On the Wireless Extension of EtherCAT Networks
Xuepei Wu, Lihua Xie · 2017
EtherCAT is one of the real-time Ethernet protocols widely employed in industrial controls. However, its wireless extension is not straightforward due to the unique on-the-fly bus access method based on summation-frame. This paper explores the possibilities of interconnecting EtherCAT with wireless standards such as IEEE 802.11 and 802.15.4. The gateway design is presented and event-driven interconnection schemes using Type 12 process data or mailbox frame are described and discussed. The EtherCAT bus cycle after the wireless extension is formulated for both schemes. A case study of a typical hybrid network is presented to demonstrate the pros and cons of each scheme.