interframe gap (Ethernet) (IFG)
An Interframe Gap (IFG) is a time safety distance between two consecutive data blocks on a network or a field bus.
- With classic Ethernet at 10 Mbit/s, the interframe gap (IFG) is the minimum distance between two successive frames. To ensure that rapidly successive data blocks can be clearly distinguished by the receiving devices, a minimum gap of 96 bits is provided, which at 10 Mbit/s corresponds to a time span of 9.6 µs. For Gigabit Ethernet, the interframe gap is 96 ns.
- For fieldbuses that usually operate in master- slave mode, the interframe gap (IFG) can be constant or variable. For example, it is variable for the LIN bus, but constant for the TTP/A bus.