AM3359 EtherCAT Master using PRU?

it is my understanding that EtherCAT master can run on ARM, there is no need of PRU in this case. You need PRU for EtherCAT slave.

I'm afraid I have requirements to implement this communication through the PRUs. I know there exists firmware to configure the PRUs as an ethercat slave, is there firmware available to send/rec on the PRUs?

-Thanks!

Hello Todd,

Thanks for your interest in our technology. The PRU code to implement standard Ethernet is under development and is not available in the SDK yet.

Our primary support model for PRU is for TI to provide PRU code in object format for well-known use cases like Profibus slave, EtherCAT slave and others.  TI also does certification with this code so it's actually helpful for customers in terms of time-to-market.

There is some documentation available for users to do PRU programming on their own using the info on the below link. But, supporting such custom development could get complex and is handled on a case by case. Pl contact your loal TI rep or myself at gurrapu@ti.com for such requests.

https://github.com/beagleboard/am335x_pru_package

Hope that helps,

Thanks,

-Srik Gurrapu

Hello Srik,

I am also very intersted in the standard Ethernet firmware for PRUSS.Cause We are also developing EtnerCAT Master base on the ICE evl board.

Could you help to give us the approximate release time for the new firmware ?

Thanks,

- Bin

Hello Bin,

EtherCAT is different from std Ethernet firmware.

To implement EtherCAT Master, you just need standard Ethernet HW i/f and a special SW for EtherCAT Master stack. This SW runs on the ARM processor and there's no need for PRU for this in most of the cases. We have 3Ps like Koenig, Acontis for this SW and that can run on AM335x. 

PRU is specifically used for EtherCAT slave and that's already included in the SDK on our website.

This is an advanatge of Am335x. You can use AM3352/4 (ARM-only version) for EtherCAT Master and AM557/9 (ARM+PRU) for EtherCAT slave. All thesedevices are pin-pin compatible.

You can also use PRU to implement std Ethernet which is also being discussed in this thread. That's possible and is needed in some use cases like the need for 3 Ethernet ports. AM335x can acheive this by using PRU to implement 1 Ethernet port and the built-in GbE HW switch for the other two ports.

Hope this clarifies.

Thx,

-Srik

Hello Srik,

Thank you for your quick and clear answer!

Cause I only have a ICE board in my hands ,So I want to try some PRU programming to try to put EtherCAT MAC layer into PRU.I checked out some PRUSS program guide from BeagleBone git site and now studying on that.

Could you help to update me when Ti have new firmware update on PRU?

Thank you!

Interesting approach.  I'd encourage you to try this on the Beaglebone or an SK EVM on the standard ethernet i/f as that way, you'll have only 1 new thing to learn - EtherCAT Master. If you try doing this on the PRU, there are 2 new things to learn - ECAT Master and PRU. You can do this in 2 steps.

Thanks,

-Srik

Hello Srik,

Thank you for your suggestion!May be I will buy one beaglebone later on.

Is TI still working on the PRU code to implement standard Ethernet, or it's already available in the SDK?

We do not have it implemented yet.

But our processor AM335x has 2 ethernets that you can use.