Bus Coupler
Kendrion Kuhnke Automation GmbH
26
17 May 2021
5.2 Bus Coupler and Extender
EtherCAT is an industrial real-time Ethernet and is suitable for hard and soft
real-time requirements in automation technology. Please observe the
following notes for the safe operation of an EtherCAT fieldbus system.
Only use Ethernet cables that are at least Category 5 (CAt5) according to EN 50173 or ISO / IEC
11801 for connecting EtherCAT devices.
Auto-crossing allows you to use both balanced (1: 1) and cross-over cables between EtherCAT
devices.
The permissible cable length between two EtherCAT devices may not exceed 100 meters.
Information
Twist and permanent tensile load close to the connector of the Ethernet cable strain the
connections. If the Ethernet plug is seated with a lot of play and not sufficiently guided in
the socket, tilting effects occur at the plug connections. This often leads to contact
interruptions and thus to field bus interruptions.
Vibration test show, the deeper the plug sits in the socket, the more robust the
connection. In the industrial sector, the mechanical requirements with regard to vibration
and impact resistance are known to be higher than in the IT sector.
Depending on the manufacturer and system, the plug-in depths available on the
connectors available on the market vary from approximately 8 mm to almost 12 mm.
Standard plugs are around 9 mm insertion depth. Connectors designed for the industrial
sector reach according to the manufacturer up to 11.8 mm.
