ESI Files tab

This tab lists the available EtherCAT Ethernet ofr Control Automation Technology. EtherCAT® is an open, high-performance Ethernet-based fieldbus system. The development goal of EtherCAT is to apply Ethernet to automation applications which require short data update times (also called cycle times) with low communication jitter (for synchronization purposes) and low hardware costs. Slave Information (ESI) files and provides the ability to add and remove files.

Figure 1: The ESI Files tab

ESI files are sorted by vendor and then by the files provided by the vendor.

Each file lists the device it supports including:

• Device name
• Device description
• Device revision number

ESI files are easily added to the list by clicking the Add button and navigating to where the file is saved. The Delete button removes a file from the list but not your hard drive In electrical engineering, a drive is an electronic device to provide power to a motor or servo. Control device for regulating the speed, torque and position of a motor. A unit controlling a motor using the current and timing in its coils..

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• KAS-IDE Kollmorgen Automation Suite - Integrated Development Environment manages Kollmorgen devices (AKD2G, AKD, AKD-N, etc.) and automatically installs and/or upgrade their ESI files to the latest version.
  The KAS Kollmorgen Automation Suite-IDE Integrated Development Environment - An type of computer software that assists computer programmers in developing software. IDEs normally consist of a source code editor, a compiler and/or interpreter, build-automation tools, and a debugger. allows Kollmorgen ESI files to be upgraded, but downgrading is not possible.
  Example: The Kollmorgen ESI files AKD-for-KAS.xml or AKD-N-for-KAS.xml should not be manually imported.
  

  Figure 2: Do not overwrite these files.

  Under special circumstances, Kollmorgen ESI files may be manually upgraded.
  We recommend working with a Kollmorgen representative when doing so.

See ESI File Management for more information on working with ESI files,

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• WARNING: Replacing an ESI file changes the configuration of any associated device to the new file.
  You are prompted to confirm or cancel replacing an ESI file and the associated device configurations.

ESI files are replaced when:

• Opening a project file that contains an ESI file that is different from the file in the KAS Internal Library of ESI files stored on the PC Personal Computer.
  • You are prompted to select either:
    • term_A (use the version in the project).
      Selecting term_A overwrites the ESI Internal Library version.
    • term_B (use the ESI Internal Library version).
• Click the Add button in the ESI Files tab view and import an ESI file that either:
  • Already exists in the KAS Internal Library of ESI Files stored on the PC.
  • Contains duplicate device information that already exists in the KAS Internal Library of ESI Files stored on the PC.

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• It is strongly recommended that you do not add or remove ESI files while multiple instances of the KAS-IDE are open.
  Doing so modifies a global cache of ESI files.
  Changes to the global ESI file cache from one instance of the KAS-IDE could create unexpected consequences in another instance.