ETG News 2015

ETG Events Draw Over 700 Participants in China

12/2015 | As the worldwide development of the ETG demonstrates, interest in EtherCAT continues to grow unabated, including in China where the local ETG office conducted 12 EtherCAT seminars in 2015. More than 700 engineers received information about EtherCAT, expanding knowledge about the technology within the Chinese industry and significantly increasing utilization.

Today almost 500 Chinese ETG members are active in research, implementation and application of EtherCAT, and already profit from the numerous beneficial features of the technology. The ETG acted upon the increasing interest and demand for Industrial Ethernet in general, and the technical details of EtherCAT in particular, by conducting EtherCAT Roadshows in numerous cities, including Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Ningbo, Xi’an, Jinan, Shenzhen, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing and Hefei.

Please find the full press release in English, German and Chinese language available within the Press Section.

EtherCAT in outer Space: Robustness is paramount!

11/2015 | EtherCAT is currently used by several projects on the International Space Station (ISS). Both in „Kontur 2“, a joint project of the German Aerospace Center DLR and the Russian Federal Space Agency ROSKOSMOS, as well as in the „Haptics“ projects of the European Space Agency (ESA).

For the first time, a robot on earth with several degrees of freedom was remote controlled from the ISS. For this task, cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko used the Joystick „RJo“, developed by the Robotics and Mechatronics Center of the German Aerospace Center. Thanks to force feedback, the user in micro gravity feels the contact forces of the robot on the ground. The sensors and motors of the joystick are networked with EtherCAT. In this DLR project, a communication link to the ISS is used that has a very short roundtrip time of 2 - 4 ms, but provides very little bandwidth and is only available for a few minutes while the ISS flies by.

Please find the full press release availble in English, German, Japanese and Chinese language available within the Press Section.

EtherCAT and OPC UA: Hand in hand for Industrie 4.0 and IoT

11/2015 | Since the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) and the OPC Foundation (OPCF) decided to work together on common interfaces for Industrie 4.0 and IoT, the specification work is in full process. The goal of the cooperation is the consistent communication between EtherCAT and OPC UA.

Industrie 4.0 and IoT demand continuous communication through all layers and levels within the digital factory and into the Cloud. Since the ETG and OPCF announced their cooperation earlier this year, both organizations work on an interface which integrates existing devices and machines into an Industrie 4.0 conformant communication, on the basis of the EtherCAT communication. The report of the Plattform Industrie 4.0, in which the reference architecture proposes an encapsulation of the devices and their networking. The real-time communication information from the EtherCAT networks are made available for the Industrie 4.0 components and Cloud services through the defined mapping on the OPC UA information model. Security measurements protect the encapsulated machine or the single device from non-authorized manipulation.

Please find the full press release in English, German and Japanese language within the Press Section.

Flying high with EtherCAT

11/2015 | Even 12 years after its introduction, the worldwide expansion of EtherCAT continues. One indicator for its success is the increasing number of members of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG), which is at almost 3,500. Thus raising an EtherCAT flag at the Thorong La pass in the Himalayas recently is symbolic of the development of the technology.

The success story of EtherCAT continues: since its introduction at the SPS IPC Drives 2003 in Nuremberg, Germany, the technology practically circumnavigated the whole world and made its way into numerous industries and companies. Even if raising the EtherCAT flag at the Thorong La pass in the Himalayas does not automatically mean that the technology is used in this remote area of the world, it is still symbolic of the widespread expansion of EtherCAT.

Please find the full press release in English, German and Chinese language within the Press Section.

ETG @ IAS 2015

11/2015 | At this year’s Industrial Automation Show (IAS) in Shanghai, China, our Chinese team represented EtherCAT technology together with 20 co-exhibitors and more than 50 EtherCAT products at our ETG Joint Booth. Just like in other parts of the world, Industrie 4.0 and the IoT are hot topcis in China, too, and the actual developments regarding these topics were discussed actively during the Shanghai event. Besides other highlights there was a 12.5μs EtherCAT cycle time demo shown on booth, for instance. And remarkably, the wide range of EtherCAT products exhibited at the IAS 2015 was not limited to the EtherCAT booth but many other companies showed their EtherCAT products on their own booths all over the tradeshow. For further information please click here.

