Master Thesis: »Examining the impact of jitter and packet loss on fieldbus communication systems«

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft ( currently operates 76 institutes and research institutions throughout Germany and is the world’s leading applied research organization. Around 32,000 employees work with an annual research budget of 3.4 billion euros.

Fieldbus systems are industrial network protocols used for real-time distributed control in automation applications like assembly lines and process control. Traditionally, they run on dedicated networks optimized for low latency and high reliability, crucial for consistent data exchange in industrial processes.

With Industry 4.0, there is a trend to use fieldbus protocols over standard networks like Ethernet or 5G, offering benefits such as reduced cabling and cost savings. However, these networks are not designed for the stringent real-time requirements of fieldbus systems and can suffer from jitter and packet loss, impacting performance.

This thesis evaluates the impact of these issues on fieldbus systems and explores strategies to mitigate them, ensuring industrial automation remains reliable and efficient despite potential network impairments.

What you will do

• Conducting a literature review to understand the current state of fieldbus technology and the implications of network impairments on industrial communication systems
• Design and Execution of a series of experiments to measure the impact of jitter and packet loss on key performance indicators
• Planning and executing experiments to determine the maximum acceptable jitter and packet loss without impacting the functionality of the industrial system
• Collaboration with industrial partners on next generation industrial communication systems

What you bring to the table

• You are studying mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, automation engineering, computational engineering science (CES) or a comparable subject
• Experience with networking technologies is advantageous
• A high degree of independence and motivation
• Good language skills in German and/or English

What you can expect

• Ideal conditions for practical experience alongside your studies
• Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team
• A state-of-the‑art machine park equipped with edge cloud systems and 5G infrastructure
• Flexible working to combine study and job in the best possible way

Interested? Apply online now. We look forward to getting to know you!

For any further information on this position please contact:

André Gilerson M.Sc.
Research Assistant »Digital Infrastructures«
Phone: