| 06/07 | ETG Member Meeting Japan on July 10th ETG Japan Office will host a members meeting in Tokyo on July 10th. More than 50 Japanese ETG member representatives have signed up so far. Highlight of the meeting will be several presentations from Japanese end users about their EtherCAT deployment. Detailed information can be found here. |
| 06/07 | ETG opens offices in North America and China EtherCAT Technology Group has opened offices in North America and China, in order to serve its global membership even better. The North American office is based near Austin, Texas, USA, and is overseen by new ETG North American representative, Joey Stubbs. The new Chinese Office is located in Beijing, and is managed by Beryl Fan. She is supported by YanQiang Liu, from Beihang University. YanQiang holds a PHD in engineering and is an acknowledged EtherCAT expert. ETG is convinced that all three representatives are an ideal fit for the organization and will have an immediate impact serving the ETG member companies in North America and China. Please find contact information here. |
| 05/07 | Member No 500 honored: Salvagnini from Italy The EtherCAT Technology Group has exceeded the milestone of 500 member companies. Member No. 500 is Salvagnini, the Italian company known for sheet metal manufacturing solutions. Roberto Capolupo, CEO of Salvagnini Italia S.P.A., received the membership certificate at a small ceremony at their Vicenza plant, close to Verona in northern Italy. Press release: here. |
| 05/07 | World’s first Java powered Industrial Robot is
EtherCAT based! Developed by Dr. Klas Nilsson and his team at Lund University and supported by Sun Microsystems, the robot was presented at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco, CA, on May 11th, 2007. A picture can be found here. The robot, a FlexPicker from ABB, is controlled with EtherCAT drives from a standard PC. The entire EtherCAT master was implemented in standard real-time Java within two months, starting from scratch. Lund University intends to use the system with other robot types as well and also make the EtherCAT Java master available as open source. |
| 04/07 | EtherCAT at Hannover Fair The Joint EtherCAT Booth at Hannover Fair was a successful demonstration of the large EtherCAT product variety: 46 co-exhibitors showed over 90 different EtherCAT products, including 20 different masters based on 10 different operating systems. The booth was visited by users and vendors from all over the world, proving that Hannover Fair is the leading international market place for automation technology. Also well attended were the EtherCAT introductory presentations, held at the convention center. The slides can be downloaded here. |
| 03/07 | ETG Technical Committee Meeting well attended The TC Meeting and the EtherCAT Training Classes held in Raunheim, Germany, on March 19/20, were again very well received: all together 120 participants from 12 countries including Brazil, China, Korea and USA, attended the events, which take place twice a year. The TC discussed reports from various ETG Task Forces such as the TF Conformance Testing, the TF Drive Implementation Guidelines, and the TF Master Classes. |
| 03/07 | Both Beckhoff EtherCAT ASICs are now shipping Testing of the new ET1100 ASIC has been finished successfully, so this EtherCAT slave controller chip is now available as well. |
| 02/07 | New EtherCAT ASIC ET1100 has arrived On February 12, Beckhoff Automation received the first samples of the "large" ET1100 EtherCAT Slave Controller ASIC. Intensive Testing is under way, first results are very promising. The chip will be shipping in April, if testing remains successful. The ET1100 comes in a BGA128 housing (10x10mm) and is intended for general purpose EtherCAT devices. The even smaller ASIC ET1200 is available since November 2006. Both chips enhance the selection of EtherCAT Slave Controllers available from several sources. |
| 01/07 | EtherCAT wins independent Technology Comparison! In the paper titled “an experience report about various Real Time Ethernet Systems” Klaus Kafka, product manager with Keba AG, compared such systems at the recent SPS/IPC/Drives Congress. Keba performed an in-depth analysis with injection molding and motion applications in mind. The analysis also included the implementation of prototype systems. Comparison criteria included real time performance, implementation effort, various protocol features such as diagnosis and monitoring capabilities as well as topology flexibility, product availability and of course system costs. The paper showed that EtherCAT is the fastest, most cost effective solution with a very flexible topology, which is also simpler to implement and integrate than the other contenders. Regarding product availability the paper says: “With the exception of EtherCAT all technologies have in common, that crucial components such as master interfaces until recently were practically not available. (...) The most comprehensive range of slave products currently is available for EtherCAT”. The paper has been published in the congress proceedings, ISBN 978-3-8007-2994-4. |
| 01/07 | The ETG Team wishes all of you a Happy New Year! |
