How to do high-speed measurements with EtherCAT?

“Processing on the fly” might sound like a buzzword, but in the world of real-time automation, it’s a unique feature of EtherCAT. Thanks to its clever design, EtherCAT handles data with minimal delay –perfect for high-speed, high-precision applications. Let’s take a closer look at what EtherCAT is, how it works, and where it’s used.

What is EtherCAT?

EtherCAT stands for Ethernet for Control Automation Technology and is an Ethernet-based fieldbus system specifically developed for high-performance, real-time communication in automation and control systems. As its name suggests, EtherCAT is an optimized industrial Ethernet protocol tailored to meet the strict timing and synchronization requirements of modern industrial applications.

EtherCAT was developed by Beckhoff Automation and first introduced in 2003, with official standardization following in 2007. The protocol is standardized under IEC 61158 – Industrial communication networks – Fieldbus specifications, and further defined in IEC 61784 – Industrial networks – Profiles.

Unlike traditional Ethernet protocols, which typically suffer from latency and communication jitter, EtherCAT was designed from the ground up for real-time performance. Its unique working principle minimizes delays and reduces communication jitter, making it particularly suitable for time-critical industrial communication.

How does EtherCAT work?

Traditional Ethernet communication follows a stop-and-store approach. Each device within the network receives the complete data packet, processes it to check whether the data is intended for it, and then either responds or forwards the packet. This sequential handling introduces latency at every device in the chain.

In contrast, EtherCAT uses a processing-on-the-fly approach. Instead of stopping at each node, a single EtherCAT frame travels through all devices in sequence. As the frame passes by, each device reads its relevant data and inserts new information directly into the frame—without causing any delay. This process minimizes latency as the frame continues moving through the network without stopping.

Despite this fundamental difference in data communication, EtherCAT uses standard Ethernet cables, allowing for an easy implementation in existing infrastructures.

Fig. 1: Illustration of EtherCAT’s frame processing (Source: Wikipedia/Timmy Broling)

Simply put: Ethernet is like a delivery truck stopping at each house to deliver or collect a package. EtherCAT is like a conveyor belt moving through all houses  – each person takes or adds their package without stopping the belt.

What are the benefits of EtherCAT?

EtherCAT offers a number of powerful advantages that make it ideal for modern industrial automation and measurement applications. Its architecture is not only fast and reliable but also highly scalable and cost-effective.

High Performance

EtherCAT provides high speed and timing accuracy, making it perfectly suitable for demanding real-time applications:

• Ultra-fast communication speeds with data update times (or cycle times) < 100 µs.
• Exceptionally low communication jitter of < 1 µs for precise synchronization

Flexible Network Topology

Unlike many other industrial protocols, EtherCAT provides significant flexibility in how the network is structured:

• Supports multiple topologies, including line, tree, ring, star, and more.
• No need for external switches or hubs, which reduces hardware costs.
• Highly scalable, allowing up to 65,535 devices to be connected to a single network.

Robust Reliability Features

EtherCAT includes built-in mechanisms to ensure reliable and secure communication:

• Integrated diagnostics allow for the rapid detection of cable breaks, connection issues, or device failures.
• Bit error detection during data transmission improves fault tolerance and system stability.

Cost-Efficient Implementation

Another EtherCAT advantage is its ability to deliver high-end performance using standard Ethernet cables and controllers. This makes it a cost-effective solution for real-time industrial communication without the need for specialized hardware.

Where is EtherCAT used?

Thanks to its real-time performance, flexibility, and precision, EtherCAT is used across various industries. It is especially valuable in applications where deterministic timing and tight synchronization are critical:

Industrial Automation

EtherCAT enables the seamless coordination of motors, sensors, and controllers, making it ideal for high-speed assembly lines and conveyor systems.

Test Benches

In test bench environments, EtherCAT ensures synchronized acquisition of high-speed data from multiple sensors in real time. This is essential for accurate testing in automotive, aerospace, and industrial development setups.

Manufacturing

Precise motion control and timing are essential during various manufacturing processes (e.g., semiconductor fabrication, metal working, electronics production, etc.), where EtherCAT supports the exact synchronization of complex machine movements.

Energy & Power Systems

EtherCAT is increasingly used in renewable energy applications like wind turbines and solar plants to ensure synchronized monitoring, control, and diagnostics of distributed systems—even over large distances.

Robotics

In robotics, EtherCAT plays a central role in enabling real-time communication between multiple servo drives, sensors, and controllers. It ensures fast and deterministic responses, allowing robots to move with high precision and safety—even in dynamic or high-speed environments.

As we see, EtherCAT can be implemented in countless systems across various industries. The following examples showcase the versatility and reliability of EtherCAT in real-world environments, ranging from precision medical robotics to high-performance industrial testing.

• Spine Surgery Robot Control Systems
• Automotive End-of-Line Testing Equipment
• Semiconductor Wafer Handling Robots
• High-speed packaging Machines
• Printing Press Control Systems
• Wind Turbine test benches
• Flight Simulator Control Systems
• Research DAQ systems
• Power grid monitoring
• …

For more details on practical implementations, refer to the official EtherCAT website. It provides an extensive collection of over 100 application examples.

How to use EtherCAT with DEWETRON devices?

As an official member of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG), DEWETRON provides a robust and flexible EtherCAT integration option for advanced measurement applications. Our purpose-built solution—the TRION-EtherCAT-1-SLAVE—enables the seamless integration of DEWETRON measurement devices into existing EtherCAT-based automation or testing environments.

Fig. 2: DEWETRON’s modular TRION-EtherCAT-1-SLAVE solution

With the TRION-EtherCAT-1-SLAVE module, DEWETRON devices can act as EtherCAT slaves, providing high-precision measurement data to a host system in real time. Each EtherCAT-compatible DEWETRON device is equipped with one input and one output connector, forming part of a daisy-chain EtherCAT network. Further key features of DEWETRON’s EtherCAT implementation include:

• Automatic ESI file generation based on output channel configuration
• Transfer of up to 100 measurement channels via EtherCAT
• Update rates up to 1000 Hz for outgoing measurement data
• Typical I/O delay of approximately 200 milliseconds
• Support for absolute timestamp transfer to enable post-synchronization

Configuration of the EtherCAT slave module—both on the hardware and within OXYGEN, DEWETRON’s data acquisition software—follows a well-defined process. For step-by-step guidance, refer to our EtherCAT Slave Configuration Manual, which provides all necessary downloads, system requirements, and setup instructions to ensure smooth integration.

Summarized

EtherCAT is a high-performance fieldbus system originally developed by Beckhoff Automation. Thanks to its unique “processing on the fly” approach, it achieves cycle times below 100 µs and communication jitter under 1 µs. This enables precise real-time communication across networks, making EtherCAT ideal for automation systems, test and measurement setups, and many other industrial applications. With DEWETRON’s TRION-EtherCAT-1-SLAVE module, you can seamlessly integrate DEWETRON measurement devices into your existing EtherCAT-based infrastructure.