• State Resolved
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 2 replies
  • Subscribers 31 subscribers
  • Views 336 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Support feedback
Options
Options
Similar topics

This thread has been locked.

If you have a related question, please click the "Ask a related question" button in the top right corner. The newly created question will be automatically linked to this question.

AM2434: Can the 32bit AM2434 be used with 3rd party IP to create an EtherCAT master controller?

Jim Mrowca
Genius 3034 points
Part Number: AM2434
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: AM2432, AM6442, AM5708, AM4377,

Two topics that I want to cover

 - I have been in touch with Acontis Technologies on their EtherCAT Master IP stack (we know that is supportable on AM4377 and AM5708). I am looking at both AM2434 and AM2432 as a 32-bit EtherCAT master application - can it be possible to get that Acontis Master IP stack supported onto either of these? I know that Acontis also supports the AM6442 that also have ARM R5 32-bit cores.

- Did TI create an EtherCAT Master IP stack on their own 64 bit ARM on the AM64xx line? Does TI feel that a 64 bit EtherCAT master ARM is more useful longer term than a 32 bit EtherCAT master ARM solution?

thanks

Jim Mrowca

ex-TIer 1982-1997 

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 33046 points

    Hi Jim,

    Yes it should be possible to support EtherCAT master on am243x, few third parties have done it. I believe acontis may also have done so. You can also check IbV

    Jim Mrowca said:

    Did TI create an EtherCAT Master IP stack on their own 64 bit ARM on the AM64xx line? Does TI feel that a 64 bit EtherCAT master ARM is more useful longer term than a 32 bit EtherCAT master ARM solution?

    thanks

    Could you please comment here?

    Regards

  • +1 in reply to Nilabh Anand
    TI__Mastermind 25340 points

    R5 based EtherCAT main (master) with optimized link layer is supported today on AM64x and AM243x by https://www.ibv-augsburg.de/en/products/icnet/ethercat-master/ . 

    Acontis is another possibility, their initial product is Linux A53 I believe. Looks like you are already in contact with them.

    Jim Mrowca said:
    Did TI create an EtherCAT Master IP stack on their own 64 bit ARM on the AM64xx line?

    TI does not have or plan to develop an EtherCAT main/master/controller.

    Jim Mrowca said:
    Does TI feel that a 64 bit EtherCAT master ARM is more useful longer term than a 32 bit EtherCAT master ARM solution?

    The native integer width or pointer size (32 vs 64-bit) alone should not have any performance advantage or disadvantage. The R5 based solutions can have better achievable cycle time, partly based on traditional MCU and RTOS programming model with dedicated TCM and SRAM memories to manage worst case interrupt latency, versus a Cortex A53 and high level OS like Linux with MMU and purely cache based memory model and a throughput optimized core. A53 will outperform R5 with heavy compute like FFT with a factor of maybe 5x.