Automation in Real Time

EtherCAT

Real-time automation with EtherCAT for Windows

EtherCAT is one of the fastest and most popular industrial Ethernet protocols for PC-based automation. Here are some of the main reasons:

Automation in real time
Short cycle times at high data rates
High-performance I/O system with extremely fast reaction times
Flexible topologies as well as their combinations: Line, Tree, Ring, Star, Bus, etc.
Fast data transfer (PDO/SDO)
Efficient real-time Ethernet, highly suitable for machine and plant automation

The EtherCAT Master is part of Kithara RealTime Suite and acts as a highly efficient function library to implement complex automation tasks. Its easy usability allows for low development effort and high flexibility, extending EtherCAT with the following real-time functions:

Achieves "hard" real-time capabilities due to accurate and high-frequency real-time timers
Cycle times of down to 50 µs
Reaction times of I/O data processing in the microsecond range
Automatic detection of the present EtherCAT topology
Fast process data and service data communication (PDO/SDO)
Mailbox communication as well as "CANopen over EtherCAT" (CoE)
Extendable with a variety of additional protocols and functions: FoE, SoE, EoE, FSoE, etc.
EtherCAT Automation Protocol: Plant-wide real-time networking at command level with up to 100 Gbit/s
Supports PCs as EtherCAT slaves

With the increasing trend towards industrial Ethernet systems, EtherCAT has emerged as one of the fastest and most adaptable Ethernet field busses in the industry. The EtherCAT Master has been specifically develeped by Kithara as an industrial Ethernet control solution for Windows, allowing for reaction times in the microsecond range and data transfer rates of up to 100 Mbit/s in order to implement efficient I/O systems. All EtherCAT topologies are automatically detected and integrated. Furthermore, all familiar EtherCAT features are fully supported such as process data and service data exchange (PDO/SDO), mailbox communication as well as CoE (CANopen over EtherCAT).

The EtherCAT Master has been developed as an open function library and thus enables the seamless integration of devices into the automation process. In contrast to other EtherCAT alternatives, this allows for much more flexible and cost-efficient solutions that are also significantly easier to implement. Additionally, the EtherCAT Master can be extended with all known EtherCAT function and protocols: FoE, SoE, EoE, FSoE, hotplug-capability as well as cable redundancy. Finally, the EtherCAT Master supports PCI slave cards as well as the EtherCAT Automation Protocol for complete plant networking with up to 100 Gbit/s.

CANopen

Real-time automation with CANopen for Windows

CANopen can also be utilized for real-time automation tasks, due to support for CAN within Kithara RealTime Suite and by employing suitable CAN hardware. The CANopen Master features process data and service data communication, automatic topology determination as well as slave state management. Furthermore, this master can be integrated into higher-level EtherCAT topologies.

Modules

For real-time automation, the modular system of Kithara RealTime Suite provides the following components:

"hard" real-time capabilities with EtherCAT EtherCAT Module
Implementation of simple PCs as EtherCAT Slaves EtherCAT PC Slave Module
Real-time communication between all terminals within a network EtherCAT Automation Protocol
"hard" real-time capabilities with CANopen CANopen Module

EtherCAT Module

EtherCAT Master in real-time

Common
Features
Extensions

Kithara EtherCAT Master is internally based on a priority-based, preemptive real-time multi-tasking system. Through utilization of hardware parallelism with multiple CPU cores, it is possible to disseminate several real-time tasks to CPU cores. Thus, a high scalability of real-time processing up to extreme real time on exclusively used CPU cores in dedicated mode is possible.

Independent EtherCAT Master
Automatic identification of EtherCAT topologies with XML files
Process data communication (cyclic I/O data exchange) in real-time
Short cycle time: down to 50 microseconds or less
Hot connect and cable redundancy
Network interface from RealTek and Intel are supported
I/O terminals, servo inverter etc. of every manufacturers are supported (e. g. Beckhoff)
Modular structure of EtherCAT Masters: basis module + options
Process data communication (PDO)
Service date communication (SDO)
Mailbox communication
Requires Network Module

EtherCAT PC Slave Device Extension

With the EtherCAT PC Slave Device Extension, regular PCs can be utilized as EtherCAT slaves. What previously was only achievable with specialized hardware, can now also be implemented by using simple commercial PCs as slaves within EtherCAT networks. Prior to the introduction of PCIe slave cards, only the master side was able to execute complex PC-based communication with the EtherCAT network. With the implementation of PC slaves, sophisticated automation processes can be conceptualized, integrated and adjusted with better focus.

Common API with EtherCAT Master and EtherCAT EAP
Process data and service data communication (PDO/SDO)
File transfer (FoE)
Creation of custom PDO mappings
SII (EEprom) data can be initialized to custom values (e.g. Vendor ID, Product ID, Revision)

Supported Hardware

Beckhoff – EtherCAT Slave devices

FC1100, PCI EtherCAT Slave Card
FC1121, PCIe EtherCAT Slave Card
CX5000 CCAT(Beckhoff CX50xx, CX20xx, CX51xx Embedded PCs)

ESD – EtherCAT Slave card

ECS-PCIe 1100, PCIe EtherCAT Slave Card
ECS-PCIe/FPGA, PCIe EtherCAT Slave Card

Other EtherCAT extensions

Distributed Clocks (DC)
Ethernet over EtherCAT (EoE)
File access over EtherCAT (FoE)
Servo Profile over EtherCAT (SoE)(Sercos)
Hotplug Capability (HC): Hot-plugging for dynamic topologies
Cable Redundancy (CR): Fail-safety for cable break by ring topology
Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE): Safety solutions according to SIL3

This list always refers to the latest version of our software.

EtherCAT Automation Protocol

Real-time communication over EtherCAT from the command level

Common
Features

The EtherCAT Automation Protocol allows for real-time communication between all terminals within a network, which achieves a whole new level of connectivity in the field of automation systems. This can be all PC-based controls, machines, testing rigs, conveyor belts, robots, facilities for quality assurance or MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems).

Transfer rate of e. g. 1000 Mbit/s, 10 Gbit/s or 100 Gbit/s
Process data and service data exchange (PDO/SDO), file transfer
Application compatible with Kithara EtherCAT Master

CANopen Module

CANopen Master in real time

Common
Features

The CANopen Module of Kithara RealTime Suite includes a PC-based master for the automation protocol CANopen^®. It is based on the CAN Module and requires supported hardware.

Automatic determination of CANopen topologies
Management of CANopen slave states
Process data and service data communication (PDO+SDO)
Mailbox communication
Requires CAN Module

Your Benefits of Kithara EtherCAT Master

Kithara EtherCAT Master is provided as a function library. Function extensions are possible at any time and modular. The developers can simply implement the EtherCAT Master in a quick way into their applications. Thus, programming languages like C, C++, Delphi or C# are directly supported and the developers can work in their ordinary programming environment. This prevents a time-consuming initial training as it is the case with complex soft SPS systems. Due to the provided function library the developers have a far more flexible option to perfect their application.

EtherCAT^® and Safety over EtherCAT^® are registered trademarks and patented technologies, licensed by Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Germany.
CANopen^® is a registered trademark of the CAN in Automation e. V.
GigE Vision^® is a registered trademark of the Automated Imaging Association.
USB3 Vision^® is a registered trademark of the Automated Imaging Association.