Device profiles

The device profiles describe the application parameters and the functional behavior of the devices, including the device class-specific state machines. For many device classes, fieldbus technology already offers reliable device profiles, such as for I/O devices or drives. Users are familiar with these profiles and the associated parameters and tools. Therefore, no EtherCATClosed***EtherCAT is an open, high-performance Ethernet-based fieldbus system. The development goal of EtherCAT was 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-specific device profiles have been developed for these device classes. Instead, simple interfaces for existing device profiles are offered. This greatly assists users and device manufacturers alike during the change from existing fieldbusesClosedA Fieldbus is an industrial network system for real-time distributed control (e.g. CAN or Profibus). It is a way of connecting instruments in a plant design to EtherCAT.

Several Device Profiles and Protocols can co-exist side by side

Figure 5-56: Several Device Profiles and Protocols can coexist

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