Conformance & Interoperability
- Introduction
- Plug Fest
- Conformance Test Tool
- Working Group Conformance
- EtherCAT Test Center
- List of EtherCAT Test Centers
- Interoperability Test
- Conformance Certificate
Introduction
Conformance and Interoperability are very important factors for the success of a communication technology. Therefore the EtherCAT Technology Group is taking these topics very seriously. Conformance of the technology implementation with the specifications is the pre-requisite of interoperability, which means that devices of different manufacturers co-operate within the same networked application. In order to achieve both, the ETG initially started with a pragmatic approach: the Plug Fests. In addition to these interoperability meetings there is the Conformance Test Tool (CTT). For product certification official EtherCAT Test Centers (ETC) have been established.
Plug Fest
Plug Fests - typically these are two-day events - are meetings where master and slave device suppliers gather to test and improve interoperability, to share implementation tips and tricks and clarify questions regarding the technology. The Plug Fests have established themselves as pragmatic and effective means to achieve interoperable EtherCAT products. They are typically attended by 20 or more device vendors, representing 50+ different products. The ETG organizes EtherCAT Plug Fests in Europe, Asia and North America.
Conformance Test Tool
The Conformance Test Tool allows one to check protocol compliance of an EtherCAT slave device. The tool was demonstrated for the first time in September 2006 at the ETG Technical Committee meeting. Besides a standard PC with standard Ethernet adapter, the MS Windows based Conformance Test Tool does not require any special hardware. The EtherCAT frames to stimulate the Device under Test (DuT) are sent and received via a standard Ethernet port. The tool reads the test cases from a XML file, so that test enhancements can be generated without modifications to the test tool software itself. Test results and comments are shown in a test logger. The tool also tests the EtherCAT Slave Information (ESI) file. CiA402 tests for example allow one to check conformity of EtherCAT drives supporting the CiA402 drive profile: easy set up, identical behaviour and correct support of cyclic synchronous operation modes are part of these tests.
To meet minimum conformance requirements a device has to pass the protocol test using the Conformance Test Tool at the time of its first release to the market. Of course vendors are encouraged to keep up with the latest version of the Conformance Test Tool and also fix issues which only have been revealed after the initial release of their device. The Conformance Test Tool is a product of Beckhoff Automation GmbH and it is licensed on a subscription basis, in order to ensure long term availability of resources for maintenance, support and enhancement. EtherCAT device vendors have to maintain a valid subscription of the tool. The test cases are developed and maintained by the ETG Working Group Conformance. More information about the tool can be found here: Conformance Test Tool
Working Group Conformance
The Technical Committee of the ETG established the Working Group Conformance, which defines the test procedures and in particular works on enhancing the test cases. The working group meets regularly, either in face-to-face or in web meetings. The main goal of the WG Conformance is to reach complete test coverage in the future. The test cases issued by this working group are also used by the ETG test labs for the official conformance test.
More information and meeting dates of the working group can be found here: Working Group Conformance
EtherCAT Test Center
The ETG has accredited official EtherCAT Test Centers (ETC) in Nuremberg, Germany and Kyoto, Japan. Further test centers in Europe, Asia and North America are intended. ETCs do not only perform the official EtherCAT Conformance Test, but also provide qualified feedback and implementation support for ETG members. Furthermore, ETCs provide facilities for the interoperability test. The offical ETCs are listed below.
List of official EtherCAT Test Centers
| EtherCAT Test Center (ETC), Nuremberg EtherCAT Test Center Beckhoff Automation GmbH Ostendstraße 196 90482 Nuremberg, Germany |
EtherCAT Test Center (ETC), Kyoto EtherCAT Test Center ASTEM RI 134 Chudoji Minami-machi, Shimogyo, Kyoto 600-8813, Japan | ||
| Tel.: | +49 (911) 5 40 56 18 | Tel.: | +81 (75) 366 0143 |
| Fax: | +49 (911) 5 40 56 29 | Fax: | +81 (75) 315 2899 |
| Email: |  |
Email: |  |
| Web: | www.beckhoff.com/etc | Web: | www.testlab.astem.or.jp |
Interoperability Test
This test is performed using a network with a diverse combination of EtherCAT devices. Such networks are maintained and constantly enhanced at the EtherCAT Test Centers. If a device passes both the official conformance test and the interoperability test at the EtherCAT Test Center, ETG issues the Conformance Certificate.
Conformance Certificate
Devices for which a Conformance Certificate has been issued are EtherCAT Conformance tested products. They may carry the official EtherCAT ConformanceTested Logo Logo and they are marked accordingly in the EtherCAT Product Guide. EtherCAT users are encouraged to include the availability of the conformance test mark in their vendor and device selection process.
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