EtherCAT Master Stack
In cooperation with acontis technologies GmbH IXXAT offers an EtherCAT Master stack to fast and easily implement EtherCAT based controllers.
The EtherCAT Master stack is designed and optimized to run on various embedded (real time) operating systems and it has a very modular structure. The open interfaces of the modules enable the user to exchange or make adaptations depending on the application requirements.
Advantages of using the EtherCAT Master stack
- Support of complete EtherCAT Standard according to ETG.1000 with CAN application layer over EtherCAT (CoE), Ethernet over EtherCAT (EoE) and Distributed Clock (DC)
- Extendable with Feature Packs with Hot Connect, File Access over EtherCAT and Master Synchronisation (DCM)
- Modular design, individual customizations are easy to implement
- Reliable, field-tested and robust implementation for various CPU architectures like x86, ARM, XScale, PowerPC and others
- Usage of standard Ethernet controllers, no specific hardware necessary
- Available for a variety of operating systems, easy to port to other embedded operating systems
- High performance with low CPU load and memory footprint, no file system required
Supported EtherCAT Features
- Process data transfer: cyclic process data exchange (I/O data)
- Mailbox protocol: acyclic, event driven data and information exchange
- XML based configuration
- CAN application layer over EtherCAT (CoE) protocol
- Ethernet over EtherCAT (EoE) Protocol
- File Transfer over EtherCAT (FoE) Protocol
- Distributed Clocks
- Error detection and diagnosis
- Optional usage of the alias addressing
Optional functions
- Control of multiple, independent EtherCAT networks by one master
- Controller to synchronize master and slaves
- Master Object Dictionary with objects for master state, state of slaves, error history, bus-scan result. Access via SDO services.
- TCP/IP remote interface with identical API for remote and local operation. Useful feature for diagnostic and configuration tools.
EtherCAT Out-of-the-box
Ready to run adaptations are available for
- Windows CE
- VxWorks
- KUKA CeWin
- KUKA VxWin
- QNX Neutrino RTOS
- IntervalZero RTX
- On Time RTOS-32
- Windows XP without Real-Time requirements
- Linux without Real-Time requirements
EtherCAT Master stack for other Operating Systems
The EtherCAT Master OS adaptation layer enables the customer to port the software onto his own platform. Several customers have already ported the stack successfully within a short time to their specific platforms. Only a few quite simple functions have to be adapted. Performance critical functions will be implemented by macros usually.