| 12/06 | New: ETG Representative and Office in Japan ETG has installed a regional office in Japan. ETG Representative Japan is Takeshi Kameda, sales manager with the industrial automation company K.MECS. The ETG office is hosted by the K.MECS headquarter in Tokyo. Takeshi Kameda is known for his good overall EtherCAT knowledge; he was instrumental in the brilliant start of EtherCAT in Japan. The ETG office Japan is now available for requests regarding EtherCAT and the ETG, whilst direct implementation support is provided by the global ETG headquarters. |
| 12/06 | EtherCAT Implementation Info Day moved to larger
location In order to accommodate all registered participants, the seminar on January 11, 2007 had to be moved to a larger location: it will take place in the NH Hotel Nuremberg City, close to the main station. Registration is open until January 5th, 2007. |
| 12/06 | EtherCAT in standardization: IEC/CDV 61158 approved EtherCAT standardization has achieved another important milestone: IEC/CDV 61158 was approved unanimously. EtherCAT services and protocols are specified in this CDV (Committee Draft for Vote) which is now advanced to the FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) stage, and can be expected to become an international standard (IS) by mid of 2007. |
| 12/06 | EtherCAT Implementation Info Day on January 11, 2007 Join us for this seminar in Nuremberg, Germany. Details and registration information can be found here. |
| 11/06 | EtherCAT at SPS/IPC/Drives in Nuremberg, Germany With 48 vendors displaying more than 90 different components and devices based on EtherCAT technology, the ETG booth at SPS/IPC/Drives (Hall 6 / 319) will again demonstrate the strong support of the industry. Master implementations from 15 different vendors using over 10 different operating systems emphasize the openness of the technology. Besides the controllers, the range of products includes drives, I/O, pneumatic and hydraulic valves, sensors, as well as implementation kits for slave devices, and Safety over EtherCAT solutions. Several manufacturers will demonstrate remote tool access to EtherCAT devices via TCP and UDP/IP. On Tuesday, Nov 28, 3-5 p.m. an EtherCAT presentation in German Language will complement the appearence. |
| 11/06 | EtherCAT ASIC available The test phase of the Beckhoff ET1200 EtherCAT ASIC has been finished successfully, the chip – also known as "the small ASIC" – is now available. In its QFN48 housing (7x7mm) the chip is very compact. 16 digital I/O interfaces and the distributed clock feature for high precision synchronization are on board, a 10 MBit serial interface allows one to access the 1 kByte internal DPRAM with process- and parameter data locally. 2 EtherCAT ports are available, out of which one can be configured as MII for connecting a standard PHY. The other port is used for LVDS, which makes the ET1200 the right choice for modular devices that use LVDS as internal physical layer. The next ASIC, the ET1100 with additional EtherCAT ports, even more memory and parallel µC interface is in production and is expected back for testing end of January 07. Since it comes in BGA128 housing (10x10mm) the "big" ASIC in fact is small, too. |
| 11/06 | EtherCAT Training in Singapore TDS Technology hosted the recent EtherCAT training for “multipliers” in Singapore. The event was attended by automation engineers from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Besides introductory EtherCAT presentations and technology updates, the agenda included hands-on training with EtherCAT components and features such as cable redundancy and hot connect of network segments. EtherCAT applications from within the region were also introduced. This seminar was the second one within this year: End of May an EtherCAT seminar supported by the Singapore Industrial Automation Association, TDS and the ETG was held at the Science Hub in Singapore. |
| 11/06 | EtherCAT Booth and Seminar at Factory Automation Asia The EtherCAT Technology Group booth and seminar at the Factory Automation Asia Show in Shanghai was well received. As Asia in general, China is also very receptive to leading edge technology. And the unique combination of ultra high performance with low costs is particularly convincing. Like every EtherCAT Seminar, the Shanghai event also had a strong technology focus: Beryl Fan from Beckhoff and Dr. YanQiang Liu from BeiHang University, Beijing, introduced the details. |
| 10/06 | Husky: EtherCAT a great technology to enable
performance enhancement and cost reduction Chris Choi, Director of Technology, Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd, Bolton, Ontario, Canada, presented their first EtherCAT application at the 3rd International Industrial Ethernet Symposium held in Chicago on October 3/4. Husky found that by applying faster controls networked with EtherCAT, the improved accuracy leads to reduced part’s weight which allow their customers to save material costs in the order of $180,000 annually per system. The presentation and its findings were well received at the symposium and can be downloaded here. |
| 10/06 | EtherCAT Booth at VIENNA-TEC, Vienna, Austria Meet EtherCAT experts at the EtherCAT Technology Group booth C0940 at the VIENNA-TEC Show. The VIENNA-TEC is Austrias largest trade show for industry products and reflects the entire market for innovative products, services and solutions in industrial automation. It takes place Oct 10-13, 2006 at the Vienna’s Trade Fair Center MessezentrumWienNeu. |
