Electricity and Control December 2023

INDUSTRY 4.0 + IIOT

[© Beckhoff / Foreword LLC, 2022]

The EtherCAT Technology Group Headquartered in Nuremberg and operating globally, the EtherCAT Technology Group keeps EtherCAT technology open for all potential users. It brings together EtherCAT device manufacturers, technology providers, and users to further the technology. It provides multiple Technical Working Groups where experts work on various specific aspects of the technology. All these activities are focused on one common goal: keeping EtherCAT stable and interoperable. That’s why there is only a single version of EtherCAT, and not a new version each year. The ETG holds Plug Fests annually in different parts of the world. These events provide a forum for EtherCAT device developers to test and ensure device interoperability. Using the official EtherCAT Conformance Test Tool (CTT), each manufacturer conformance tests its EtherCAT devices prior to their release. Following a successful test in an accredited test lab, the ETG awards the manufacturer a Conformance Certificate. The ETG also hosts international seminars and workshops and represents EtherCAT at various events around the world. The EtherCAT Technology Group is an official partner of the IEC. Both EtherCAT and Safety over EtherCAT are IEC standards (IEC 61158 and IEC 61784). Integrated safety Where functional safety is required as an integral part of the network architecture, this is provided by Functional Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE). FSoE is proven in use through TÜV certified devices that have been on the market since 2005. The protocol fulfils the requirements for SIL 3 systems and is suitable for centralised and decentralised control systems. With its Black-Channel approach and the particularly lean Safety Container, FSoE can also be transmitted via other bus systems. All these factors help keep system costs down. Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is a universal concern. In this regard, EtherCAT network technology incorporates inherent cybersecurity as it is not based on Internet Protocol (IP) and operates distinct ly within the hierarchical structure of the system architecture. The controller separates the fieldbus from the factory network. switches or routers to configure and no complicated han dling of MAC or IP addresses is necessary. CTDI, based in the USA, produced an automated picking line that uses EtherCAT-based control, among other things, to more than double hourly throughput.

[© Beckhoff, 2022]

The redesign of a car seat belt assembly machine at Sodecia’s Global Tech and Automation Centre (GTAC), based in Canada, is a prime example of the benefits of EtherCAT-based control and drive technology. Cost-effectiveness EtherCAT delivers the features of Industrial Ethernet at a price on par with or below that of a classic fieldbus system. The only hardware required by the master device is an Ethernet port – no expensive interface cards or co processors are necessary. EtherCAT slave controllers are available from numerous manufacturers in different formats. As these controllers shoulder all the time-critical tasks, EtherCAT itself does not place any performance requirements on the CPU of slave devices, which keeps device costs down. Furthermore, as EtherCAT does not require switches or other active infrastructure components, the costs for these components and their installation, configuration, and maintenance are eliminated. These and other benefits see EtherCAT used in widely diverse industrial sectors: from robotics and automated guided vehicles to machine tools, packaging machines and printing presses, semi-conductor manufacturing ma chines, test benches, pick & place machines, and meas urement systems, in power plants, substations, material handling applications and automated assembly systems, pulp and paper machines, cranes and lifts, farm machines, iron and steel works, furniture manufacturing equipment, wind turbines and more. EtherCAT G EtherCAT handling 100 MB/s is by far the fastest fieldbus technology and is particularly suitable for I/O, sensor, and drive communication. As outlined above, it is EtherCAT’s functional operating system that makes it so fast. However, some complex motion, measurement or vision applications require extremely high bandwidth, above 100 MB/s. For such applications, EtherCAT G and EtherCAT 10G are introduced. Both build on the same operating principle as EtherCAT 100 MB/s and are fully compatible with EtherCAT. No software adaptation is required for the master in standard mode. All the technologies comply with IEEE Ethernet standard 802.3. □

For more information visit: www.ethercat.org

6 Electricity + Control DECEMBER 2023