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TIDEP0001: What is the EtherCAT interface advantage over the CANbus ?

doner_t
Intellectual 595 points
Part Number: TIDEP0001

Hello,

I dont know whether this forum correct place or not, but I dont understand the why people from Industry try to pass to EtherCAT interface? On the Sitara there is an [I think two port] EtherCAT interface. And even there is a pdf about the how EtherCAT interface can be used in mainstream C2000 series DSP. 

But on the other hand, in motion control works commonly CANbus is still preferred. What is the problem or limit about the CANbus or other fieldbus? The most important thing is that short updating time in EtherCAT? It is claimed that 100 microsecond updating time. Is this correct? What is mean of this short updating time in the motion-control work? So this means that my control loop could be work at10 kHz in a motion-control work? How about the node number in EtherCAT? CANbus [for CANopen implementation] can be used up to 127 nodes. But in reality, 127 nodes never connect to a bus. [I dont see]. CANopen is a good and compact protocol for motion-control works. Can I use the CANopen protocol over the EtherCAT? What are the EtherCAT interfaces advantages with respect to the CANbus ? 

I know this question is not directly related to TI products but Sitara could be used if EtherCAT is really "good" interface. 

Best Regards, 

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 32730 points
    Hi Doner, yes probably this is not the best forum to ask, as your questions are more general Industrial protocols advantage/disadvantage than TI HW/SW related.. but let me try to answer some of your questions, as the best of my knowledge.

    EtherCAT is a deterministic Ethernet industrial protocol. Currently, Ethernet speed used for EtherCAT is 100MB full duplex, but probably in a near future this will move to Gb networks. This throughput is, in my mind, the biggest advantage comparing to CANbus. Increased throughput helps to add more (max slaves 65535) and more complex slaves, create more complex networks topologies (in-line, star, tree, daisy chain etc), add Predictive Maintenance, and enable other interesting things proposed for industry 4.0.

    Another point, is that you can have CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE). This allows use CANopen protocol and feature set over EtherCAT for easier integrations.

    thank you,
    Paula