| 10/06 | Updated Version of EtherCAT Brochure now online |
| 09/06 | EtherCAT in standardization: IEC/CDV 61784-2 approved With 100% of the IEC SC65C p-member states in favour, the voting process for this CDV (Committee Draft for Vote) was most successful. EtherCAT is part of this CDV which specifies profiles for Ethernet based communication networks in real-time applications. Due to the positive vote, IEC 61784-2 is now advanced to the FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) stage, and can be expected to become an international standard (IS) by mid of 2007. The voting period for the other EtherCAT IEC CDVs (61158, 61800-7) ends in December and January. |
| 09/06 | EtherCAT Training Class in Tokyo, Japan On October 25-27, 2006, the ETG will host an EtherCAT implementation training in Tokyo, Japan. Following demand from the very active Japanese member companies, the training class will cover both EtherCAT slave and master implementation. The training will take place at facilities provided by ETG member company K.MECS. For details and registration please contact Takeshi Kameda. |
| 08/06 | EtherCAT Slave Controller ASIC tested successfully In July Beckhoff received the first prototype batch of the ET1200 EtherCAT Slave Controller ASICs. This chip is specifically tailored for modular devices using LVDS, it also supports one PHY interface (MII). Meanwhile testing was finalized successfully. The first production batch is expected to be shipped in calendar week 42. The prototype batch of the ET1100 ASIC is expected for December. |
| 07/06 | SEMI Standardization of EtherCAT initiated The Information & Control Committee of SEMI accepted to initiate the SEMI standardization of EtherCAT. The work will be carried out in the Sensor Bus Subcommittee of SEMI North America. Final voting is expected within the next 12 months. SEMI is the leading standards organization for the semiconductor industry. |
| 07/06 | EtherCAT at SEMICON West in San Francisco ETG had a booth at the SEMICON® West show in San Francisco, which is considered is the #1 annual destination for the global microelectronics industries in North America. Since industry key players already work with EtherCAT, major equipment manufacturers and their device suppliers stopped by at the booth and learned about the technology. The live multivendor demo focused on the integration of traditional fieldbus systems into an EtherCAT network, showing a seamless migration path. |
| 06/06 | EtherCAT Booth and Presentations at FA/PA in Beijing The EtherCAT Technology Group Booth at the FA/PA trade show in Beijing generated a lot of interest. The trade show was accompanied by the Forum on Automation, focusing on innovation and the development trends in automation technology - a good fit for EtherCAT. By invitation of CAMETA, the China Association for Mechatronics Technology and Application, EtherCAT was presented to over 200 Forum attendees. |
| 06/06 | EtherCAT IEC Standards in voting stage The standardization of EtherCAT in IEC has reached the CDV (Committee Draft for Vote) stage. Since 2005, when the EtherCAT specification was published as IEC/PAS 62407, ETG experts have been working on the integration into the next editions of the IEC standards IEC 61158 (the fieldbus standard), IEC 61784 (profiles for 61158) and IEC 61800-7 (the drive communication standard). The CDVs have now been circulated for voting among the 29 member countries of IEC SC65C. The final release of the standards is expected for mid of 2007 - until then the PAS remains valid. |
| 05/06 | OTIS Korea honored as ETG member no. 300 The well known elevator company OTIS is member number 300 of the EtherCAT Technology Group. OTIS is the world’s largest company in the manufacture, installation and service of elevators, escalators and moving walkways. In Korea one of their engineering and R&D centers is located. OTIS Elevator Korea had joined in April and was honored at an EtherCAT Training Class in Seoul. Press Release |
| 05/06 | EtherCAT Implementation Workshop in Korea well
attended The EtherCAT implementation seminar in Korea experienced strong demand: Within just one day the 3day class was fully booked. 33 attendees from 15 companies represented the typical Korean industries: Semiconductor and electronic manufacturing firms attended as well as developers from the heavy industry. EtherCAT Implementation-Workshops take place in Europe, North America and Asia. |
| 05/06 | Pictures from Joint ETG booth at Hannover Fair now online |
| 04/06 | New EtherCAT products at Hannover Fair 2006: At the 2006 Hannover Fair in Germany between 24 and 28 April, the EtherCAT Technology Group will present a wide range new EtherCAT products in Hall 9, Stand F13: With more than 80 different components and devices, EtherCAT now covers the whole range of automation technology Press Release |
| 04/06 | Korean version of the EtherCAT introductory brochure now online |
