With the SH ARCALYZER, SOHARD offers a powerful tool for analyzing data traffic in ARCNET networks at an almost atomic level of the ARCNET protocol.

The device records every APE (ARCNET Protocol Element) sent on the bus and provides it with a time stamp with a resolution of 25 nanoseconds.

In addition, the SH ARCALYZER hardware can also record two external signals:

a TTL-compatible one with 5V for a logical one and

a PLC-compatible one with 24V for a logical one.

The reception time for these external signals is also stored with a resolution of 25 nanoseconds. A basic application for this is to assign certain APEs on the bus to external events, for example.
This means that a master clock can also be distributed via a separate line and recorded by the individual participants as an external event and its reception time registered. This allows network participants to be synchronized, for example.

The registered ARCNET events as well as the external events can be saved together with their time stamps in data or otherwise processed using the plug-ins of the SH ARCALYZER application.

The levels of the external signals can also be adapted to customer requirements (e.g. for two TTL signals with 3.3 V).

This allows the SH ARCALYZER hardware to be used for simultaneous precise timing of ARCNET and external events, independent of PC software whose behavior is affected by interrupts, scheduler interruptions and other imponderables.