ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concepts and interfaces for achieving communication among different computers to implement distributed applications. Distributed applications involving network communication is used in embedded systems for a variety of reasons, among which are Computing Power, Distributed Data and Single Point of failure. The chapter concentrates on the most widespread programming interface for network communication based on the concept of socket. It reviews some basic concepts in network communication with an eye on Ethernet, a network protocol widely used in local area networks (LANs). The definition of the Ethernet protocol is restricted to the physical layer and the data link layer. The physical layer defines the electrical characteristics of the communication media. The physical layer specification often reflects the state of the art of electronic technology and therefore rapidly evolves over time. The physical layer is continuously evolving, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet is currently entering the mainstream market.
