.

The graph below illustrates how different levels of Bit Error Rate (BER) over a 10 GBit/s link, emulated using NPAP’s Network Impairment Generator, affect the TCP throughput of a TCP connection between two MLE NPAP instances. Obviously, the TCP re-transmissions “eat” into the net data throughput: