beckhoff ethercat: Are there NI drivers for this?

[DAckermann]

Hello

We offer a library for LabVIEW that allows to directly communicate with EtherCAT slaves on Windows platforms. No Realtime controller is needed. No extra software layer is needed.
The library works with a realtime extension for Windows, which is included in the library. A standard Ethernet port is utilized to run EtherCAT protocol.

The following functionality is included in the library:

-          Realtime process data exchange (PDO)

-          Up/download of service data objects (SDO)

-          Up/download of Files (FoE)

-          Automatic bus scan

-          Bus state control

Please check the following link for further information:

www.ackermann-automation.de/ecatlv_en.htm

Best regards

D. Ackermann

.

[_Faust]

well well well that is fantastic! I will check it out

[koti222]

Faust. Thanks for Initiating the topic. I am also same as in your situation. I am experianced in LabVIEW and finding out different ways to communicate to EtherCAT slaves using Beckhoff EtherCAT master controller fron Windows PC. Still i am not sure what to use. I understand from this topic is we can communicate using 1.TwinCAT activex componant 2. using TcAdsDll.dll 3. So finally how did u communicated? Can u share the examples if you have any.

I downloaded the library mentioned in this topic also. But i am not sure how to use. Can u help me on  this. Thanks.

[Camilo Chaves]

Koti, 

If you have not installed Ackermann libraries, get it here:http://www.ackermann-automation.de/

Once properly installed, execute the vi that I have attached. I modified ackermann code for you to see the graphic of your data in front panel.

The only problem is that the sampling is slow.. almost 1 sec. I'm still searching for better coding.

I've read in Beckhoff info system, a way to read continuous data from PLC using event driven reading. Just type it in the search field and you will find a code written for Visual C++.

If anyone knows how to read fast signals (100us) from Beckhoff ethercat modules, through TcADSDll please let me know. Another option is if someone knows how to code akermann libraries in Labview to get this data as well.

Best regards

Camilo.

PS: I don't know how to clear the array in Labview once you clicked stop. So, everytime you start the programm the array continues where it stopped. Since the array is connected to the front panel graph control it will reflect all the data.

[rosh]

Hey Glenn, I am also trying to talk to Beckhoff EtherCAT boxes using LabVIEW without any controllers. I can talk to the boxes using the Beckoff's TwinCat software. I downloaded and ran the VI's you provided (Bulk Read and Write Examples) but didn't seem to be talking. Do I need to change the IP addresses on the VIs? Do I need LabVIEW Real Time to do the EtherCAT communication? Do you have any more Example VI's?

[Glenn's_Alias]

Rosh,

I eventually gave up on the Beckhoff TwinCat solution as an interface with Ethercat for several reason's:

1) The only thing I was using TwinCat for was fetching the data, therefore I didn't want the cost or bulk of TwinCat.

2) It was unstable at times and I got several blue screens of death during the development of it.

3) We really needed a real-time application and didn't even want windows.

Therefore, we went with NI real-time OS.  You can buy their preconfigured PC or build your own.  If you build your own, just watch out very carefully for hardware/firmware compatibility.  Also you MUST buy one of NI's Ethernet cards that specifically supports Ethercat.  I found a third-party ethernet card with all the same chipsets (for like $25) and could not get it to work.  Their drivers seem to be setup to identify the correct/incorrect card.  Connecting to Beckhoff Ethercat modules was fairly straight forward for normal analog/digital IO.  However, I did experience problems (that were never resolved) with special cards like the CAN card - as a member of the Ethercat array.  One other thing, to fix NI Ethercat loop time hiccup, at rates < ~20-25ms if I remember right, change Mailbox = 1 to Mailbox = 10 for every device.

[rosh]

Thanks Glenn for the quick reply.

I am not trying to use TwinCAT as an interface. I was just making a point that I was able to communicate with the Beckhoff EtherCAT slaves using TwinCAT software and a regular Ethernet card.

So I am simply trying to replace TwinCAT with LabVIEW 2012. I can see the EtherCAT device under Network Devices on the MAX screen. But I get error message when I try to opne the Test panel. So I am not sure exactly what NI Software I need.

[Glenn's_Alias]

According to the picture it looks like MAX is trying to connect to a TCPIP device.  Ethercat uses the ethernet frame as the backbone but puts it's own protocol layer on top of that, TCPIP is not compatible with it.  As far as I know, NI Ethercat support is not available through Windows.  You need to connect to an RT target with the proper (special) NI ethernet card that is setup to talk Ethercat protocol.  I never tried to access an Ethercat module from MAX directly, always through the "Project" view - connected to an RT target configured for Ethercat.

[rosh]

I was able to write a LabVIEW program to control Beckhoff Digital and Analog boxes. It works fine except a very small delay. I have used a third party network card, LabVIEW 2012 (not the RT) and TwinCat software from Beckhoff.

So if I use my PC as the EtherCAT master, do I have to get any hardware from NI?

[Glenn's_Alias]

You only need to use an NI ethernet card when using the NI-ethercat drivers and interface on an NI RT platform.  Otherwise you can get ethercat driver software and hardware from other vendors that supply you with an appropriate API to interface with NI software in Windows - ie TwinCat.