EtherCAT

EtherCAT tab

Type: EtherCAT device type.

Product/Revision: The "Product/Revision" text box contains the product and revision number of the EtherCAT slave device. The number EL3255-0000-0019 is shown in the "Product/Revision" text box. The part "EL3255-0000" stands for the product number, the part "-0019" for the revision number.

Process images may change depending on the revision. In principle, a device with a higher revision number can replace a device with a lower revision number. This means that devices are generally downward compatible, unless otherwise stated.

Auto Inc Addr: The text box "Auto Inc Addr" contains the auto-increment address of the EtherCAT slave device. Auto-increment addressing is used during the start-up phase when the EtherCAT master device assigns addresses to the EtherCAT slave devices. With auto-increment addressing, address 0x0000 is assigned to the first EtherCAT slave device in the ring, address 0xFFFF is assigned to the second EtherCAT slave device in the ring and address 0xFFFE is assigned to the third EtherCAT slave device in the ring. For each further EtherCAT slave device that follows in the ring, the address is reduced by the value 1: 0xFFFD, 0xFFFC, and so on. If you know the rule according to which the auto-increment addresses are assigned to the EtherCAT slave devices in the communication ring, you can determine the physical position of an EtherCAT slave device in the communication ring using its auto-increment address.

EtherCAT Addr: The "EtherCAT Addr" NumericUpDown control contains the address of an EtherCAT slave device. This address is assigned by the EtherCAT master device during the start-up phase. To change the default value, you must first check the checkbox to the left of the NumericUpDown control. If the checkbox to the left of the NumericUpDown control is not checked, the EtherCAT address of the slave device may change if another box is inserted into the communication ring.

If you check the checkbox to the left of the NumericUpDown control, a fixed EtherCAT address is defined so that the EtherCAT address of the slave device does not change when an additional box is inserted into the communication ring.

If CoE objects or SoE objects are accessed via a function block, a fixed EtherCAT address may be required for this access. For example, the function block FB_EcCoeSdoSRead expects an input "nSlaveAddr", a fixed address of the EtherCAT slave device to which the SDO upload command is to be sent.

Identification Value: Some EtherCAT slaves use an identification. An identification value can be set on them with a switch. This identification value can be entered here. If the "Check Identification" checkbox is checked in the "Advanced Settings" in the "Behavior" dialog under "Startup Checking", the system checks during start-up whether the identification value configured here matches the identification value set on the EtherCAT slave.

Previous Port: Name of the EtherCAT device to which this device is connected and port of the EtherCAT device to which this device is connected. If it is possible to connect this device to another device without changing the order of the EtherCAT devices in the communication ring, then this drop-down list is enabled and you can select the EtherCAT device to which this device is to be connected.

Advanced Settings…: This button opens the dialogs for advanced settings.

The link at the bottom of the tab takes you to the product page of this EtherCAT device on the internet.