Berlin, December 5th, 2025

Real-time operating system with EtherCAT Modular Device Profile (MDP)

mdp

Kithara RealTime Suite now supports the EtherCAT Modular Device Profile (ETG5001). This specification standard enables efficient handling of EtherCAT slaves that feature configurable physical or logical module slots.

The advantage: The software automatically handles the mapping of the process data (PDOs and SDOs) of the individual modules. For the master, the modular slave therefore exists as a single, consolidated unit, which significantly simplifies configuration and management.

API Extensions and Compatibility

For a smooth transition, compatibility has been maintained: Standard functions such as KS_queryEcatSlaveInfo support MDP devices without additional adjustment effort. Two new functions have been introduced for in-depth module information:

  • KS_enumEcatSlotInfo: Serves to identify the slot allocation (which module is plugged into which slot?).
  • KS_queryEcatModuleInfo: Enables a detailed query of module information. Here, the main device is addressed via slot 0, while the plugged-in modules follow from slot 1 onwards.

A practical guide on how to use these new functions is provided by the EtherCATScanTopology sample. It exemplifies how the topology and the configuration of modular slaves can be read out programmatically.