ETG @ SPS IPC Drives 2015 – Hall 2/338

11/2015 | From Nov 24th - 26th, 2015, we will be at this year’s SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg, Germany. Together with >50 co-exhibitors we’ll show the latest products and solutions with EtherCAT at our ETG Joint Booth in Hall 2, Booth 338.

For the easy navigation on booth the products are categorized into Control Systems, Development, Drive Technology, IO & Gateways as well as Sensors & Actuators. Visitors can explore technical details and further information about the individual products via the touchpanels on each product wall. Furthermore, we’ll exhibit multi-vendor product presentations and live demonstrations to show the various positive features of EtherCAT. A special highlight will be the revival of the EtherCAT Master Demo which shows the interoperability and openness of EtherCAT Master systems controlling I/O modules. Additionally, we’ll also bring along our well-known multi axis presenter demonstrating how 35 axes of 24 different vendors are controlled at the same time in only one network. Information walls about functional Safety (Safety over EtherCAT), the EtherCAT Automation Protocol, EtherCAT device development as well as Industrie 4.0 / IoT round off our versatile tradeshow program. And all those who want to learn about the ETG itself receive all information on our particular wall about our organization.

Our EtherCAT experts together with our co-exhibitors booth personnel are available for technical discussions and organizational questions during the whole tradeshow. We’re looking forward to meeting you at our ETG Joint Booth (Hall 2/338) in Nuremberg!

SPS IPC Drives (Nov 24-26, 2015)
ETG Membership Assembly (Nov 24, 2015)
ETG Press Briefing (Nov 25, 2015)

ETG @ SEMICON Japan 2015

11/2015 | From Dec 16th to 18th 2015 we’ll be at this year’s edition of the SEMICON Japan show taking place in Tokyo, Japan, and thus are reacting to the fact that more and more domestic and foreign major semiconductor equipment manufacturers adopt EtherCAT.

At the tradeshow booth the ETG Team Japan will exhibit numerous different EtherCAT devices such as masters, drive equipment, I/O devices, or tools. Furthermore, there will be EtherCAT Introduction Seminars during the tradeshow on Thursday (17th) and Friday (18th), covering basic info about EtherCAT and Safety over EtherCAT. Additionally, the ETG Team Japan plans to add some info from ETG’s Semiconductor Technical Working Group to the seminar – a great occasion to learn the latest about EtherCAT in the semiconductor industry. For more info please check our event section or the website of SEMICON.
SEMICON Japan (Dec 16-18, 2105)

ETG @ System Control Fair 2015

11/2015 | Together with about 30 member companies ETG will exhibit again at this year’s SCF – System Control Fair 2015 from Dec 2nd to 4th, taking place at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan.

At the tradeshow booth our Japanese ETG team will show and introduce an impressive variety of EtherCAT products available in Japan. In addition to the daily tradeshow program on booth there will be a lecture “About the latest trends in EtherCAT technology and its safety features” on Dec 3rd, 2015, also conducted by the ETG Team Japan. We’re looking forward meeting you at our tradeshow booth at SCF 2015. For more info please check our event section.

System Control Fair (Dec 2-4, 2015)

2015 Fall European EtherCAT Plug Fest

11/2015 | The recently conducted 2015 Fall European EtherCAT Plug Fest was characterized by a very communicative atmosphere – many familiar faces attended the event which was hosted by ETG member company iba in Fürth, Germany. Over a two-day period the 39 participants tested 8 EtherCAT master and 13 EtherCAT slave devices for their interoperability. Additionally, there has been a network analyzis tool brought to the event by one of the attendees. As usual, the Conformance Test Tool was used, too. Besides device testing there was an active knowledge exchange at the Plug Fest, topics amongst others were diagnostics, drive technology and device profiles. The EtherCAT Plug Fests are very successful EtherCAT developer events conducted by the ETG all over the world, more information can be found within our event section.

EtherCAT Seminar in Israel on Nov 11, 2015

10/2015 | ETG is planning an exclusive EtherCAT seminar on Nov 11, 2015, in Tel Aviv. We highly recommend you to grab the chance and follow our invitation to this informative EtherCAT event in Israel, covering actual topics like Industrie 4.0 and IoT.  Following the success of our last EtherCAT Seminar in Israel in 2013, we are happy heading back to Tel Aviv.

