Run an EtherCAT Controller with a Simulated Network

EC-Simulator virtualizes EtherCAT networks by simulating the EtherCAT slave devices in order to run EtherCAT Master applications without real EtherCAT slave hardware devices available.
EtherCAT simulation is possible via a physical network adapter, or also virtually, to realize a completely simulated machine setup. Configuring the simulation instance is seamless using the ENI file of the real network.
With EC-Simulator it is possible to react to Process Data (PDOs), send and receive Service Data (SDOs), interact with the Slave Stack, and more. This is all possible to be programmed via the API available for C/C++ or .NET, enabling the connection of EtherCAT data to various other professional software tools for the imitation of real-world systems.

Master Software Development

• Run the EtherCAT Master application without real EtherCAT slave devices
• Convenient and easy integration of the EtherCAT master stack software with the master application, for example, implement and test functions for slaves which aren't available
• Enable implementing and testing of advanced EtherCAT features like Hot Connect, Firmware download via FoE, etc.
• Validate the master application with different network configurations and topologies → As simple as loading a different ENI file into EC-Simulator
• User-friendly debugging of complex topologies and complicated scenarios with numerous varying slave types

Fieldbus Master Device Test

• Replace manual test procedures by automatic programmable test procedures
• Simulate slave errors like when a slave drops down from OP to SAFEOP state
• Simulate cable breaks, frame loss, bad connections, etc.
• Simulate large networks with many slaves and large amounts of process data
• Simulate error scenarios at precise locations within the network, including before or after real slaves
• Implement enhanced test scenarios like simulating topology changes

Virtual Commissioning

• Develop and test applications based on a software emulation (Digital Twin) of the machine logic
• Test and optimize the application at a very early stage of the development prior to having any real target hardware and devices
• Test error scenarios that are dangerous and/or could lead to physical damage

Slave Firmware Development

• Develop slave firmware before real hardware is available
• EC-Simulator is based on the Beckhoff® EtherCAT Slave Stack ET9300, and all standard APPL_XXX() functions are available on the application layer
• Develop firmware in Windows or Linux with a convenient and easy-to-use IDE
• Use recorded network frames or generated test data as process data input for slave firmware
• Capture and trace process data outputs and states to files
• Test upload and download of parameters via CoE and VoE
• Test firmware downloads via FoE

Today, Linux has become the most popular real-time operating system. Due to its deterministic hard real-time behavior, sophisticated development tools and broad hardware driver and software support, it is used by leading manufacturers of industrial controllers. Typical applications are PLC, Motion Control and Numeric Control systems with high real-time requirements.

Using the LxWin Hypervisor it is possible to run Windows and an extremely fast, embedded real-time Linux in parallel. Plenty of Linux drivers, e.g. for fieldbus controllers or GigE camera systems, communication stacks (EtherCAT, Profinet, OPC, OPC UA, TSN, ...) or complex software solutions like CNC controller or software PLCs can be used without any change under LxWin.
In case customer's current solution is split into 2 different parts using a Windows based GUI system and a Linux based controller, LxWin is the way to consolidate such solution on one single hardware. Eclipse or Microsoft Visual Studio (starting at VS 2015) can be used for software development.

Important features at a glance

• Ready-to-run real-time Linux Image
• Real-time Linux - 32 Bit and 64 Bit
• Linux Yocto Support to create customized Linux images
• Run Linux on one or multiple CPU cores
• Fast interrupt handling and short thread latencies
• Linux continues without real-time penalty after Windows Blue-Screen occurred
• Windows 10/11 - 32/64 Bit
• Optionally utilize Intel VT, VT-d hardware virtualization for enhanced robustness
• Third Party Linux applications and drivers run without modification
• Virtual Network connection between Windows and Linux (for application level TCP/IP communication and local debugging)
• Shared Memory, Events, Interlocked data access for high speed application level communication
• Higher Level Windows/Linux communication: Pipes, Message Queues and Real-time sockets
• Integrated acontis technologies’ EtherCAT Master Stack solution available out of the box

The EC-Master Stack is designed and optimized to run on different embedded (real time) operating systems. The reliable and robust implementation is used by many companies worldwide like KUKA Roboter Control, Lenze, VIPA, Hischer and more.

