Powerful EtherCAT Network Simulation Software: EC-Simulator

EtherCAT is a fieldbus system based on IEEE802.3 Ethernet. EtherCAT sets a new standard in communication speed, and due to its flexible topology and simple configuration, it can be processed like traditional fieldbus systems. Implementing EtherCAT is cost-effective, allowing applications that previously could not use fieldbus technology to adopt it. EtherCAT is an open technology standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

EtherCAT is widely used in many fields. For instance, in the semiconductor industry, EtherCAT usage is very mature: among the world’s leading 13 wafer manufacturing equipment companies, 12 are members of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) and widely use EtherCAT technology in their machines and systems. Additionally, EtherCAT is also widely used in motion control industries such as robotics and CNC machine tools.

EtherCAT requires a master and slaves, with relatively few requirements. The master typically only needs an Ethernet port, while the slave often requires specific slave control chips, meaning dedicated EtherCAT slave devices are needed to build the network. Of course, many automation manufacturers (like Beckhoff and Siemens) currently offer various devices that include EtherCAT slave functionality. Once network implementers have these slave devices, they only need to find an efficient master software (such as the EC-Master master protocol stack and accompanying demo). For researchers and engineers who currently do not have slave devices but wish to understand EtherCAT technology or test and configure their EtherCAT master, EC-Simulator becomes their best choice.

EC-Simulator is a powerful real-time EtherCAT® network simulation software. It can virtualize the EtherCAT network by simulating EtherCAT slave devices, allowing development testers to run EtherCAT master applications without real EtherCAT slave hardware. EtherCAT simulation can be achieved through physical network adapters or virtually, enabling a fully simulated machine device setup. When configuring simulation instances, the ENI files of real networks can be seamlessly used.

Comparison between Actual and Simulated Processes

EC-Simulator includes numerous slave functionalities that can simulate various interactions between master and slave stations, such as responding to Process Data Objects (PDO), sending and receiving Service Data Objects (SDO), and interacting with slave stacks. All of this can be achieved through APIs provided by C/C++ or .NET programming languages, allowing EtherCAT data to be connected to various other professional software tools to simulate real networks.

Simulator Structure Diagram

EC-Simulator has many powerful features, supporting various network operations and diagnostic functions. EC-Simulator can simulate up to 2000 EtherCAT slaves, including both slave devices that support and do not support mailbox protocols. It supports operations such as changing network topology, disconnecting/connecting/moving slaves, turning slave power on/off, and changing slave states, and provides APIs to simulate specific slave/port frame losses or link losses. Additionally, EC-Simulator has diagnostic features, including APIs for reading and writing slave registers, reading and writing slave EEPROM contents, reading simulator object dictionaries, and evaluating network topology. It also provides an RAS server for connecting to EC-Lyser or EC-Engineer.

Development testers can easily conduct functional testing and performance evaluation using EC-Simulator. EC-Simulator can simulate real-time communication between nodes, verify the correctness of the EtherCAT communication protocol, and test application stability and reliability under various loads and network conditions. EC-Simulator also supports error injection features, allowing developers to simulate faults and anomalies in the network to detect and address potential issues.

The user-friendly interface of EC-Simulator allows development testers to easily set up and configure virtual networks, monitor node status and communication conditions. Its intuitive operating interface and real-time data display features help quickly analyze and debug applications.

Client Applications and SSC Diagram

In industrial production, existing standards and requirements have been summarized and strictly implemented only after countless errors and mistakes. Each production operation error can incur huge costs.

As a high-standard fieldbus, EtherCAT networks that comply with standards typically have redundancy and hot-swappable features to protect normal network operation and smooth data flow. Even with these features, it can still be challenging for beginners or engineers in the field to quickly and proficiently achieve network configuration. Using EC-Simulator to simulate network construction, familiarize oneself with the environment and network settings, and gain a global perspective for configuring the actual network will greatly improve network configuration efficiency and enhance overall network stability.

Below is an operational video of EC-Simulator, covering the creation of simulator configurations, software installation, and demonstrating example applications to simulate slave devices. We welcome new and old friends interested in EC-Simulator to contact Mototech for more information.