The seminar is free of charge and offers participants the opportunity to learn about the beneficial features of EtherCAT and Industrial Ethernet in the frame of informative presentations and an additional table-top exhibition organized by the event’s sponsoring companies Beckhoff Automation, Elmo Motion Control, Servotronix Motion Control, Yaskawa Europe Technology. Of course, attendees of our EtherCAT seminars are welcome to share their projects and questions with our EtherCAT experts on-site. Register online today and be part of the EtherCAT Seminar in Tel Aviv, Israel!

Invitation Flyer
Online Registration

Successful Semiconductor TWG Meeting

10/2015 | The 9th meeting of the ETG Semiconductor Technical Working Group (Semi TWG) has been a surrounding success. It has been hosted by ETG member company Applied Materials in Santa Clara, CA, USA – one of the biggest tool manufacturers in the semiconductor industry. The total number of 43 participants showed that semiconductor device manufacturers as well as their customers truly appreciate the specification work of the ETG in this special industry. The day before the meeting a corresponding EtherCAT Training has been conducted which addressed participants particularly from the semiconductor industry. With 33 guests the training was very well attended. The participants actively joined in the training and their feedback has been thoroughly positive. The Semiconductor TWG, which initially met in October 2011, defines device profiles mainly for so called tools for the manufacturing of semiconductors. There are profiles for mass flow sensors, temperature controllers as well as different valves and pumps. The high number of participants has been characteristic for the Semiconductor TWG from the beginning and the next meeting in Mai 2016 is already planned.

EtherCAT Roadshow 2015 in Korea

10/2015 | This October we continue our EtherCAT Roadshow activities in Korea and cordially invite you to participate in our one-day free-of-charge seminars taking place at venues in Seoul (Oct 27th) and Busan (Oct 29th)!

Organized by the ETG Office Korea the events provide comprehensive information about Industrial Ethernet in general and EtherCAT in particular and address everyone who is interested in in-depth information about EtherCAT technology in the local market. The details are delivered by the EtherCAT experts onsite who are supported by different sponsor companies contributing to the seminars with presentations and an accompanying table-top exhibition: acontis technologies, Beckhoff Automation, Koshida Korea Coporation, Renesas, Sanyo Denki, Soft Servo Systems and Tri-Tek.

As mentioned above the seminars of the EtherCAT Roadshow 2015 in Korea are free of charge for all participants. For online registration and detailed agenda please click here.

ETG @ Industrial Ethernet Forum in Milan

10/2015 | On Oct 9th, 2015, we will contribute to Fiera Milano’s first one-day event completely dedicated to Industrial Ethernet, taking place at the IBM Center die Segrate in Milan, Italy.

Our Italian-speaking ETG representative will hold presentations about EtherCAT hot topics such as technology highlights, diagnosis and synchronization. Moreover, a laboratory will be available the whole day where visitors can attend training sections and technical speeches and also have the possibility to directly talk to the experts on-site. If you’re located in/near Italy don’t miss this unique chance to learn about the advantages and uncountable application scenarios of EtherCAT technology!

Further information can be found within our event section or on the official event homepage.

And for everybody who wants to learn more about EtherCAT in detail: Please check our event section for the upcoming EtherCAT workshops organized by Beckhoff Automation taking place from Nov 10th – 13th, 2015, in Bologna and Milan, Italy!

EtherCAT Plug Fests in Japan and USA receive universal praise

09/2015 | This September, the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) conducted two Plug Fests: the 2015 Japanese EtherCAT Plug Fest in Yokohama, Japan, and the 2015 North American EtherCAT Plug Fest in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Both events showed the typical high variety in EtherCAT devices, as well as a high level of system conformance.

Please find the full press release here.

EtherCAT Roadshow South China

09/2015 | This September the ETG Office China conducted EtherCAT seminars in the South of China and received a very positive feedback from the participants. More than 130 engineers followed ETG’s invitation and joined the events in Shenzhen and Changsha…

This September the ETG Office China conducted EtherCAT seminars in the South of China and received a very positive feedback from the participants. More than 130 engineers followed ETG’s invitation and joined the events in Shenzhen and Changsha. During the seminars the EtherCAT experts from the ETG Office China discussed and shared information with the participants about the benefits and challenges of Industrial Ethernet in general and about the outstanding features of EtherCAT in particular. The attendees learned how they can profit from the high performance and flexibility, the openness and many other beneficial characteristics of the technology. Additionally, the participants got detailed information about the implementation and the use of EtherCAT.

