Articles and News

With the help of Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), industrial controls can contact a number of different EtherCAT segments in real-time through Ethernet networks. In doing so, no changes to the EtherCAT slave devices are required

As of now, SoftPLC systems for the device platforms PFC 100 from WAGO and SIMATIC IOT2000 from Siemens are also available. Both systems are based on an open Linux operating system and are designed to work in industrial environments.

Visitors to the Beckhoff booth will again be able to “BYOD”, using their own smartphones and tablets to connect with PC-based control demos – including a wall of IoT-enabled devices, plus articulated robot arms from Stäubli – using any mobile device with a web browser.

The specification “PLCopen Safe Motion” version 1.0 – official release – is now available on the PLCopen website for downloading. This new solution is based on an existing functionality as already specified in PLCopen Safety: SF_SafetyRequest.

By Andrew McIntyre, Texas Instruments At the core of Industry 4.0 is the need for reliable communication networks. These networks are closely tied to real-time operational needs; therefore, they must be able to handle information in a deterministic and redundant manner.

By John Rinaldi, Real Time Automation In their latest series of announcements, it’s clear that OPC UA is key to Microsoft’s strategy of entering and dominating the factory floor through its Azure cloud services.

The specification provides device manufacturers with an official foundation to implement EtherCAT P technology, which enables data and power transmission on a single, standard cable.

IntervalZero, a solution for transforming Windows into a real-time operating system (RTOS), will be showcasing its innovative RTX64 solution and the KINGSTAR platform for PC-based motion control and machine vision at the Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robot Show (TAIROS) in Taipei, Taiwan from August 31 – September 3, 2016.

EtherCAT P is a new industrial Ethernet technology that combines EtherCAT communication and power lines into one standard 4-wire Ethernet cable.

MICA’s modular Open Source Software Architecture makes it a solution for developing edge and cloud applications in production. The first EtherCAT production model will be available at the beginning of 2017.

Visitors to booth E-4410 will have the opportunity to use their own smartphones and interact with PC-based control demos – including the ability to connect to an entire wall of IoT-enabled devices and a 6-axis robot arm using any mobile device with a web browser.

The EtherCAT Conformance Test Tool, or CTT, is the official reference tool for specifying compliant implementation of EtherCAT technology into EtherCAT slaves. The CTT enables the hundreds of EtherCAT device manufacturers to ensure reliable interoperability in the field.

The high level support of some of the industry’s biggest tool manufacturers demonstrates the high acceptance level of EtherCAT technology in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Moving forward, EtherCAT P, which combines the well-known benefits of EtherCAT with power supply on the same cable, will be supported and promoted by the ETG.

The announcement was made by Morihiko Ohkura, General Manager of the Toyota's Production Engineering Innovation Division during an EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) press briefing at Hannover Messe 2016

Servotronix’s motion-control system for Gleason includes the softMC motion controller and four CDHD drives, running over an EtherCAT bus and controlling three linear axes and one rotary axis

HMS says Industrial Ethernet is growing faster than before and now accounts for 38% of the market. EtherNet/IP is in first place within industrial Ethernet globally.

By Punya Prakash and David Zaucha, Texas Instruments To date, the implementations of EtherCAT slave node have largely been dominated by hardware intensive solutions used to perform on-the-fly real-time processing and synchronization. Recent advances in technology have created programmable system-on-a-chip (SoC) devices that offer very tangible equipment costs savings, versatility and longer life cycles to industrial systems users.

Office in San Jose, Calif. to provide local sales and engineering for Beckhoff customers throughout California.

APLEX Technology Inc. announced today that its industrial PC solutions are compatible with EtherCAT® Ethernet fieldbus technology to enable integration into real-time automation applications.