01
EtherCAT Master Performance Testing
Generally, EtherCAT master performance testing focuses on the communication cycle of the master, whether the cycle time is stable, and how much jitter there is. Therefore, tests can be set under different cycle times, such as 2ms, 1ms, 500us, 250us, 125us, etc. to test the jitter. Third-party packet capture tools, along with Wireshark, can be used for message analysis. For different master cycle times, the code and the ENI file’s cycle time need to be modified. Here, we take the 1ms master cycle as an example, with some task cycles being 5ms (five times the master cycle).
02
EtherCAT Message Capture
The capture method involves connecting the master and slave directly to a third-party packet capture tool, as shown in the diagram below. You can run the master first, and once the master-slave communication is stable, proceed with data capturing. This way, the captured data packets include PDO data/process data. You can also start capturing before the master starts, capturing the entire startup process data. However, when filtering, the messages before the OP state are not the data we need to analyze.
Horizon Technology provides the simplest EtherCAT packet capture tool, ProfiShark, which helps network engineers easily access the network and capture each individual data packet with the correct timestamp. Capturing data with ProfiShark yields high-quality data that can be used in packet analysis software (such as Wireshark) for network analysis or stored directly on disk for later analysis. (For details, please see the end of the article)
03
Conducting EtherCAT Message Analysis on Wireshark
1、 Set Wireshark time format as follows
2、 Use the command ecat.ado == 0x130 to filter out the message where the slave enters the OP state, which here is 33900. This means that messages before 33900 cannot be used to analyze the cycle time because PDO data/periodic data is only sent after the slave enters the OP state.
3、 Analyze periodic messages, noting that each periodic message contains three sub-messages (logical addressing) and one DC-related ARMW command
4、 Filter periodic messages using the command ecat.sub1.cmd == LRD && ecat.sub1.cnt == 0 to filter out periodic messages where sub-message 1 is LRD and the counter value is 0 (indicating sent from the master and not passed through the slave). Sort the messages in ascending or descending order.
The minimum cycle is 999.496us
The maximum cycle is 1000.536us
Conclusion: It can be seen that under a 1ms master cycle, based on the ZCU102 development board, the jitter of the master cycle tested is in the ns level, and in fact, under the conditions of 500us, 250us, and 125us, the jitter is also in the ns level.
ProfiShark Network TAP Introduction
Portable and Reliable Traffic Capture
ProfiShark is a portable and compact diagnostic tool designed for network monitoring, traffic capture, and analysis as a dedicated network TAP.
Horizon Technology ProfiShark helps you:
Quickly Understand Packet-Level Information
ProfiShark achieves complete data capture in a portable form. This means you can quickly deploy it anywhere and capture the traffic data you need without affecting the production network.
Obtain Trusted Tracking Files
To help optimize your analysis workflow and reduce disk storage consumption, ProfiShark offers a packet slicing feature, ensuring you only obtain actionable data.
Gain Transparent and Non-Intrusive Access
Capture network data without impacting security or performance. ProfiShark and the host PC will not appear as nodes on the network. Even if ProfiShark loses power, the network connection will remain intact. ProfiShark is set to PoE passthrough.
Achieve the Timestamp Accuracy You Need
Accurate timestamps are crucial for analyzing performance metrics such as message delay and jitter. ProfiShark models provide hardware timestamps as low as 5ns, with + models featuring advanced GPS/PPS timestamp capabilities.
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Horizon Technology is a supplier of resource integration and technical services in various specialized technical fields. The Network Visualization and Security Division of Horizon Technology, leveraging its deep industry experience and technical accumulation, has established close partnerships with top global suppliers such as Morphisec, Apposite, IoT Inspector, LiveAction, Profitap, Cubro, Elproma, etc. Our solutions include network traffic monitoring, network traffic collection and optimization, end-to-end network performance visualization, network simulation, network endpoint security (dynamic defense), IoT device vulnerability scanning, secure network time synchronization, and more. Horizon engineers actively participate in domestic and international professional associations and alliances, emphasizing technical training and accumulation.
Additionally, we actively participate in Industrial Internet Industry Alliances and the China Communication Enterprise Association, contributing significantly to the promotion of advanced technology.
We constantly innovate and practice to summarize sustainable and reliable solutions, maintaining a collaborative mindset with clients to identify and solve problems from an engineering perspective, providing perfect solutions for clients.