EtherCAT Information Day Seminar North America

09/2015 | Be a part of the next EtherCAT Information Day Seminar North America 2015 at selected locations in Canada and the United States.

We cordially invite you to participate in this bi-annual ETG event. You are encouraged to make your colleagues, customers and partners in North America aware of this excellent opportunity to learn about EtherCAT and Industrial Ethernet. This full-day and free of charge event is a great chance to get access to the EtherCAT technology in your market, North America as well as worldwide. Experts' presentations from the EtherCAT Technology Group and time for on-site networking and discussion with the experts provide you with a complete overview on benefits and challenges of EtherCAT for you and your application. Participation is free of charge. Register online soon, as the number of seats is limited.
Invitation Flyer
Seminar Details & Online Registration

2015 North American EtherCAT Plug Fest

07/2015 | We invite an encourage all manufacturers of EtherCAT masters, slaves, codes and tools to participate in our 2015 North American EtherCAT Plug Fest taking place Sep 16-17, 2015, in Newark (NJ), USA, at facilitites provided by ETG member company Panasonic. The goal of this developer’s event is to perform interoperability tests. Master and slave device suppliers gather to test and improve interoperability, to share implementation tips and tricks and clarify questions regarding the technology. Our EtherCAT experts on-site will support all participants with their know-how. For further information please check out our event section here.

EtherCAT Seminar & Workshop in Beijing

07/2015 | We cordially invite everybody who's interested in Industrial Ethernet and EtherCAT to participate in our EtherCAT Training Class and Workshop held from July 22nd to 24th in Beijing, China. The free-of-charge seminar on July 22nd offers an EtherCAT protocol training to all participants, the following workshop, taking place from July 23rd and 24th, addresses particularly EtherCAT developers. For more information please download the invitations (EtherCAT Training Class / EtherCAT Workshop).

EtherCAT Seminars in China

07/2015 | With the EtherCAT technology being more and more accepted in China and the demand for Industrial Ethernet and EtherCAT masters has gradually grown, the application and implementation of EtherCAT in the Chinese market has entered a stage of real practice. In order to provide more comprehensive information for the Chinese automation industry, the EtherCAT Technology Group will hold an Industrial Ethernet / EtherCAT seminar on July 17th, 2015, in Xi’an, China.
Next seminar is on August 25th, 2015, in Ji'nan, China. The EtherCAT experts will help you to deeply understand the various EtherCAT features and application possibilities. Sponsoring the event, Beckhoff Automation will demonstrate how to maximize the advantages of EtherCAT to help you improve your competitiveness in the automation industry.
Please check out the event section for more details.

Chinese GB documents published

06/2015 | Since October last year EtherCAT is a national standard in China. Now the corresponding GB documents have been published by the official Chinese standardization press. The documents which now can be bought in each Xinhua bookstore are divided into six sections: Overview, physical layer service and protocol specifications, the data link layer service definition, data link layer protocol specification, application layer service definitions, and application layer protocol specification. The acceptance of EtherCAT as a Chinese national standard is a significant milestone for the ETG. With this development it will now be even easier for Chinese end users, manufacturers, and vendors to understand, implement and use EtherCAT in the future.

ETG Member Meeting 2015 in Japan

06/2015 | On June 12th, 2015, we invited all Japanese members to our annual Member Meeting taking place in the Nisseki Yokohama Building in Yokohama, Japan. More than 100 ETG members joined the event and learned about the latest developments within ETG as well as about EtherCAT technology itself. Our Executive Director Martin Rostan gave a comprehensive technology update, explaining the work of the different ETG Working Groups. Additionally, Toshimitsu Kawano from Beckhoff Automation Japan contributed with a presentation covering Industrie 4.0 and told the audience more about the status quo of the concept. The program was rounded off by the report of the Regional Committee Japan.

Successful EtherCAT Roadshow in China

06/2015 | From June 9th to 12th, 2015, our Chinese EtherCAT Roadshow took place at venues in Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Ningbo. A total of nearly 200 engineers from local equipment manufacturers, system integrators and end users attended the events.

