Kollmorgen EtherCAT® Bus Coupler
EtherCAT® Bus Coupler
The EtherCAT® Bus Coupler connects Real-Time Ethernet systems via modular, expandable electronic terminal blocks. A complete unit consists of a Bus Coupler, a set of Bus Terminals and a terminal.
Features
The EtherCAT Coupler connects the real-time Ethernet system EtherCAT with modular, expandable electronic terminal blocks. A unit consists of a Bus Coupler, a set of terminals and a terminal.
The Bus Coupler recognizes the connected Bus Terminals and automatically assigns them to the EtherCAT process image. The Bus Coupler is connected to the network via the upper Ethernet interface. The lower RJ 45 socket can be used to connect other EtherCAT devices in the same strand.
In an EtherCAT network, the EtherCAT Coupler can be installed anywhere in the Ethernet signaling section (100BASE-TX) – except directly on the switch.
EtherCAT (Ethernet Control Automation Technology) is an Ethernet solution for industrial automation characterized by excellent performance and particularly simple operation. etherCAT enables Ethernet star topologies to be replaced by simple line structures. In addition, EtherCAT can also be www.ge-drive.com wired in the “classic” way using switches for the integration of additional Ethernet devices. The master does not require special plug-in cards and can be realized on any existing Ethernet controller using very simple interfaces. EtherCAT is therefore also ideally suited for small and medium-sized control applications and will open up new fields of application for distributed I/O.
For EtherCAT, stand-alone I/O systems with protection class IP 20 are available as EtherCAT Terminals. Unlike the Bus Terminals, in which the fieldbus signals are realized in a Bus Coupler on a terminal bus that is internally independent of the fieldbus, the EtherCAT protocol remains fully intact within the individual terminal.
The EtherCAT coupler supports the operation of all Bus Terminals. As far as the user is concerned, the analog inputs/outputs are handled no differently than in the other series. The information is processed as a byte array in the process image of the controller.
Analog and multifunction Bus Terminals can be adapted to each specific application. Depending on the type, the registers of the analog Bus Terminals contain temperature ranges, gain values and linearization characteristics. The Bus Terminals store settings permanently in a fail-safe manner. In addition, the Bus Terminals can be optionally controlled via the control system. With function blocks (FB), the programmable logic controller (PLC) handles the configuration of the entire periphery during the startup phase. If required, the controller can upload the configuration data created centrally in order to manage and store them centrally. As a result, no new adjustments are required when changing bus terminals. The controller automatically sets the required settings at power-up.