EtherCAT (EN)

Definition

EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is an open, master-based fieldbus system. The special feature lies in its 'on-the-fly' processing: The master sends a datagram that is read and/or modified by each slave device as it traverses the physical segment. This enables extremely short-cycle transmission times and high precision without each slave requiring its own Ethernet address, making it particularly suitable for highly dynamic automation tasks.

Architecture

flowchart LR   Master[Master-Controller] -->|EtherCAT-Datagramm| Slave1[Slave 1]   Slave1 -->|Modifiziertes Datagramm| Slave2[Slave 2]   Slave2 -->|Modifiziertes Datagramm| Slave3[Slave 3]   Slave3 -->|Letztes Datagramm| Master 

Im Kontext

• Wird typischerweise zusammen mit IEC 61158-Standard verwendet
• Verwandt zu: PROFINET, Modbus TCP, CANopen
• Beispiel-Einsatz: Robotiksteuerung, Maschinenbau, Antriebstechnik