1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     2

     3

This is the FEATURES file of the IgH EtherCAT Master.

     4

     5

$Id$

     6

     7

vim: spelllang=en spell

     8

     9

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    10

    11

General Features:

    12

    13

* EtherCAT master implementation conforming to IEC/PAS 62407.

    14

  - Runs as kernel module for Linux 2.6.

    15

  - Multiple masters possible on one machine.

    16

    17

* EtherCAT-capable versions of standard Linux drivers for wide-spread

    18

  Ethernet devices.

    19

  - Interrupt-less operation of Ethernet devices.

    20

  - Easy implementation of additional Ethernet drivers through common device

    21

    interface.

    22

  - Operation possible with any device supported by the standard drivers,

    23

    including PCMCIA devices.

    24

    25

* Supports any realtime environment through independent architecture.

    26

  - RTAI, Xenomai, RT-Preempt, etc.

    27

  - Operation possible without any realtime extension at all.

    28

    29

* Common API for Realtime-Applications in kernel- and userspace.

    30

  - Requesting and releasing masters.

    31

  - Dynamic slave configuration, even for slaves that are offline.

    32

  - Detailed configuration of the slaves' Pdos and Sdos.

    33

  - Creation of process data domains (see below). Registration of Pdo entries

    34

    for exchange within a domain.

    35

  - Monitoring the states of masters, slave configurations and domains.

    36

  - Sdo handlers for application-triggered CoE transfers (see below).

    37

  - VoE handlers for Vendor-specific mailbox protocols (see below).

    38

  - Similar userspace implementation of the kernel API via a C-library.

    39

  - Avoidance of unnecessary copy operations for process data.

    40

    41

* Separating slave groups through domains.

    42

  - Handling of multiple slave groups with different sampling rates.

    43

  - Automatic calculation of process data mapping, FMMU- and sync manager

    44

    configuration within the domains.

    45

  - Process data exchange can be monitored via a per-domain mechanism.

    46

    47

* Master finite state machine (FSM).

    48

  - The same state machine runs both in idle mode and in realtime operation.

    49

  - Bus monitoring: Slave states are read cyclically. Automatic scanning of the

    50

    bus after a topology change.

    51

  - Automatic configuration of slaves, if a application-layer state change is

    52

    requested.

    53

    54

* Implementation of the CANopen-over-EtherCAT (CoE) mailbox protocol.

    55

  - Configuration of CoE-capable slaves.

    56

  - Sdo information service (dictionary listing).

    57

  - Sdo transfers both via the application interface and the command-line tool.

    58

    59

* Implementation of the Ethernet-over-EtherCAT (EoE) mailbox protocol.

    60

  - Virtual network interface for any EoE-capable slave.

    61

  - Both a switched and a routed EoE network architecture is natively supported

    62

    and configurable with standard tools.

    63

    64

* Implementation of the Vendor-specific-over-EtherCAT (VoE) mailbox protocol.

    65

  - Communication with vendor-specific mailbox protocols via the API. 

    66

    67

* Userspace command-line tool 'ethercat'.

    68

  - Detailed information about master, slaves, domains and bus configuration.

    69

  - Reading/Writing alias addresses.

    70

  - Listing slave configurations.

    71

  - Viewing process data.

    72

  - Sdo download/upload; listing Sdo dictionaries.

    73

  - Access to slave registers.

    74

  - Slave SII (EEPROM) access.

    75

  - Controlling application-layer states.

    76

  - Generation of slave description XML from existing slaves.

    77

    78

* Seamless integration in any GNU/Linux distribution.

    79

  - "Linux Standard Base"-compatible init script for master control.

    80

  - Master and Ethernet device configuration via sysconfig file.

    81

    82

* Virtual read-only network interface for debugging and traffic monitoring

    83

  purposes (using Wireshark, etc.). No additional hardware necessary.

    84

    85

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------