EtherCAT® Configuration Library

The network topology (composition of EtherCAT slaves) can be obtained by the library via an API. This allows a network to be composed manually (offline). Alternatively, an online network scan can be performed to automatically read the structure of an existing network.

The library evaluates the ESI information (EtherCAT Slave Information) for the existing EtherCAT slaves and creates the necessary configuration initially using the default settings (e.g. for initialization commands, mailbox configuration, process variables, cyclic commands, etc.). User-specific settings can optionally be passed to the library via the API.

The library generates an ENI configuration according to ETG.2100, which can be exported in XML format. An EtherCAT master stack can read this file for network initialization. Alternatively, the information can be passed directly to an instance of the icECAT EtherCAT Master Stack in binary form.

ESI (EtherCAT Slave Information)

• Management of an ESI repository, list of available slaves
• ESI parser for reading ESI XML files
• Access to country specific language information in the ESI

EtherCAT network

• Online network scan
• Advanced network scan for detection of modules of modular slave devices (MDP) [NEW]
• Read out SII as fallback to missing ESI [NEW]
• Configuration of the EtherCAT network with adding, deleting and moving of slaves

EtherCAT slave configuration

• Configuration of the process data via the PDO assignment
• PDO mapping
• DC configuration
• Custom CoE initialization commands
• Support of SoE EoE, FoE, ESM Bootstrap State
• Support Modular Device Profile (MDP)
• Access to the object dictionary in the ESI
• SDO Info Service [Roadmap]
• PDO Upload [Roadmap]
• DC Oversampling [Roadmap]
• Explicit Device ID [Roadmap]

EtherCAT master configuration

• Configuration of multiple master tasks and multiple master sync units, mapping of slave sync units to master sync units
• Master settings (e.g. DC configuration, EoE configuration)
• Configuration of slave-2-Slave communication

Common features

• Generation of an ENI file according to ETG.2100
• API for export and import of configuration settings of the complete network and individual slaves
• Export and import as SCI XML file (Slave Configuration Interface) [NEW]

The following information is made available to the application:

• EtherCAT network topology
• All settings
• Information about the process image

Contact our sales team and ask for a detailed list of supported features for the EtherCAT configuration.

Optionally, a graphical user interface based on the Qt graphics framework is available. User interfaces for different target platforms (e. g. Microsoft Windows, Linux, …) can be built with that framework.

The graphical user interface is shipped in source code and can be integrated in an own Qt application. Adaptations and enhancements can be made.

Convince yourself of the functionality of the icECAT Configuration Library. IBV offers evaluation versions for the following platforms:

• Linux
• Windows
• An evaluation on a customer specific platform is possible on request

Please contact the sales team of IBV:

• The EtherCAT Configuration Library is offered under a project-based license.
• The library is shipped in source code.
• One-time fee for a project. No runtime licenses (“royalties”) or development licenses are necessary.