To support the growth of Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 initiatives, industrial designers are leveraging Ethernet-based industrial networking protocols such as EtherCAT®, PROFINET®, and Ethernet/IP™ to enable real-time connectivity on the factory floor, resulting in improved operational efficiencies and reduced costs. The challenge is selecting a cost-effective platform that supports the leading protocols while implementing technologies to improve the management of complex real-time operations.