Could I use two regular computer to achieve realtime communication using the Ethercat and Labview Real Time Module?

[XiaolinAtUB]

Could I use two regular computers (one acts master , another one acts as slave using the Ethercat Internet Card) to achieve realtime communication using the Ethercat and Labview Real Time Module? if it could, what hardware should I purchase from the NI ?

Thank you!

[Jesse_D]

Hi Xiaolin,

NI doesn't offer Windows based Ethercat master or slave software. Only LabVIEW RT can run the Ethercat driver. 

However, you could use a LabVIEW RT target as an Ethercat master and use the Ethercat Internet Card with a slave PC (note: I think this will work from the Beckhoff description of the card you are describing. The card should integrate like any other non-NI slave. However I haven't tested the setup and don't advise saying it will work until you have tried). 

You can use any NI RT target with two ethernet ports as the Ethercat master. This could be a cRIO, PXI or RT Desktop. 

[XiaolinAtUB]

Hi, Jesse

Thanks for your answer. 

Actually,The situation is that the master is given, we olny need to design our slave. could we program a slave module (Based on the Ethercat protocol) using C language in the Labview? then download it to a regular PC, and this regular PC will act as the slave who can communicate with the master. So is this plan possible?

[Jesse_D]

Hi Xialin, 

Your question seems to be "Is there a C-api for the Ethercat driver." The answer is no. Our ethercat Ethercat is built on an NI technology called the Scan Engine, which also powers Shared Variables and a few other common LV features. The Scan Engine doesn't have a c-api. 

You could use an NI-9144 as a slave though. It would be hard to configure with out a NI-Master, but the functionality may be enough to get you what you need. This document is a good start.

[XiaolinAtUB]

Thanks,

But I still want know how to use this NI 9144 EtherCAT Slave Chassis as a slave ?  Just download the Realtime VI on it  or use it to control the slave ? I also want to know could the PXI controller can be a slave ?

[Jesse_D]

The 9144 chassis is the slave. You download an FPGA vi to it, then import an XML file to whatever master you are using to configure it. 

It should explained in the document I linked. 

[Jesse_D]

The 9144 chassis is the slave. You download an FPGA vi to it, then import an XML file to whatever master you are using to configure it. 

It should explained in the document I linked. 

[XiaolinAtUB]

Thanks, I am an new Labview user,  so there may be some confusing points in the link you post, but now I can understand it. I have already had a PXI controller, so could it be a slave ?

[Jesse_D]

No, it could be a master, but the only slave product we offer is the 9144 chassis. Also, the 9144 cannot be a master.

This link might help also: http://www.ni.com/white-paper/10555/en

[XiaolinAtUB]

Thanks for your information;)