Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System

<[email protected]> · Fri, 9 Mar 2018 10:44:45 +0000

Mark,

There are series of Beckhoff EtherCAT modules in different physical formats, which do similar functions.  Ronaldo has listed module numbers we would deploy on a beamline.
 https://www.beckhoff.com/english/ethercat/ethercat_terminals.htm?id=235616333
We deploy them together in chains of EtherCAT nodes, each needs a coupler module.

However Beckhoff also produce a format called EtherCAT Box, which we have used at DLS in smaller numbers.
https://www.beckhoff.com/english/fieldbus_box/news_ethercat_box.htm?id=23562552546
Depending what you want to do with your system, but if you literally want a minimal lab system to play with some EtherCAT software, you might be better off selecting from this series because each EtherCAT box unit is its own coupler, constituting an EtherCAT node in its own right,  so no extra coupler unit is required.  The wiring connectors are different.

Also there is a series of digital combi units, which we would not deploy but which can do input and output and would reduce the minimum number of modules to buy still further to 3 (excluding your motion requirement)
https://www.beckhoff.com/english/fieldbus_box/digcombi.htm?id=197298967461991

Linda

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: 07 February 2018 09:36
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: RE: EtherCAT newbie question

Hi Mark,

As Torsten and Jeong Han have already said, the Diamond Ethercat EPICS support is available [1], but it does not support motion.

For some digital I/O and analog I/O we would use kit from our supported set [2].

The master in our setup runs on a Dell R310, using Redhat MRG (real time pre-empt rt kernel).
The minimal ethercat kit would be:  EK1100 coupler, EL1014 (digital input), EL3104 (analogue input), EL2024 (digital output), EL4134 (analogue output).

Best regards,

Ronaldo 

[1] https://github.com/dls-controls/ethercat
[2] See https://epics.anl.gov/tech-talk/2015/msg01665.php

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Torsten Bögershausen
Sent: 07 February 2018 05:29
To: Mark Rivers; [email protected]
Subject: Re: EtherCAT newbie question

Hej Mark,
this is what we use for our motion control test/development crates:

# CPU: CX5130
# Configure EL1018 digital input terminal # Configure EL2808 digital output terminal # Configure EL5101 incremental encoder terminal, motor 1 # Configure EL5101 incremental encoder terminal, motor 2 # Configure EL9505 Power supply terminal 5V # Configure EL1252 digital input terminal # Configure EL7037 stepper drive terminal, motor 1 # Configure EL7037 stepper drive terminal, motor 2

(No analog IO in our motion crates ;-)

No sure if you have access to this page about other terminals for motion:
https://confluence.esss.lu.se/display/MCAG/Motion+Controller

HTH
/Torsten

PS:
As Han Lee pointed out, there are different SW packages:
- Beckhoff TwinCAT
- Linux ("scanner" from DLS and ecat2 from PSI) (but no motion control)
- Linux ECMC from ESS http://icalepcs2017.vrws.de/talks/mocpl05_talk.pdf
And we are happy to help.

On 06/02/18 20:37, Mark Rivers wrote:
> I am interested in trying out EtherCAT with a simple inexpensive 
> setup.  What are the minimum parts I need to buy if I want to use the 
> EPICS EtherCAT driver to control some digital I/O, analog I/O, and a 
> stepper motor?  I looked at the Beckhoff website, but I find it overwhelming.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mark
> 

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Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System

Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System