Due to the usage of our own high performance Real-Time Ethernet drivers (link layers) very short network cycles are achiveable even on systems with limited CPU power.

Features

• Class A and Class B, according to ETG.1500 Master Classes
• Feature Pack Hot Connect (with and without DC)
• Feature Pack Cable Redundancy (with and without DC)
• Feature Pack External Synchronization
• and much more

Benefits

• Out-of-the-box for the most popular operating systems
  • Get it running on your system in one day!
• Reliable and robust implementation
  • Field proven in several 100000 systems per year!
• Sophisticated diagnosis functions
  • Detect state change problems and frame loss errors easily
  • More than 300 different error codes
• High performance and hard real-time
  • Low CPU load due to acontis real-time Ethernet drivers
• Easy to integrate
  • Various example applications and comprehensive user manuals

Operating systems:
Windows 10/11, Linux, Xenomai, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, VxWorks, QNX, RTX64, INTime, INTEGRITY, TI-RTOS, etc.

CPU archritectures:
x86, x64, ARM, ARM64

EtherCAT® Network Configuration, Diagnosis, and Monitoring

EC-Engineer is a powerful software tool used for configuration, diagnosis, and monitoring of EtherCAT® networks. Using this single tool one can handle all required engineering and diagnosis tasks in a quick and comfortable way. The modern, clear and very intuitive user interface, which is also rarely using popup dialogs, is crucial for a smooth experience in configuring, diagnosing, and monitoring of EtherCAT® systems.

Using the EC-Engineer the EtherCAT configuration can be done "offline" in the lab/office or "online" when connected with the real EtherCAT network on the machine. It doesn't matter whether the EtherCAT slaves are connected with the local Windows PC where the EC-Engineer is running or with the control system where the control application's master stack is running. In either case the slaves and the network topology can easily be determined using the "Bus-Scan" feature. In case the slaves are connected with the Windows PC, the integrated Windows EtherCAT Master is able to run and verify the system. If the slaves are connected with the control system, the master stack running on the controller will take over communication and provide all services and information to the EC-Engineer which are needed for diagnosis.

General Features

• Configuration of multiple master systems within one project
• EtherCAT Slaves connected to the Windows PC
• EtherCAT Slaves connected to the control system
• Tree View and Topology View
• ESI and EMI Manager
• Multiple Languages
• Modern User Interface based on Microsoft WPF technology

Configuration Features

• Import ESI (EtherCAT Slave Information) files according to ETG.2000
• Export ENI-(EtherCAT Network Information) files according to ETG.2100
• Automatic determination of the connected slaves (bus scan)
• Slave device copy and paste including all parameters
• PDO selection and configuration
• Adjustment and appending of EtherCAT slave init commands
• Transparent integration of MDP (Modular Device Profile) Slaves
• Fixed memory layout of slaves or
• Distributed Clocks (DC) Settings
• Definition of "Hot Connect" groups
• Programming Station Alias Address
• Other Master and Slaves parameters

Diagnosis and Monitoring Features

• Master and Slave State (display and control)
• Process (I/O) data (display and control)
• ESC Register (read and write)
• EEPROM (read and write)
• Master And Slave Object Dictionaries
• Mailbox transfers (Service Data Objects upload and download)
• Firmware upload and download
• Comparison of configuration and real network

The acontis RTOSVisor solution is Type 1 Real-time Hypervisor that is an optional and independent enhancement of acontis' Type 2 Real-time Hypervisor solutions for Windows (LxWin and VxWin). This solution enables customers to fulfill demands for more sophisticated use cases. It is a perfect fit for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, Edge Controllers, high-end Real-time hardware, and workload consolidation.

With acontis' industry-proven Real-time Hypervisor technology, multiple hard Real-time operating systems such as Real-time Linux and VxWorks can run natively. The solution incorporates KVM, which allows multiple standard operating systems like Windows and Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and many others) to operate simultaneously. KVM provides virtual hardware access and paravirtualization, which results in improved performance. KVM also supports hardware pass-through of PCI, USB, and VGA devices, ensuring the best possible performance.

Each guest OS is entirely independent and separate, which means that one OS can be restarted or shut down without affecting the others. This feature provides customers with the flexibility to manage their systems without any interruptions.