Brief Overview¶
EtherCAT® is an open standard for the realization of Industrial Ethernet based automation applications and is highly suitable for time critical applications. Its protocol minimizes overhead and increase share of user data. Further, it provides mechanism to synchronize inputs and outputs.
EtherCAT® is a cyclic communication. Only for parameterization, diagnosis and alarms-messages of intelligent field devices, noncyclic messages will be used.
Standardization
- IEC 61131-3 PLC Standardisation
- IEC 61158: EtherCAT® Standardisation
- IEC 11801: Wire and connection elements for Ethernet
Terms, Definitions, Abbreviations
| CAT 5 | Ethernet cable for 100 MHz data size |
| CAT 5e | Ethernet cable for 100 MHz data size for Gigabit-Ethernet |
| CAT 6 | Ethernet cable for 250 MHz data size |
| CAT 7 | Ethernet cable for 600 MHz data size |
| CAT 8 | Ethernet cable for 1 GBit data size |
| CoE | CAN over EtherCAT |
| DC | Distributed Clock |
| DDF | Device Description File in XML format |
| ETG | EtherCAT Technology Group |
| EtherCAT® | Ethernet for Control Automation Technology |
| FMMU | Fieldbus Memory Management Unit |
| NRT | Non Real-Time |
| RT | Real-Time |
| WKC | Working Counter |