9 (136)
3
Basic Operation
3.1
General Information
3.1.1
Software Requirements
No additional network support code needs to be written in order to support the Anybus Com-
pactCom 40 EtherCAT, however due to the nature of the EtherCAT networking system, certain
restrictions must be taken into account:
•
ADIs with instance numbers up to 57343 (DFFFh) can be accessed from the network. If
the Modular Device Profile is implemented and running, instance numbers are limited to
16383 (3FFFh).
•
When mapping ADIs to process data, there is a limit of 1486 elements or 1486 bytes,
whichever comes first, that can be mapped in either direction.
•
The flexible nature of the Anybus concept allows the application to modify the behavior
on EtherCAT in ways which contradict the generic EtherCAT Slave Information file or in
other ways voids network certification. Those responsible for the implementation of the
final product should ensure that their level of implementation matches their own require-
ments and policies regarding network certification and interoperability.
•
The use of advanced EtherCAT-specific functionality may require in-depth knowledge in
EtherCAT networking internals and/or information from the official EtherCAT specifica-
tions. In such cases, those responsible for the implementation of the product should ei-
ther obtain the EtherCAT specification to gain sufficient knowledge or limit their
implementation is such a way that this is not necessary.
If the TwinCAT 3, or a later version of 2.11, tool is used, the max amount of process data will be
1473 bytes, due to limitations in the tool.
For in–depth information regarding the Anybus CompactCom software interface, consult the
Anybus CompactCom 40 Software Design Guide.
Anybus
®
CompactCom
™
40 EtherCAT
®
Network Guide
SCM-1202-034 1.1