ENI export from TwinCAT [EN]

Owned by Sebastian Schmidt
Last updated: 2020-10-23 by Katja Winkler
3 min read

Background

Some EtherCAT specific features can´t be configured using SyCon.net. Even tho they are supported by our firmware. Those features are, for example: Oversampling, Hot-Connect, EoE (Ethernet over EtherCAT) or FoE (Fileaccess over EtherCAT). Our cifx cards can, in case of EtherCAT, not only be configured using a configuration database (config.nxd) from SyCon.net or an applicative configuration. Instead it can also work with an ENI (EtherCAT Network Information) file, that is conform to the  EtherCAT specification. One of the most important tools in this regards is TwinCAT from Beckhoff GmbH. The following screenshots are taken from the German version of TwinCAT 2. Below it´s shown, how to export the ENI and how to download it to the cifx card. Using TwinCAT 3 is the same, just some names and colors are changed.

Procedure 

  • Open the TwinCAT System Manager and start a new Project

EtherCAT Master configuration

  • First add a generic EtherCAT Master:

  • Configure the entire EtherCAT network with all slaves and there needed settings, which might be missing in SyCon.net.

Additional Configurations (Hot-Connect, EOE ....)

  • With a right click on the slave you can f.e. add him to a hot-connect group. In "Advanced Settings..." from master or slave (Highlight the device → click on the Tab "EtherCAT" → "Advanced Settings...") you can find settings for EoE for example.

Export Configuration File

  • After the network is configured highlight the master and click "Export Configuration File...".
  • You have to name the exported file "ethercat.xml". Because just with this exact name our firmware will accept the ENI file as it´s new configuration file.

Load Configuration File ethercat.xml

  • To load the ENI file into our cifx card you need the "cifx Setup" tool, it will be installed together with the installation of the cifx driver.
  • The tool is located in the following folder (Windows 10): "C:\Program Files\cifX Device Driver". It can also be reached from the system control.

  • Choose the communication channel (CH#0) of your cifx card, that is the EtherCAT master and load the ENI configuration file to the driver, using the "Add" button.

Should there be another configuration file (config.nxd) present in the driver, it will be prioritised. It is therefor necessary to remove it via the "Remove" button, first.

  • After a restart of the cifx it will run with the ENI as it´s configuration.