Beryl Fan, representative of the ETG Office China, as well as Industrial Ethernet expert Dr. Yanqiang Liu introduced EtherCAT in general and gave in-depth information about features and benefits of the technology.

The participants were able to see how EtherCAT can accelerate their application with practical examples and learned how to implement and use EtherCAT from experienced technology experts on-site.

For further events of this kind in China please continue to check our event section!

ETG @ China Industry Internet Conference 2015

06/2015 | The China Industry Internet Conference 2015 was hold in Beijing on June 3rd. ETG Office China successful participated in the forum which focused on industry internet and intelligent manufacture to introducing the advantage of EtherCAT and how to boost their application by using EtherCAT.

The conference was organized by "Control Engineering China". More than 200 users participated in this event.

ETG Member Meeting Japan 2015

05/2015 | The annual ETG Member Meeting in Japan will take place on June 12th in Yokohama, 2015. All ETG members are invited to participate in this informative event to learn about the latest developments of ETG and EtherCAT technology.

Highlight of the Japanese Member Meeting will be a special lecture on the industry hot topics "IoT" and "Industrie 4.0" and how EtherCAT is related to that. Please visit the event section links below for further details (registration is available in Japanese language only).
Event Details

ETG Joint Booth Success @ IA Beijing Tradeshow 2015

05/2015 | With a total of 16 co-exhibitors the ETG appeared at IA Beijing, the biggest industrial automation tradeshow in North China from May 13 - 15, 2015, at the Beijing Exhibition Hall. With its wide variety of EtherCAT products the ETG tradeshow booth which was perfectly organized by our ETG Office China attracted numerous visitors.

People who stopped by at the booth were especially interested in the demonstrated EtherCAT applications such as Beckhoff’s innovative transportation system XTS (eXtended Transport System) and made extensive use of the possibility to communicate with the EtherCAT experts face to face.
www.industrial-automation-beijing.com

ETG @ 14th Technical Forum on “Industrial Automation and Standardization”

05/2015 | On May 20th, 2015, the EtherCAT Technology Group attended the 14th Technical Forum on “Industrial Automation and Standardization” held at the China People’s Palace hotel in Beijing. During his speech ETG’s Executive Director Martin Rostan emphasized on how EtherCAT technology enables the Chinese industry.

Other focus topics in the forum were intelligent manufacturing as well as safety and security technologies. The event was hosted by the Secretariat of the National Technical Committee 124 on Industrial Process Measurement and Control of Standardization Administration of China (SAC/TC124) and organized by the Chinese Instrumentation Technology and Economy Institute (ITEI).

ETG successful @ SPS Italia 2015

05/2015 | At this year’s edition of SPS Italia which took place in Parma, from May 12-14, we’ve registered a strong interest in EtherCAT at our tradeshow booth. Main interest of the visitors who stopped by at our ETG Info Booth were in-depth technical discussions as well as the latest technology highlights of EtherCAT shown there, such as our Industrie 4.0 and IoT demo.

It was our third time at SPS Italia and we’re convinced that due to its industrial structure Italy still offers a very high potential for EtherCAT. Italy is on second place when it comes to the number of machine builders in Europe. Thus we’ll plan to strengthen information flow and knowledge about EtherCAT even further in this area with further events.
www.spsitalia.it

New video about ETG and EtherCAT available!

05/2015 | Within our latest video, our Executive Director, Martin Rostan, summed up the highlights of the past weeks and gave us an update on the development of EtherCAT and the EtherCAT Technology Group.

The main topics discussed were the recently introduced EtherCAT chips, by Microchip and Infineon. The Memorandum of Understanding defining the common interfaces has been signed with the OPC Foundation, at this years' Hannovermesse. Additionally, we learnt more about EtherCAT's adoption rate and the membership development and composition within the ETG.

Click here for the video.

2015 Spring European EtherCAT Plug Fest Breaks Records

04/2015 | The EtherCAT Technology Group’s first EtherCAT Plug Fest in 2015 broke several records. Never before have so many companies with so many different EtherCAT devices and so many master-slave combinations for interoperability testing participated in a single Plug Fest. In addition, the number of EtherCAT Slave Controller (ESC) manufacturers on site was higher than ever – one of them being TRINAMIC Motion Control, who also hosted the event in Hamburg, Germany.

