EtherCAT

EtherCAT, "EtherCAT" tab

The "EtherCAT" tab becomes available when you select the EtherCAT master device in the IO tree.

"NetId" text box

The "NetId" text box contains the NetId of the EtherCAT master device. The NetId parameter is required for communication with the EtherCAT master device via ADS. The ADS port of the EtherCAT master is always 0xFFFF (65535). The ADS port of an EtherCAT slave device matches the fixed address (see EtherCAT Addr) of the slave device.

"Advanced Settings…" button

The "Advanced Settings…" button opens the "Advanced Settings" dialog. This dialog contains additional setting options for the EtherCAT master device, among others.

"Export Configuration File…" button

The "Export Configuration File…" button opens a "Save as" dialog for saving the XML master configuration file. This file describes the process data and the transfer frames that are sent during the EtherCAT state transitions. This function is intended particularly for third-party masters.

"Sync Unit Assignment…" button

The "Sync Unit Assignment…" button opens the "Sync Unit Assignment" dialog. This dialog can be used to group EtherCAT slave devices into different Sync Units. Based on this Sync Unit grouping, datagrams are generated that open up enhanced diagnostic options.

Each datagram ends with a Working Counter. Sync Units have their own Working Counters, because they send their data in their own datagrams. If the Working Counter indicates that a datagram has an error, the faulty datagram is no longer updated. It is therefore possible to define Sync Units for separate operating units.

"Topology…" button

The "Topology…" button opens the topology dialog. This dialog displays the topology of the configured EtherCAT slave devices and also contains online data of the configured EtherCAT slave devices.

"Frame" column

The "Frame" column shows the number of the cyclic transfer frame, which contains the respective EtherCAT command. An EtherCAT transfer frame can contain one or more EtherCAT commands.

"Cmd" column, EtherCAT commands

The list view at the bottom of the "EtherCAT" dialog shows all cyclic EtherCAT commands sent by the EtherCAT master. The "Cmd" column shows the type of the respective EtherCAT command.

"Addr" column

The "Addr" column shows the address of the data section of the EtherCAT slave device that addresses the respective command. If the respective EtherCAT command uses logical addressing (LRW, LW or LR), then the "Addr" column specifies the logical address.

"Len" column

The "Len" column shows the length of the addressed data section.

"WC" column

The "WC" column shows the expected "working counter". Each EtherCAT slave device addressed by an EtherCAT command increments the "working counter".

If, for example, a logical read-write command (LRW) is encountered, each EtherCAT slave device to which data is written increments the working counter by 2, each EtherCAT slave device from which data is read increments the working counter by 1.

"Sync Unit" column

The "Sync Unit" column shows the name of the Sync Unit associated with the EtherCAT command.

"Cycle (ms)" column

The "Cycle (ms)" column shows the cycle time with which the transfer frame is sent.

"Utilization (%)" column

The "Utilization (%)" column shows the EtherCAT load in percent.

"Size / Duration (µs)" column

"Size" indicates the size of an EtherCAT frame in bytes. "Duration" indicates the time in microseconds that a frame needs to be transmitted by the master through the network card (the propagation time of the frame through the network is not included).

Example for calculation size and duration for frame 0 with 4 datagrams :