92  Communication protocol   
An Ethernet POWERLINK cycle consists of three phases. During 
the start phase, the MN sends a Start of Cycle Frame (SoC) signal 
to all CNs to synchronize the devices. Payload data exchange then 
proceeds in the second phase, the isochronous phase. The third 
phase, the asynchronous phase, allows the transfer of large 
packets that are not time-critical, for example, parametrization 
data.
Ethernet POWERLINK state machine
In Ethernet POWERLINK, a Controlled Node starts up by a 
common initialization process. All the states are valid when the 
device is powered, and they are substates of the 
NMT_GS_POWERED superstate.
NMT_GS_INITIALISATION
After system start, the device automatically assumes this state and 
network functionality begins. NMT_GS_INITIALISATION and all its 
substates are only internal states of the device.
PReq
CN2
Asynchronous 
phase
Isochronous phase
PReq
CN1
PRes
CN1
PRes
CN2
SoC PReq
CNn
PRes
CNn
SoA
Async 
data
MN
CN
Ethernet POWERLINK communication cycle
Start
phase