The seeds sown by the ETG during their 2014 Plug Fests continued to grow unabated at the 2015 Spring European EtherCAT Plug Fest in Hamburg, Germany. One reason for this is the fact that the number of available EtherCAT products continues to increase at a rapid pace. On the other hand, the EtherCAT Plug Fests are widely recommended as a highly valuable method to support the development processes of new EtherCAT devices.

A total of 70 participants attended the event, bringing with them 12 different EtherCAT masters and 42 EtherCAT slaves.

Please find the full press release with picture here.

Save the date: EtherCAT Roadshow 2015 in China

04/2015 | From June 9th to 12th, 2015, we tie in with our former activities to spread the word of EtherCAT with our Industrial Ethernet Seminar Series in China. All interested end users and system integrators are invited to participate in those free of charge events taking place at venues in Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Ningbo.

Due to the great success of the EtherCAT seminars in 2013, the still growing demand for EtherCAT and the attractive market situation for the technology in China, we will carry out more of those educational events this year.

The half-day seminars introduce EtherCAT in general and transmit an in-depth knowledge about the featues and benefits of the technology. You will see EtherCAT can accelerate your application with practical examples and learn how to implement and use EtherCAT experienced EtherCAT technologists on-site share their knowledge with the participants.

The EtherCAT Roadshow China 2015 is supported by Beckhoff Automation China.

For detailed agenda and online registration please visit the official website or read the invitation flyer (Chinese language only):
Roadshow China Website
Invitation Flyer (PDF)

ETG Member Meeting Japan 2015

04/2015 | We invite all our Japanese ETG members to our 9th ETG Member Meeting Japan, taking place 3rd of July, 2015, in Yokohama. Besides other topics from the general membership assembly there will be reports of activities and technology updates worldwide.

Please find the invitation and agenda (in Japanese language only) within the event section.

Visit ETG @ TECHNO-FRONTIER Japan!

04/2015 | ETG will attend TECHNO-FRONTIER 2015 tradeshow again from May 20-22 and exhibits EtherCAT master systems, slave devices and tools from various member companies. The number of the manufacturers using EtherCAT is growing in Japan - especially in the market of semiconductor machines, machine tools and mold injections.

You will find us in Hall 8 at Booth 8-D201 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Furthermore ETG presents a free of charge seminar with title "EtherCAT features and merits" from 1:30 - 2:10 pm on May 21st in Seminar Room 2, Hall 8. Please stop by any time at the show and feel free to join the seminar.

www.jma.or.jp

ETG and OPC Foundation join forces to focus on common interfaces for Industrie 4.0 and IoT

04/2015 | The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) and the OPC Foundation to define common interfaces for Industrie 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT), as indicated by a Memorandum of Understanding signed at Hannover Messe 2015.

Both organizations agree that their technologies complement one another perfectly: EtherCAT as the real-time-capable Ethernet fieldbus for machine and plant controls, leveraging the EtherCAT Automation Protocol (EAP) for lean data exchange between masters, and OPC UA as a platform for scalable communication with integrated Security by Design, enabling encrypted data transfer up to MES/ERP systems and into the cloud.

Industrie 4.0 and IoT demand seamless and continuous communication through all layers and levels within the digital factory, as well as externally through cloud-based services and other Internet technologies. The ETG and the OPC Foundation seek to achieve these requirements with the common definition of open interfaces between both of their technologies.

For this reason, the organizations agreed, in the frame of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to develop these interfaces in close cooperation, rather than focusing on their own technology extensions into the core area of the other.

Please visit the press section for full press release.

New Infineon XMC4800 Microcontrollers with EtherCAT® Technology Support Industry 4.0

04/2015 | On occasion of the Hannover Messe, Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) today announced its new XMC4800 series of 32-bit microcontrollers with on-chip EtherCAT® (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) node. With its outstanding real-time capability the XMC4800 series will drive networked industrial automation and Industry 4.0 applications.

