Internal SDO requests now synchronized with external requests.
Internal SDO requests are managed by master FSM and can conflict with
external requests managed by slave FSM. The internal SDO requests
includes SDO requests created by an application and external request are
typical created by EtherCAT Tool for SDO upload/download or a directory
fetch initiated with ethercat sdos command. The conflict will cause a
FPWR from an external request to be overwritten by a FPWR from an
internal SDO request (or oppersite) in the same "train" of datagrams.
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This is the FEATURES file of the IgH EtherCAT Master.
$Id$
vim: spelllang=en spell
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General Features:
* EtherCAT master implementation conforming to IEC/PAS 62407.
- Runs as kernel module for Linux 2.6.
- Multiple masters possible on one machine.
* Native EtherCAT-capable versions of standard Linux drivers for wide-spread
Ethernet devices, as well as a generic driver for all chips supported by the
Linux kernel.
- Interrupt-less operation of Ethernet devices when using native drivers.
- Easy implementation of additional native Ethernet drivers through common
device interface.
- Operation possible with any device supported by the standard drivers,
including PCMCIA devices.
- For any other hardware, the generic driver can be used. It uses the lower
layers of the Linux network stack.
* Supports any realtime environment through independent architecture.
- RTAI, Xenomai, RT-Preempt, etc.
- RTDM Interface for userspace realtime enviroments
- Operation possible without any realtime extension at all.
* Common API for Realtime-Applications in kernel- and userspace.
- Requesting and releasing masters.
- Dynamic slave configuration, even for slaves that are offline.
- Detailed configuration of the slaves' PDOs and SDOs.
- Creation of process data domains (see below). Registration of PDO entries
for exchange within a domain.
- Monitoring the states of masters, slave configurations and domains.
- SDO handlers for application-triggered CoE transfers (see below).
- VoE handlers for Vendor-specific mailbox protocols (see below).
- Similar userspace implementation of the kernel API via a C-library.
- Avoidance of unnecessary copy operations for process data.
* Separating slave groups through domains.
- Handling of multiple slave groups with different sampling rates.
- Automatic calculation of process data mapping, FMMU- and sync manager
configuration within the domains.
- Process data exchange can be monitored via a per-domain mechanism.
* Master finite state machine (FSM).
- The same state machine runs both in idle mode and in realtime operation.
- Bus monitoring: Slave states are read cyclically. Automatic scanning of the
bus after a topology change.
- Automatic configuration of slaves, if a application-layer state change is
requested.
* Implementation of the "CANopen over EtherCAT" (CoE) mailbox protocol.
- Configuration of CoE-capable slaves.
- SDO information service (dictionary listing).
- SDO transfers both via the application interface and the command-line tool.
* Implementation of the "Ethernet over EtherCAT" (EoE) mailbox protocol.
- Virtual network interface for any EoE-capable slave.
- Both a switched and a routed EoE network architecture is natively supported
and configurable with standard tools.
* Implementation of the "Vendor-specific over EtherCAT" (VoE) mailbox protocol.
- Communication with vendor-specific mailbox protocols via the API.
* Implementation of the "File Access over EtherCAT" (FoE) mailbox protocol.
- Loading and storing files via the command-line tool.
- Updating a slave's firmware can be done easily.
* Userspace command-line tool 'ethercat'.
- Detailed information about master, slaves, domains and bus configuration.
- Setting the master's debug level.
- Reading/Writing alias addresses.
- Listing slave configurations.
- Viewing process data.
- SDO download/upload; listing SDO dictionaries.
- Loading and storing files via FoE.
- Access to slave registers.
- Slave SII (EEPROM) access.
- Controlling application-layer states.
- Generation of slave description XML from existing slaves.
* Seamless integration in any GNU/Linux distribution.
- "Linux Standard Base"-compatible init script for master control.
- Master and Ethernet device configuration via sysconfig file.
* Virtual read-only network interface for debugging and traffic monitoring
purposes (using Wireshark, etc.). No additional hardware necessary.
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