Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System

<[email protected]> · Tue, 13 Aug 2013 08:24:15 +0000

Hi Damien,

EtherCat is a raw Ethernet protocol with its own Ethertype and relies on being on an unswitched network for a variety of reasons. It is best to think of it as a fieldbus that has the benefits of running your Cat6 cable infrastructure and only needing a standard 100 Mbit capable Ethernet NIC on the server, rather than thinking of it as a traditional Ethernet/IP network.

Cheers,

Nick Rees
Principal Software Engineer           Phone: +44 (0)1235-778430
Diamond Light Source                  Fax:   +44 (0)1235-446713

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of LYNCH, Damien
Sent: 13 August 2013 05:53
To: Mercado, Ronaldo (DLSLtd,RAL,DIA); Cox, Graham (STFC,DL,TECH); [email protected]
Subject: RE: EtherCAT [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

Hi,

We'd run Linux (with the Preempt-RT patch) on x86 servers as we would like to move away from VME all together if possible. What network topology are you guys using? The simplest thing for us to do here would be to continue using our switched network.

Thanks,
Damien

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Tuesday, 13 August 2013 1:13 AM
> To: [email protected]; LYNCH, Damien; [email protected]
> Subject: RE: EtherCAT [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
> 
> Hello Damien and Graham,
> 
> We reported on the Diamond Ethercat module in ICALEPCS 2011 [1]
> 
> Do you intend to run Linux on VME or standard x86 servers?
> 
> We went for linux x86 Preempt-rt on standard servers but etherlab [2] 
> support other architectures.
> In our case the servers replace the VME crates, we don't run linux on VME.
> 
> I am also interested to hear other sites' comments.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Ronaldo
> 
> [1]
> http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/icalepcs2011/papers/wemau004.pd
> f
> [2] http://www.etherlab.org/
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [email protected] [mailto:tech-talk- 
> > [email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected]
> > Sent: 12 August 2013 09:27
> > To: [email protected]; [email protected]
> > Subject: RE: EtherCAT [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
> >
> > Hi Damien,
> >
> > Here at Daresbury we have implemented Beckhoff EtherCAT analogue I/O 
> > systems to replace ageing VME systems.  We are using the Diamond 
> > EtherCAT support module along with the IgH EtherCAT master on RT 
> > Linux systems.  My experience of the EtherCAT hardware and Diamond 
> > support software is positive, Diamond have been very helpful in 
> > offering advice and support on getting our systems configured and operating.
> > Our systems are currently very simple, just consisting of 16-bit 
> > analogue ADCs and DACs at present.  We do have plans to expand 
> > EtherCAT into other areas such as motion control etc.
> >
> > As Dirk mentioned there are issues with getting EtherCAT systems up 
> > and running on architectures other than RT Linux on x86, but we are 
> > working on solving them very soon.
> >
> > If you need any advice or support on getting EtherCAT systems 
> > working, feel free to ask me.  Sadly James Rowland at Diamond who 
> > was a wealth of information when I was setting up my EtherCAT 
> > systems is no longer with us, but if you need any advice or support 
> > on getting EtherCAT systems going with EPICS, feel free to ask me.  
> > I believe Ronaldo Mercado at Diamond is now the maintainer of the 
> > Diamond EtherCAT support software.
> >
> > Graham
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [email protected] [mailto:tech-talk- 
> > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Dirk Zimoch
> > Sent: 12 August 2013 07:57
> > To: [email protected]
> > Subject: Re: EtherCAT [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
> >
> > On 12.08.2013 00:54, LYNCH, Damien wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > We are considering using EtherCAT hardware and the Diamond 
> > > EtherCAT
> > support module to replace some aging VME systems. I was wondering 
> > how many other labs have gone down this path and what comments (good 
> > or
> > bad) they had about this solution.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Damien
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Hello Damien,
> >
> > I just started with this but have not much experience yet. I am 
> > trying to run it on an embedded RT-patched Linux VME IOC but get 
> > strange "out of memory" errors from the XML parser (with hundreds of 
> > megabyte free of memory).
> >
> > Dirk
> >
> > --
> > Scanned by iCritical.
> 
> 
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This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential, copyright and or privileged material, and are for the use of the intended addressee only. If you are not the intended addressee or an authorised recipient of the addressee please notify us of receipt by returning the e-mail and do not use, copy, retain, distribute or disclose the information in or attached to the e-mail.
Any opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the individual and not necessarily of Diamond Light Source Ltd. 
Diamond Light Source Ltd. cannot guarantee that this e-mail or any attachments are free from viruses and we cannot accept liability for any damage which you may sustain as a result of software viruses which may be transmitted in or with the message.
Diamond Light Source Limited (company no. 4375679). Registered in England and Wales with its registered office at Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, United Kingdom

Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System

Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System