EtherCAT: Almost 60 million nodes and exponential growth

04/2023 | For the first time since EtherCAT was introduced 20 years ago, the ETG is publishing node figures. Excluding modular I/O devices, ETG counts 59.1 million nodes, with recent growth being particularly impressive. Since 2014 growth has been exponential, with 18.4 million nodes added in 2022 alone.

These figures include EtherCAT chips sold in a respective year, though this does not include the chips for Bus Terminals. Thus, a modular I/O station counts as a single node, even if it consists of many more EtherCAT Bus Terminals.Thus, a modular I/O station counts as a single node, even if it consists of many more EtherCAT Bus Terminals. "The chip numbers are accurate figures, but there is a certain time lag: not every chip becomes an installed EtherCAT device in the same calendar year", comments Martin Rostan, Executive Director of the EtherCAT Technology Group, on the counting method. Martin Rostan is also in charge of all EtherCAT licensing, on the behalf of Beckhoff Automation. EtherCAT, similar to CAN, requires only the chip manufacturer license their hardware, the cost of which is included in the purchase of the EtherCAT chips. Beckhoff Automation finances the EtherCAT Technology Group with the chip license income, and membership in the world’s largest fieldbus association is free of charge.

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