2
Introduction
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Introduction
2.1
EtherCAT® — Ethernet Control Automation Technology
EtherCAT is the most powerful Ethernet-based fieldbus system currently available on the
market. EtherCAT puts up the top speed mark, and its flexible topology and simple
configuration make it the perfect means of controlling extremely fast processes. To give you a
clue: 1000 I/Os can be addressed in 30 μs.
Because of its high performance, the simple wiring and its open protocol support, EtherCAT is
often used as a fast motion control and I/O bus driven by an industrial PC or in conjunction
with control technology on a smaller scale. EtherCAT moves beyond the limits of conventional
fieldbus systems. Its interconnections between the controller at one end and both the I/O
modules and drives at the other are as fast as those of a backplane bus. EtherCAT controllers
thus nearly act like centralised control systems, overcoming the issue of bus transfer times that
conventional fieldbus systems are burdened with.
2.2
Lenze Safety System
The Lenze Safety System is a system of I/O modules for connecting the process signals to an
EtherCAT network.
The Lenze Safety System consists of the Safety bus coupler and a range of other modules.
The Safety bus coupler converts the physical transfer technology (twisted pair) to LVDS (E-bus)
and generates the system voltages required by the LVDS modules. The standard 100 Base Tx
lines used for office network communications connect to the one side, the Safety I/O-modules
for the process signals connect to the other. This is how the Ethernet EtherCAT protocol is
retained right through to the last I/O module. At the end of the modular device, the
connection between the forward and return lines is automatically closed, the effect being that
another 100 BaseTx line can be plugged in to connect the next EtherCAT unit to the second bus
coupler port.
If the bus coupler is the last device of the EtherCAT network, i.e. the RJ45-socket "Out"
remains free, the connection of the forward and return line are closed automatically.
Figure 1: Safety bus coupler with Safety I/O-Modules
