Hi
I do actually have several ideas, all surrounding the two dissectors for POWERLINK (epl_v2) and openSAFETY (openSAFETY).
First, let me explain, I am working for the Austrian company, which invented both protocols and is pushing it behind the user organization EPSG, among several others. I am also the author of the openSAFETY dissector.
For POWERLINK right now we have just a bunch of improvements to the way the dissector displays the package information, as well as cleaning up the code.
For openSAFETY i would like to implement a state machine, where information across multiple packages could be collected (it is a segmented data download) and dissected rather like a segmented TCP or UDP stream. Whoever would do this, would have to implement a small but tricky state machine to monitor and update a buffer in the background, as the information gets downloaded to a device.
On a more general note, I would like to see some adaption to the code, where a field in a dissector can be used as an address field, rather than the physical package sender or receiver. In an industrial ethernet network, physical network devices often act as gateway devices between protocols, and therefore masquerading the true originator of the package. In the case of openSAFETY you can see it in the example package download, where multiple openSAFETY packages are part of the same ethernet frame. Now, not every frame should be displayed separately, but it should be easier tow generate statistics data over a dissector, if the dissector is viable for an industrial ethernet solution.
For all the topics mentioned above I could act as a mentor if needed. I do have some experience with the program, as I have been a participant some years ago.
cheers,
Roland
