Solutions for Measurement and Control
EtherCAT Library for LabVIEW
!!!Attention!!! The real-time support of the EtherCAT Library does not work under Windows 10 version 2004!
With the Windows 10 update 20H2 the problem is solved. Version 2004 is and will not be supported.
EtherCAT is an open Ethernet-based deterministic fieldbus. Because of its speed and functional principle, it is perfectly suitable not only for control automation but also for measurement tasks. It has gained a huge manufacturer base, giving users a wide range of products to choose from.
The EtherCAT Library for LabVIEW functions as an EtherCAT Master and makes these benefits available for the development of LabVIEW applications. It uses an industry-proven master stack with a wide range of features. To have deterministic timing, it integrates with PC-based real-time technology for use on normal Windows PCs. Nevertheless, it can also be used non-deterministically on plain Windows for applications that do not need real-time.
EtherCAT gives users a low-cost technology to integrate different devices with synchronized process data on one bus. It can be used to create measurement and control systems of any kind.
Areas of application for the library are:
- Automation of machines
- Measurement applications
- Test of EtherCAT slave products
The library provides the following functionality:
- Real-time process data exchange (PDO)
- Writing and reading of service data objects (CoE)
- Files over EtherCAT (FoE)
- Servodrive profile over EtherCAT (SoE)
- FailSafe over EtherCAT (FSoE)
- Access to slave memory
- Access to slave EEPROM
- Access to slave object dictionary
Tutorial videos
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Additional Links
Application Framework
Add-on library to the EtherCAT Library for LabVIEW for easier application development and extensive slave libraries
FAQ
EtherCAT Library
The LabVIEW Library for LabVIEW is a set of VIs that controls an EtherCAT Master application running in Windows or in a real-time extension parallel to Windows. We therefore use an industry proven EtherCAT Master stack that is thoroughly tested to grant full fulfillment of the EtherCAT standard. Any EtherCAT slave device following the EtherCAT standard can be connected to LabVIEW.
The EtherCAT fieldbus principal is based on cyclic telegrams that pass through every slave to collect and set process data. The EtherCAT technology allows very fast bus cycles up to 10 kHz. The question if real-time is necessary depends on the necessity to collect or set process data with a deterministic rate. If for example sensor data has to be collected with 1 kHz sample rate or a sine waveform hast to be generated on an analog output, real-time is needed. Windows execution can only be used, if single samples are read or set.
No. The EtherCAT Library for LabVIEW is a solution for LabVIEW on Windows only.
- Limited to 10 slaves
- Cyclic process data
- CAN over EtherCAT (CoE)
- Unlimited count of slaves
- Cyclic Process Data
- CAN over EtherCAT (CoE)
- Faillsafe over EtherCAT (FSoE)
- Access Slave Memory
- Access Slave EEPROM
- All of standard license
- File over EtherCAT (FoE)
- Distributed Clocks (DC)
- TwinCAT from Beckhoff (free of cost but complex)
- EtherCAT Studio from KPA
- EC Engineer from Acontis
- EtherCAT Workbench from ESD