What does the E1c do?
Simply put, the E1c simulates someone disconnecting an Ethernet cable from a device.

Does the E1c terminate the Ethernet connection at the MAC or physical layer?
No. Electrically, the E1c looks like a cable.

How is the E1c different than using a managed Ethernet switch?
The E1c was designed for test automation in mind whereas an Ethernet switch is designed for connectivity and management. From a protocol point of view, the E1c looks and acts like a simple cable. An Ethernet switch terminates a connection at the PHY, MAC, and sometimes protocol layer while the E1c does not terminate the connection at any layer.

We used a custom developed test automation tool. Can RTG help me develop a custom widget to enable integration of the E1c into my tool?
Yes. Please contact us for further details.

We would like to develop our own custom widget. Are the API's and sample code available?
Yes. Please contact us for further details.

Internally, what mechanism is used to make the cable disconnect?
Reed switches are used to make the cable connection / disconnections. Unlike transistors, reed switches electrically isolate the two ends. The reed switches used in the E1c are rated to over 1,000,000 switch transitions and handles 800V differential before arcing.

What types of software applications can benefit from the E1c?
Any software that requires robust error recovery. For example, any type of device that has field upgradeable firmware must be able to recover in the event that the firmware upgrade process is interrupted. High Availability applications such as databases, e-mail servers, DNS servers, DHCP servers, WINS servers, key servers, and high performance cluster computing servers can all benefit from thoroughly tested and hardened error recovery algorithms.

What is the default IP address of the E1c?
The default IP address of the StreamSwitch E1c is 192.168.10.10

How can I control the E1c?
The E1c can primarily be controlled through two different interfaces: 1) a full set of web pages visible by any browser that the E1c management port is visible on.  2) A command line application supplied by RTGLabs that control every important aspect of the E1c.  Both these interfaces allow complex tests to be set up and run.

Why does the E1c not have a USB or Serial port to control it?
Standard 10/100Mbit Ethernet is the most ubiquitous connection infrastructure available.

Can I user LabView to control the E1c?
We are currently developing a LabView plug-in for the E1c. Please send an e-mail to support@rtglabs.com if you would like to be notified when the plug-in is available.

How can the E1c be reset to a factory default configuration?
Hold the reset button (recessed, near the power input) while powering up the device.

Is the E1c completely transparent to the PHY's?
No. By introducing the E1c into the test configuration, some impedence and reflectance will be introduced into the system. For most applications, this additional impedence will not affect the outcome of the tests. However, for certain boundary condition tests, such as 100m cable distance tests, the small injected impedence may affect the outcome.

Can the E1c be used for testing Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices?
Yes. By using reed relays to switch the cables, the E1c more accurately simulates a cable disconnection scenario for PoE devices. While FET based switching may be faster than the reed relays, some PoE devices may have a high enough reverse voltage to drive a current through the FETs.