Infineon is the first semiconductor company to offer the EtherCAT node integrated on an ARM® Cortex®-M-based microcontroller with on-chip Flash and analog/mixed signal capability. The XMC4800 series will comprise at least 18 members varying in memory capacity, temperature range and packaging. All XMC4800 microcontrollers will be AEC Q100 qualified, making them also suited for use in commercial, construction and agricultural vehicles.

“The XMC4800 series simplifies the implementation of EtherCAT to a degree the market desired for years but has not seen available until now,” says Maurizio Skerlj, Senior Director, Industrial and Multimarket Microcontrollers, Infineon Technologies AG. “With the XMC4800, very compact system designs with EtherCAT connectivity are possible, as there is no need for a dedicated EtherCAT ASIC, external memory and clock crystal. In combination with its outstanding real-time capability, the XMC4800 series will accelerate the evolution of networked industrial automation.”

“The new Infineon XMC4800 microcontrollers will surely be welcomed by the EtherCAT community. Vendors will benefit from the extensive range of peripherals on this EtherCAT chip, reducing the bill of materials. Furthermore, the extended temperature range will further accelerate the EtherCAT adoption in mobile machines,” explains Martin Rostan, Executive Director of the EtherCAT Technology Group.

Please visit the press section for full press release.

Visit ETG @ HANNOVER MESSE 2015!

03/2015 | We cordially invite you to visit our ETG Joint Booth D18 in hall 9 at this year’s edition of HANNOVER MESSE. The international automation tradeshow takes place from April 13-17 in Hanover, Germany. With a total of 55 co-exhibitors from all over the globe we’ll show an impressive variety of more than 300 different EtherCAT products and solutions directly on booth and inform all visitors about EtherCAT technology in general and the work of the EtherCAT Technology Group.

Additionally, we bring along various EtherCAT demonstrations you must not miss! Inform yourself about the latest technology updates, Safety-over-EtherCAT, implementation aspects or diagnosis of EtherCAT networks. We’re there to boost your application.

Our EtherCAT experts on-site as well as our supporting ETG members can’t wait to answer your questions, show the EtherCAT devices on our product walls and inform you about the work of the group.

Just stop by or make an appointment in advance by contacting us. We’re looking forward to welcome you at our ETG Joint Booth D18 in hall 9!

HANNOVER MESSE

ETG now on Twitter!

03/2015 | Social media users seeking the latest official news, updates, and events surrounding the ETG can now follow @EtherCAT_Group on Twitter. This important step assures an efficient platform to spread news and information, simplifying access to the most recent trending topics about EtherCAT technology and the ETG.

Click here for full press release.

Microchip uses EtherCAT Technology

02/2015 | At a press event at Embedded World Show in Nuremberg, Microchip Technology Inc. announced that the company strengthened its commitment to the industrial space by using the EtherCAT technology for its next-generation Ethernet controllers.

Frederick K. Weber, Senior Product Marketing Ethernet Products at Microchip, emphasized in his presentation that EtherCAT is the fastest growing Industrial Protocol. Therefore EtherCAT was selected as the first real-time Ethernet technology Microchip supports with dedicated silicon. Microchip’s Ethernet controllers with EtherCAT technology are in the latter stages of development.

EtherCAT Roadshows 2015 in Singapore and Thailand!

02/2015 | We cordially invite you to participate in our EtherCAT Roadshow events 2015 in Singapore (Mar 11th) and Thailand (Mar 13th)! Those full-day events are free of charge and tailor-made for everybody who is interested in EtherCAT and the Industrial Ethernet market in Asia in general and in Singapore and Thailand in particular.

Since our last year event in Singapore was such a great success we decided to go there again this year to give more people the possiblity to learn about EtherCAT in their country. In Thailand it’s our first time and we’re already excited to present our technology to the crowd there!
During the events the attendees learn about the history of EtherCAT, receive information about technological details like the unique functional principle or the simple and efficient network diagnostics which are possible with EtherCAT technology. Additionally, the sponsors of the event present best practice examples of their EtherCAT solutions in use and organize the accompanying table top exhibition for all participants.
Register today for those exclusive Industrial Ethernet Seminars 2015 in Singapore and Thailand!

ETG @ embedded world 2015

02/2015 | All those who want to know why EtherCAT is the best available Industrial Ethernet technology for embedded systems receive the answer at the tradeshow booth of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) at this year's edition of embedded world in Nuremberg, Germany, in hall 5, booth #269.

