In an exciting finale off Auckland, New Zealand, EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) member Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) claimed its 7th victory over challenger Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, successfully defending the world’s oldest sporting trophy, the America’s Cup. The races featured a spectacular new class of boat that can reach over 100 kph on or […]
EtherCAT
EtherCAT Technology Group officially supports EtherCAT G
The Technical Committee of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) has accepted EtherCAT G as an addition to the EtherCAT standard. Moving forward, EtherCAT G, which extends EtherCAT technology to 1 and 10 Gb/sec, respectively, will be supported and promoted by the ETG. EtherCAT G was introduced by Beckhoff Automation in 2018 as an extension of […]
Is EtherCAT on the rise for motion applications?
For motion control and machine automation, the EtherCAT networking protocol has been slowly gaining acceptance, garnering more interest from both end users as well as developers of motion control systems. As one of several Ethernet-based motion protocols, it offers a number of advantages that have made it an increasingly common choice for many system designers. […]
Beckhoff to premier new EtherCAT solutions, compact embedded controllers at ProMat 2019
Beckhoff Automation will show multiple new technologies that bolster material handling and logistics operations at ProMat 2019 in Chicago. The North American product debuts include the ultra-compact CX7000 embedded controller and a preview of EtherCAT G gigabit industrial Ethernet technology. The 45,000 industry professionals from 115 countries expected to attend the trade show from April […]
EtherCAT Technology Group now offers vendor-independent diagnosis interface
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) has specified a new vendor-independent diagnosis interface, which allows third-party tools to access diagnostic information from EtherCAT networks. The software-based interface can be implemented in controllers offered by any device manufacturer, which makes it an interesting feature to vendors of both master devices and diagnostic tools. Diagnosis is one of […]
EtherCAT Technology Group welcomes WITRON as 5,000th member
At the SPS IPC Drives 2018 exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) achieved two remarkable milestones: It celebrated exactly 15 years since ETG was established with 33 founding members, and with the addition of WITRON Logistics + Informatics GmbH, ETG welcomed its 5,000th member. The intralogistics system provider WITRON Logistics + Informatics […]
Beckhoff intros EtherCAT G for next-level gigabit performance
Beckhoff Automation’s new EtherCAT G gigabit communication technology takes EtherCAT performance to the next level by delivering the Gbit Ethernet speeds needed to support highly data-intensive applications. The latest industrial Ethernet technology expansion is not only compatible with the globally established 100 Mbit/sec EtherCAT standard, but also provides the same familiar ease of use. In […]
New compact EPOS programmable smart drive/controller from maxon with EtherCAT
With the EPOS4 Compact 50/8 EtherCAT and EPOS4 Compact 50/15 EtherCAT, maxon launches the first compact devices compatible with the fast industrial Ethernet connection EtherCAT. The fully integrated, plug-and-play positioning controller in a compact design is perfectly suited for use in networks with cycle times up to 1 msec. The EPOS is a digital positioning […]
How to select a network for a motion controller?
Over a range of motion control applications, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for selecting a network. However, there are several key factors to consider when deciding on the best networking option for your particular application. For starters (and perhaps most importantly), consider timing; that is, how quickly the system reacts to inputs or changes in […]
What is EtherCAT?
Ethernet for Control Automation Technology (EtherCAT) was developed by Beckhoff. It’s based on the CANopen protocol and on Ethernet but differs from internet communication or network communications in being specifically optimized for industrial automation control. The standards are defined and maintained by the EtherCAT technology group. Using the OSI network model, Ethernet and EtherCAT rely […]
