Features of the IgH EtherCAT Master

• Runs as kernel module for Linux 2.6.
• Comes with EtherCAT-capable network drivers for serveral Ethernet chipsets.
  • Interrupt-less network driver operation.
  • Easy implementation of additional network drivers through common device interface of the master.
  • Runs even with PCMCIA cards.
• Supports multiple EtherCAT masters on one machine.
• Supports any realtime extension through independent architecture.
• RTAI, IPIPE, ADEOS, etc.
• Runs well even without realtime extensions.
• Common kernel interface, for realtime modules using EtherCAT functionality.
  • Synchronous and asynchronous sending and receiving of frames.
  • Avoidance of unnecessary copy operations for process data.
• Separating slave groups through domains.
  • Handling of multiple slave groups with different sampling rates.
  • Automatic calculation of process data mapping, FMMU- and sync manager configuration within the domains.
• Master finite state machine (FSM). Thus:
  • Bus monitoring during realtime operation.
  • Automatic reconfiguration of slaves on bus power failure during realtime operation.
  • Controlling of slave states during realtime operation.
• Idle mode.
  • Automatic scanning of slaves upon topology changes.
  • Bus visualisation and EoE processing without realtime process connected.
• Implements the CANopen-over-EtherCAT (CoE) protocol.
  • Configuration of CoE-capable slaves via SDO interface.
  • SDO dictionary listing.
• Implements the Ethernet-over-EtherCAT (EoE) protocol.
  • Creation of virtual network devices for EoE-capable slaves.
  • Thus natively supports either a switched or a routed EoE network architecture.
• User space interface via the System Filesystem (Sysfs).
  • User space tool "lsec" for bus visualisation.
  • Slave E²PROM image reading and writing.
• Seamless integration in your favourite Linux distibution.
  • Master and network device configuration via sysconfig files.
  • LSB-compatible init script for master control.
• Virtual read-only network interface for debugging purposes and for "sniffing" the EtherCAT traffic (through Wireshark, or others).