Due to its system features EtherCAT is suited perfectly for the embedded market. The technology doesn’t need any switches or hubs and is the only hard real-time capable Industrial Ethernet technology which doesn’t require special hardware in the master. Additionally, the gross of the slave connection is integrated in cost effective chips instead of stacks which also makes the slave implementation very simple.

The EtherCAT experts on-site are looking forward to discuss questions regarding the technology and the special requirements in the field of embedded systems with all visitors.

At the embedded world 2015 visitors can find the EtherCAT Technology Group in hall 5, booth #269. Further information about the EtherCAT Technology Group can be found on www.ethercat.org.

ETG Joint Booth @ SEMICON Korea 2015: 18 different co-exhibitors!

02/2015 | We’re looking back at successful Joint Booth at SEMICON Korea from February 4th to 6th in Seoul, Korea. With a total of 18 co-exhibitors ETG’s appearance at the biggest semiconductor tradeshow in Korea was perfectly organized by the ETG office Korea.

At this year’s edition of SEMICON Korea we had the highest participation rate at this tradeshow ever and were introducing EtherCAT product applications from Beckhoff, Panasonic, Nexcom, Delta Korea and many others. Eight different co-exhibitors were showing live demonstrations of EtherCAT in use, amongst them for example MoVol™, a robot for children’s safety, which attracted the attention of many visitors.
With actions like ETG Joint Booths at important tradeshows in Korea we’re constantly working on the expansion of the market base and improvement of the application ratio of EtherCAT in the domestic industry which is mainly represented by semiconductor and displays. Next opportunity to visit us at an ETG Joint Booth in Korea is from March 18th to 20th at Automation World 2015 in Seoul, Korea.
Further information is available here or directly from ETG office Korea via +82-2-2107-3242.

Inaugural EtherCAT Technology Days NL - A Great Success

02/2015 | The inaugural EtherCAT Technology Days recently took place in the Netherlands. In front of about 150 attendees, the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) presented various topics focused on EtherCAT technology. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to discuss their individual EtherCAT projects with the experts on-site through short, “speed-date” style conversations.

Read the full press release within our press section.

First EtherCAT Seminar in Lebanon!

02/2015 | Take this unique opportunity and join our first EtherCAT Seminar in Lebanon. On February 10th, 2015, we will visit Beirut for one day to hold our inaugural Industrial Ethernet event.

Don’t miss that exclusive chance to learn about EtherCAT and Industrial Ethernet directly from the ETG experts in your country. Our seminar is a full-day event, free of charge, and addresses everyone who is dealing with Industrial Ethernet and especially EtherCAT. The seminar is supported by Beckhoff Automation and Industrial Technologies (itec). Register today free-of-charge for this exclusive EtherCAT seminar since the number of seats is limited.

Seminar Website (Agenda, Online Registration)
Invitation (PDF)

Join our EtherCAT Technology Days 2015 in the Netherlands!

01/2015 | We invite everybody interested in learning about Industrial Ethernet, and especially EtherCAT, to participate in our inaugural free of charge full-day EtherCAT Technology Days on January 27th (Eindhoven) and 28th (Rjissen) in the Netherlands. Mark your calendar for these educational events about EtherCAT and Industrial Ethernet delivered by the experts!

EtherCAT is the fastest Industrial Ethernet solution that provides industry leading performance, flexibility and cost advantages. The EtherCAT Technology Days held by the EtherCAT Technology Group are free of charge full-day events and offer an excellent opportunity to learn about EtherCAT and Industrial Ethernet.

During the events participants learn about the benefits and challenges of Industrial Ethernet and get the possibility to talk to EtherCAT experts face-to-face. Additionally, a sponsor’s table-top exhibition gives an impression of the variety of EtherCAT in practical use.
As the world’s largest Industrial Ethernet and fieldbus organization the EtherCAT Technology Group supports, promotes and advances EtherCAT technology worldwide.

The EtherCAT Technology Days in the Netherlands will be supported and accompanied by ETG member companies BECKHOFF Automation (Main Sponsor), acontis technologies, Festo and OMRON (Co-Sponsors).
For further event details please check the following links on our website:
Details (Agenda, Speaker, Online Registration)
Invitation (PDF)