Technical Data - V5

Owned by Yuriy Zavgorodniy
Last updated: 2024-03-27
4 min read
Protocol Technical Data

Following technical data apply for EtherCAT Slave v5.2.0.x:

FeatureDescription
Maximum number of cyclic input data1024 bytes
Maximum number of cyclic output data1024 bytes
Acyclic communication (CoE)

SDO

SDO master-slave

SDO slave-slave (depending on master capability)

Typecomplex slave
Number of FMMU channels

8

Number of Sync Manager channels

4

Distributed Clocks

supported with 32 bit timestamps and Isochronous PDI functionality (Sync0, Sync1)

Support of Synchronization Modes
  • Freerun (Slave’s application is not synchronized to EtherCAT)
  • Synchron with SYNCMAN Event (Slave’s application is synchronized to the SM2/3 Event)
  • Synchron with SYNC Event (Slave’s application is synchronized to the SYNC0 or SYNC1 Event)
Supported Protocols
  • SDO client and server side protocol
  • CoE emergency messages (CoE stack)
  • Ethernet over EtherCAT (EoE)
  • File Access over EtherCAT (FoE)
Supported Features
  • PDI watchdog
  • EtherCAT mailbox handling
  • EtherCAT state machine handling
  • master-to-slave SDO communication
  • slave-to-slave SDO communication
  • integrated CoE object dictionary (ODV3)
  • Ethernet over EtherCAT (EoE) handling
  • File Access over EtherCAT (FoE) server
Ethernet
  • 2 Ethernet Interfaces 100BASE-TX/FX, 1 green Link/Activity LED per Ethernet Interface
  • integrated Dual-PHY (supports Auto-Negotiation and Auto-Crossover)


Restrictions

EtherCAT Slave Stack

  • AoE application interface not yet available for host application on DPM (planned for future release)
  • VoE (Vendor specific protocol over EtherCAT) is not yet available for host application on DPM (planned for future release)
  • SoE (Servo Profile over EtherCAT) is not supported

ESC - EtherCAT Slave Controller

  • no DC Latch Functionality
  • no support of bit-wise FMMU mapping (Exception: Fill Status of Transmit Mailbox)
  • restricted DC Sync-Signal Generation
    • no Single-Shot Mode support
    • no Acknowledge Mode support
  • restricted DC Control Functionality
    • no adjustment of Register Speed Counter Start (0x0930:0x931)
    • no showing of Register Speed Counter Diff (0x0932:0x933)
  • no MIO (PHY Management Interface) access from EtherCAT Master side
  • no physical Read-Write commands supported (APRW, FPRW, BRW)
Firmware Functions

The real-time protocol stack is fully integrated into a netX firmware for specific use case in order to provide a common set of netX firmware functions accross different protocol variants:

Firmware VariantsUse Case AUse Case BUse Case C
Use Case summary

netX90 COM CPU firmware for small footprint, low cost and function optimized slave devices

  • no external SPI / SQI Flash required for COM CPU
  • no external SDRAM required for COM CPU

same as Use Case A, but netX90 APP CPU

  • uses external SPI Flash
  • may use external SDRAM

full featured firmware for highest function requirements

  • external SDRAM is required for COM CPU
  • external SPI Flash is required for COM CPU
netX support
  • netX90
  • netX90 with ext FLASH
  • netX90 with ext SDRAM and ext FLASH

FW structure


Host Interface

Dual Port Memory interface with following channels:

  • Channel 0 - Real-Time Ethernet Protocol API
    • exchange cyclic IO data
    • use acyclic protocol services
  • Channel 1 - Network Services
    • Socket API - Enables opening a communication socket using the integrated TCP/IP stack resources, i.e. same MAC address
    • Ethernet (NDIS) API - Enables sending and receiving Ethernet frames using a separate MAC address, i.e. application host with its own TCP/IP stack
    • Web API - Enables forwarding specific URL (HTTP GET/POST) requests to user applications, e.g. to build custom webpage contents
Diagnosis InterfacenetX Diagnostic and Remote Access
Integrated Flash File SystemN/A

N/A

Power-fail safe flash file system on external SPI flash is used
Remanent Data Storage

Power-fail safe storage of up to 16KB of protocol remanent data in netX90 internal flash

Power-fail safe storage of protocol remanent data in dedicated partition in extenal SPI flash. Size and position of remanent storage area shall be configured in FDL.
Device Data

device production data (Serial number, MAC address, production data etc.) shall be stored in FDL in netX 90 internal flash

Firmware Transfer


 to internal netX90 flash ...
  • via integrated web server
  • via Host Interface (DPM, SPM)

(warning) Note:

due to limited size (max. 380KB) of FW udate are in internal flash, only following files can be transfered:

  • individual firmware files (i.e. comfw.nxi or appfw.nai) if the size of the a file is less that 380KB
  • max. 380KB big FWUPDATE.zip file with predefined structure
 to the host application...
  • via integrated webserver and Web API  (DPM Channel 1)
  • host application need to handle storage of the frimware in external SPI flash
to netX flash file system located on external SPI Flash
Firmware UpdateFirmware check and installation supported through calling the Maintenance Firmware
  • from internal netX90 flash
  • from external SPI flash
  • from Flash File System located on external SPI Flash
Configurationby sending packets to the firmware

by sending packets to the firmware

or by using Communication Studio configuration database file from local flash file system

Integrated Basic Webserver

The basic web server has the following features:

  • \netx  - Provides a graphical user interface to other functions (diag, firmware, reset, etc.)      
  • \netx\diag  - Provides information on the netX device (current uptime, MAC address, device   number, serial number, etc.
  • \netx\firmware  - Enables uploading a new firmware update file to netX flash
  • \netx\reset  - Initiates a netX reset cycle, i.e. to install a newly uploaded firmware
  • \  - URL requests are forwarded to the user application via DPM (web interface API)
Webserver extensionN/A

Basic web server is extended with functions that provide access to the content files on a local Flash file system (SQI Flash).

  • \netx\files  - Enables streaming of custom web content according to media types (i.e. txt, js, xhtml, jpeg, json, etc.) located in the Flash file system
Tag List Options

Firmware supports certain modification of the functionality via Tag List, in particular:

  • Webserver port number or deactivation
  • Activation of Ethernet Interface in DPM Channel1
  • Selection of target for remanent data storage (netX local or external host)
HW Sync Signalsupported via netX signal XC_TRIGGER0/1
Protocol Specific LED Indicators

Network specific status indicators with COM0 / COM1 LEDs:

  • RUN
  • ERR
Secure Bootsupported by EtherCAT Slave V5.4.0.0 and later, see Support of Secure Boot with netX90 for more details
Limitations
  • FW functions are limited by available internal RAM / Flash
  • COM firmware size is limited to 500KB
  • FW functions are limited by available internal RAM / Flash
TBD