| 03/06 | EtherCAT Plugfest well attended "A Plugfest is a kind of LAN party for developers", said one participant in an attempt to describe the event to his colleagues. Not a bad comparison, even though Plugfest doesn't focus on PC games, but on interoperability between devices. The EtherCAT Technology Group held the first of these interoperability meetings at the end of January, and 15 manufacturers with a total of more than 50 different EtherCAT devices had followed the invitation more information |
| 12/05 | Pictures from Joint ETG booth at SPS/IPC/Drives now online |
| 10/05 | EtherCAT Products from 40 Manufacturers on Display As a clear sign of industry acceptance, 40 Manufacturers will show over 75 different EtherCAT products in the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) booth at the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, Germany (November 22-24, 2005, Hall 6, Booth 309). With this strong showing, almost the entire spectrum of automation technology will be covered. more information |
| 09/05 | EtherCAT at PACK EXPO Las Vegas: EtherCAT will be introduced to the packaging industry at the largest and most comprehensive packaging show in the Western Hemisphere, the PACK EXPO Las Vegas. Best performance paired with low costs make EtherCAT an ideal fit for packaging applications. Visit us at the EtherCAT Technology Group Booth N-10632. Info |
| 08/05 | EtherCAT Training Class (August 30th, 2005): The meeting is intended for all ETG members of you that have not attended Technical Committee meetings in the past. You will receive detailed information concerning the EtherCAT technology putting you in the position to plan your EtherCAT application and/or to start up with your development afterwards Invitation (pdf file) |
| 08/05 | ETG Technical Committee Meeting (August 31st, 2005): The TC meeting will cover a wide range of topics: Slave Device Implementation items like EtherCAT Slave Controller Features + Roadmap (ASIC + FPGA), Drive Synchronization Timing and a new, extended release of the Slave Code will be addressed as well as protocol topics such as motion control profile extensions, XML Device Description and latest info regarding Safety over EtherCAT. Invitation (pdf file) |
| 04/05 | Industrial Ethernet Seminars in USA From May 26 - June 2nd in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte and Detroit. |
| 02/05 | EtherCAT is IEC Specification With 96% approval rate the IEC SC65C voting member countries have accepted to publish the EtherCAT specification as IEC PAS (Publicly Available Specification). This means that the EtherCAT Spec is acknowledged as official IEC document and will be made available through the IEC web store. There is no better way to demonstrate that EtherCAT is an open technology! In August 2004, the Management Board of IEC had approved the Liaison of EtherCAT Technology Group with IEC SC65C, acknowledging the ETG as official partner for fieldbus standardisation. The EtherCAT specification was submitted in November 2004 and now passed the ballot with overwhelming majority. ETG experts are members of the work groups that currently elaborate the fieldbus standard IEC 61784-2. Since the EtherCAT specification was written with IEC standardization in mind, seamless integration into the next edition of the fieldbus IEC 61158 is expected. Press Release |
| 02/05 | Update of "EtherCAT: Technical Introduction and Overview" Available as HTML or PDF file |
| 11/04 | EtherCAT slave controllers available: One year after it was established, ETG has become the fastest growing fieldbus organisation Press Release |
| 11/04 | Pictures from Joint ETG booth and ETG press conference at SPS/IPC/Drives now online |
| 10/04 | EtherCAT live at SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2004: ETG presents EtherCAT products and solutions Press Release |
| 09/04 | EtherCAT Training Class Oct 5th, 2004: The meeting is intended for all ETG members of you that have not attended Technical Committee meetings in the past. You will receive detailed information concerning the EtherCAT technology putting you in the position to plan your EtherCAT application and/or to start up with your development afterwards Invitation (pdf file) |
| 08/04 | ETG Technical Committee Meeting Sept 16th, 2004: The meeting is intended for all of you that work or plan to work on an EtherCAT slave software implementation, but will be interesting for master implementers as well. Hardware implementation will not be in the focus Invitation (pdf file) |
| 07/04 | EtherCAT on the road to success: ETG members: "from zero to one hundred in less than 8 months" Press Release |
| 06/04 | Implementation Kick Off Meeting July 6-8, 2004: This meeting is a great start for all that plan or consider an EtherCAT implementation. Get detailed and up-to-date information on the EtherCAT technology and get in contact with other ETG members that might use the same µC type or operating system than yourself. Invitation (pdf file) |
| 05/04 | New information flyer for EtherCAT Technology Group |
| 03/04 | EtherCAT Kick-off Meeting |
| 03/04 | "Engineers' Choice Award" for EtherCAT |
| 02/04 | The first EtherCAT application: As a "first-in-automation“, the press manufacturer Schuler uses in a pilot EtherCAT for communication between the PC-based control system and the distributed I/O of its “Profiline” presses. (German report) |
| 01/04 | Welcome new ETG members |
| 01/04 | Press Conference during the SPS/IPC/DRIVES |
| 11/03 | Press Release: EtherCAT Technology Group established |