EtherCAT
Sign in to saveEtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is an Ethernet-based fieldbus system developed by Beckhoff Automation. The protocol is standardized in IEC 61158 and is suitable for both hard and soft real-time computing requirements in automation technology.
~18 min read
Encyclopedic overview
26 sectionsContents
- Features
- Principles
- Protocol
- Performance
- Topology
- Synchronization
- Diagnosis
- Device Profiles
- CAN application protocol over EtherCAT (CoE)
- Servodrive-Profile over EtherCAT (SoE)
- Related protocols
- Ethernet over EtherCAT (EoE)
- Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE)
- File over EtherCAT (FoE)
- Monitoring
- Gateways
- Implementation
- Master
- Slave
- Control and regulation
- Measurement systems
- Organization
- Standardization
- Further reading
- Notes and references
- External links
EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is an Ethernet-based fieldbus system developed by Beckhoff Automation. The protocol is standardized in IEC 61158 and is suitable for both hard and soft real-time computing requirements in automation technology.
The goal during development of EtherCAT was to apply Ethernet for automation applications requiring short data update times (also called cycle times; ≤ 100 μs) with low communication jitter (for precise synchronization purposes; ≤ 1 μs) and reduced hardware costs. Typical application fields for EtherCAT are machine controls. This includes semiconductor tools, metal forming, packaging, injection molding, assembly systems, printing machines, and robotics.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “EtherCAT” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.