Motion Control and Motor Drives

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3rd-party EtherCAT slave: Importing XML Device Profile succeeds on Host but fails on Target

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Hello,

 

I'm trying to control a 3rd party servo drive via EtherCAT:

  • Master: NI-cRIO 9024
  • Slave: Beckhoff AX5203

 

I downloaded the Device Description files from Beckhoff's official website: http://www.beckhoff.com.au/english.asp?download/elconfg.htm (Beckhoff_EtherCAT_XML.zip)

 

I followed the instructions at http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/FDA1318A8909D02C862574510060DB62 to import the device description profile.

 

Oddly, the import succeeded for the host PC (and I can now access this device in the LabVIEW LVPROJ file), but it failed for the target.

 

Why might this be? (There are no diagnostic messages)

 

SoE import - Partial success.png

 

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Accepted by topic author JKSH

Hi JKSH,

 

It looks like you are using NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT 2.7 or later. Is you project connected to the target when you try to import the file? How are you connected to the target? Does your firewall block FTP transfers? Do you need the ability to programmatically discover the EtherCAT slaves (such as with DSM or using the Refresh Modules VI)? If you just want to program the EtherCAT slave in the LabVIEW project, importing the device description files to the host is all that is needed.

 

Best Regards,

Matthew B.
Offering Manager
NI
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Hi Matthew,

 

Thanks for your clues; disabling my firewall did the trick! I have successfully imported the profile into my cRIO.

 

My main goal is to drive the motor using a program on my cRIO; I'm not fussed about programmatic discovery.

 

I started this thread because I thought the import failure was preventing the servo drive from transitioning into the Safe Operational state. However, I have successfully imported the Device Profile to my RT target and power-cycled both devices, but I still can't drive my motor.

 

I posted the other problem to http://forums.ni.com/t5/Motion-Control-and-Motor-Drives/Servo-over-EtherCAT-Invalid-parameter-when-t... -- could you please have a look?

 

Thanks again!

 

 

P.S. (For the record, yes I'm using NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT 2.7 with LabVIEW 2013 SP1 on Windows 7 32-bit)

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