8SM-EtherCAT User Guide
www.controltechniques.com Issue Number: 2
2 Introduction

2.1 Features

• Standard RJ45 connectivity with support for shielded twisted pair.
• Dual 100Mbps EtherCAT interfaces for use in line topologies i.e. daisy chaining.
• Supports the Unidrive SP drives range, Mentor MP, Affinity, Digitax ST and
Commander SK.
• Control loop synchronisation.
• Control cycle times down to 250
µ
s.
• CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE) which includes:
• Support of CANopen DSP-402 (Device Profile for Drives and Motion)
• Interpolated position mode
• Velocity mode
• Profile torque mode
• Two transmit and two receive PDOs.
• SDO access to all profile objects and drive parameters.

2.2 Introduction to SM-EtherCAT

SM-EtherCAT is a Solutions Module that enables the Control Techniques range of
variable speed drives to be connected to an EtherCAT network as a slave device. It can
be used in a variety of applications, from those requiring accurate synchronization and
precise motion control, to those where ease of use and open loop control are
appropriate.

2.3 What is EtherCAT?

EtherCAT is an open high performance Ethernet-based fieldbus system that overcomes
the system limitations of other Ethernet solutions. The Ethernet packet is no longer
received, then interpreted and copied as process data at every connection; instead the
Ethernet frame is processed on the fly. The development goal of EtherCAT was to apply
Ethernet to automation applications that require short data update times (also called
cycle times) with low communication jitter (for synchronization purposes) and low
hardware costs. Typical application fields for EtherCAT are machine controls (e.g.
semiconductor tools, metal forming, packaging, injection moulding, assembly systems,
printing machines, robotics and many others).

2.4 Solution module identification

The SM-EtherCAT can be identified by:
1. The label located on the underside of the Solutions Module.
2. The colour coding across the front of the SM-EtherCAT (brown-red).
Figure 2-1 SM-EtherCAT label
SM-EtherC AT
Revision:0 stdJ41
Ser No : 3000005001
Solutions Module
name
Hardware
issue
Customer
and date code
Serial number
number