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Original question:

[AM437x] Do all models support EtherCAT?

Sitara AM33.. availability and EtherCAT Master

Lars Heinrichs
Intellectual 460 points

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: AM3352

Hello,

We would like to build a system offloading an EtherCAT master to a Sitara, connecting it to the main processor using two USB connections (one for data up and one for data down stream) and 2 ethernet ports.
From this thread i learned that EtherCAT Master does not require the PRU unit but may use any ethernet interface. It also states that there is no EtherCAT master stack/software/example available from TI, however this information is >6 years old and i found information on an acontis based TI stack.

  1. Is there an EtherCAT master library available from TI? (even if some porting is needed)
    1. bare metal or linux?
  2. Are bare metal USB stacks available from TI?
  3. The AM335x series is a bit older by now, how long will they be available at least? (especially the AM3352)
  4. Would you suggest to add additional RAM for 2xETH + EtherCAT stack & 2xUSB + stacks?

Thank you,
Regards,
Lars

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 40580 points

    Hi Lars, let me address some of your questions first

    1) No, we don't have an EtherCAT master stack from ti.com. However, you can get a commercial one from acontis or use an open source version such as IgH.

    2) I don't think so, but let me check and come back to you.

    3) Our Sitara product line targets industrial applications. So long cycle lifes are part of the concept. In any case, let me come back to you for a more specific information.

    4) I think is difficult to answer this.. probably after you pick your EtherCAT master stack, OS, add your application, we could have a better picture of the whole system performance, and how much room would you have for USB stacks and others miscellaneous tasks..

    thank you,

    Paula

  • 0 in reply to Paula Carrillo
    TI__Mastermind 40580 points
    Hi other answers below,

    2) For AM335x, we are currently supporting USB Host mode and device mode drivers for following use cases. The driver can be used in bare-metal and RTOS environment but the examples in the SDK are mostly RTOS based.
    • USB device Mass Storage Class
    • USB host Mass Storage Class
    • USB device Audio Class
    • USB generic bulk device class

    3) Product longevity is important to TI and its customers. We recognize that our products are sold to a wide variety of customers and used in a wide range of applications with expected production lifetimes often in excess of several years, including industrial, medical, and automotive applications.

    We are dedicated to meet customer needs and, as such, we employ strategies such as inventory management and multiple sourcing tactics to address continuity.

    Here is an external link to TI's GQC (General Quality Guidelines) that references TI's EOL policy (Section 20): www.ti.com/.../getliterature.tsp

    Thank you,
    Paula