Fieldbus & networking
EtherCAT
High-speed deterministic fieldbus that daisy-chains servo drives, I/O, and sensors on a single Ethernet cable with microsecond-level synchronization.
EtherCAT processes frames on the fly as they pass through each slave device, letting a master update hundreds of I/O points and drive axes within a single Ethernet cycle. Beckhoff, the protocol's originator, builds entire machine control platforms around it, and many robot builders use it internally to link axis drives to the main controller.
Outside the robot itself, EtherCAT is common for tying external servo axes, such as a track or positioner, into the robot's motion loop so they move in the same interpolated path as the arm.
Because the topology is a simple daisy chain rather than a star, cabling is straightforward. A single broken link stops communication to every downstream device on that segment.
Related integrations
Common questions
- What does EtherCAT do?
- High-speed deterministic fieldbus that daisy-chains servo drives, I/O, and sensors on a single Ethernet cable with microsecond-level synchronization.
- What does EtherCAT work with?
- It works with Beckhoff TwinCAT, FANUC R 30iB, Yaskawa DX200, Servo weld gun, External axis controllers.
- What should I watch for with EtherCAT?
- A single cable break disables all downstream slaves. Cycle time budget shrinks as more axes and I/O join the chain. Master and slave firmware versions must stay in sync.