The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) published a first draft of the official EtherCAT P technology specification last autumn. Now, the documents have been released to coincide with the last ETG Technical Committee Meeting. The specification provides device manufacturers with an official, reliable foundation to implement EtherCAT P technology, which enables data and power transmission on a single, standard cable.
Shortly after Beckhoff Automation introduced EtherCAT P as an extension of EtherCAT, the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) initiated similar discussions on the topic. In a first step, the organization published a first draft of the official EtherCAT P technology specification last autumn, as well as the extension of all corresponding documents last autumn. In the frame of the recent ETG Technical Committee Meeting, these documents have now been officially released, with all corresponding documents now stable and available for ETG members. The Application Note which was published in conjunction with the specification draft, and further developed by Beckhoff, will continue to serve as additional support for EtherCAT P implementations.
In the upcoming weeks and months, the ETG will continue to develop EtherCAT P Testing documentation. Work on the corresponding test specification (as well as test cases for the EtherCAT Conformance Test Tool) are nearly complete.
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) is an association in which key user companies from various industries and leading automation suppliers join forces to support, promote and advance the EtherCAT technology. With over 4,200 members from 65 countries, the EtherCAT Technology Group has become the largest fieldbus organization in the world. Founded in November 2003, it is also the fastest growing association of its kind.
EtherCAT is the fastest Industrial Ethernet technology and stands for high-performance, low-cost, ease of use and a flexible topology. It was introduced in 2003 and became an international IEC standard and a SEMI standard in 2007. The EtherCAT Technology Group promotes EtherCAT and is responsible for its continued development. EtherCAT is also an open technology: anyone is allowed to implement or use it. For more information, visit www.ethercat.org.
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