Domains Configuration Panel

Explanation of the Domains Configuration Panel

8 minute read

Domains Configuration Panel

On the left of the ECAT-Tool screen you will find the Domains Configuration Panel. In this panel you can configure the domains for your EtherCAT devices.

EtherCAT devices have to be placed inside a Domain. A Domain is an group of EtherCAT slaves. For your project you can make use of one single domain, or multiple domains. An advantage of multiple domains, is that every domain is separate and can (if configured properly) be set to simulation, while other devices in other domains remain in production.

[1] Add a new etherCAT Device

To add a new device you can click the Add your first devices button or add devices from the Top Menu Bar.

From this tab you can add EtherCAT devices in several ways:

In the From Scan tab, scan the EtherCAT Master to add devices:

Press the Scan Bus button to detect connected EtherCAT devices.
Use the checkbox to include or exclude devices from the list.
Check Apply ESI from database to automatically apply ESI files from the ESI database to the detected devices.
Press Add Devices to add the selected devices to the Domains Configuration Panel.

The scanned EtherCAT devices now appear in the Domains Configuration Panel and are ready for configuration.

In the From Configuration tab, add devices from an EtherCAT configuration file or from the configuration stored on the Motorcortex controller.

To upload an EtherCAT configuration master.xml file to the ECAT-Tool, press the Upload File button. This opens a popup window, allowing you to browse and select a saved master.xml configuration.
If a configuration is deployed to the Motorcortex controller, fetch the EtherCAT configuration by clicking the Fetch button.
The detected EtherCAT devices from the file or fetched configuration are added to the list. Use the checkbox to include or exclude devices.
Click Add Devices to add the selected devices to the Domains Configuration Panel.

The selected EtherCAT devices now appear in the Domains Configuration Panel and are ready for configuration.

Press the Upload Files button to upload locally stored ESI.xml files.
ESI files contain information about a range of devices. In the Select Device screen, use the checkbox to include or exclude devices, then press the Select button to add them to the From Description File tab.
In the list of uploaded devices, use the checkbox to include or exclude devices for the Domains Configuration Panel.
Press the Edit button to access options to Delete or Edit a device.
In the Edit Device screen, you can change device information. Press the Save button to save your changes.
Press the Delete Selected button to remove the selected devices.
Press Add Devices to add the selected devices to the Domains Configuration Panel.

The selected EtherCAT devices now appear in the Domains Configuration Panel and are ready for configuration.

Press the Device button to add a new empty device.
In the Device screen, fill in the device information. Press the Save button to add the new device to the Manually tab.
In the list of editable devices, use the checkbox to include or exclude devices for the Domains Configuration Panel.
Press the Edit button to Delete or Edit a device.
Press the Delete Selection button to remove the selected devices.
Press Add Devices to add the selected devices to the Domains Configuration Panel.

The selected EtherCAT devices now appear in the Domains Configuration Panel and are ready for configuration.

After having devices added the Domains Configuration Panel should look like this.

The number in front of each device is called a slave position number and should be configured.
By pressing the Checkbox you can include or exclude the device from the EtherCAT message, this means that the device will excluded from the EtherCAT Configuration.
The Device Name and other settings can be configured in the Device Configuration Panel. Devices with the same name are displayed in red. It is recommended to give each device a unique naming,

[2] Configure EtherCAT Slave Position

The slave position can be configured either via an absolute bus position, or a stored identifier called alias, or a mixture of both.

Use absolute bus position (default):

The absolute bus position is automatically assigned by the EtherCAT Master during a network scan, based on the physical order of devices in the daisy-chain topology.

If a EtherCAT device is removed, replaced, or wiring is changed, the position may shift and change, which can lead to device configuration mismatch unless aliases are used.

The configured absolute bus position should match the absolute bus position displayed on the bus and can be shown via the cockpit tool.
Open cockpit tool navigate to Terminal.

Use the command ethercat slaves to display slaves on the bus:

mcx-intel:~$ ethercat slaves
0  0:0   OP     +  EK1914, 2 K. Safety Eingang/Ausgang 24V,  TwinSAFE
1  0:1   OP     +  EL6910, TwinSAFE PLC
2  0:2   PREOP  +  EK1110 EtherCAT-Verl�ngerung
3  0:3   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
4  0:4   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
5  0:5   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
6  0:6   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
7  0:7   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
8  0:8   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
9  0:9   PREOP  +  SMT_IO - Smart Actuator
10  0:10  OP     +  EP2328-0001 4 K. Dig. Ein, 3ms, 4 K. Dig. Aus 24V, 2A, M8

Detailed explanation:

3  0:3  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
|  | \- Decimal relative position to the last
|  |       slave with an alias address set.
|  \- Decimal alias address of this slave (if set),
|     otherwise of the last slave with an alias set,
|     or zero, if no alias was encountered up to this
|     position.
\- Absolute ring position in the bus.

Now you can configure, the absolute bus position inside the ECAT-Tool.

Use alias addressing

Alias addressing allows a device to be uniquely identified regardless of its absolute bus position. This is useful for modular designs and for replacing devices without needing to precisely match wiring order.

The alias address is a fixed number stored in a slave’s EEPROM, and can be configured via the cockpit tool.
Open cockpit tool navigate to Terminal.

Use the command ethercat slaves to display slaves on the bus:

mcx-intel:~$ ethercat slaves
0  0:0   OP     +  EK1914, 2 K. Safety Eingang/Ausgang 24V,  TwinSAFE
1  0:1   OP     +  EL6910, TwinSAFE PLC
2  0:2   PREOP  +  EK1110 EtherCAT-Verl�ngerung
3  0:3   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
4  0:4   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
5  0:5   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
6  0:6   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
7  0:7   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
8  0:8   OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
9  0:9   PREOP  +  SMT_IO - Smart Actuator
10  0:10  OP     +  EP2328-0001 4 K. Dig. Ein, 3ms, 4 K. Dig. Aus 24V, 2A, M8

Use the command: ethercat -p3 alias 1 to write alias address 1 to the slave on absolute ring position 3 and onwards:

mcx-intel:~$ ethercat -p3 alias 1
mcx-intel:~$ ethercat -p10 alias 2
mcx-intel:~$ ethercat slaves
0  0:0  OP     +  EK1914, 2 K. Safety Eingang/Ausgang 24V,  TwinSAFE
1  0:1  OP     +  EL6910, TwinSAFE PLC
2  0:2  PREOP  +  EK1110 EtherCAT-Verl�ngerung
3  1:0  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
4  1:1  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
5  1:2  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
6  1:3  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
7  1:4  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
8  1:5  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
9  1:6  PREOP  +  SMT_IO - Smart Actuator
10  2:0  OP     +  EP2328-0001 4 K. Dig. Ein, 3ms, 4 K. Dig. Aus 24V, 2A, M8

Detailed explanation:

3  1:0  OP     +  SMT_DA - Smart Actuator(CoE,EoE,FoE)
|  | \- Decimal relative position to the last
|  |       slave with an alias address set.
|  \- Decimal alias address of this slave (if set),
|     otherwise of the last slave with an alias set,
|     or zero, if no alias was encountered up to this
|     position.
\- Absolute ring position in the bus.

Now you can configure, the alias address inside the ECAT-Tool. Example: Alias 1, relative position 0 is configured as 1:0.

Remark it is possible the combine Alias Address and Absolute Bus Positions.

[3] Add and configure a new Domain

In the Domain Configuration Panel, add domains by pressing the button or the button. This action automatically generates a new (Untitled) domain.

Clone a domain, including its devices, by pressing the button.
Delete a domain by pressing the button.

The name of the domain can by changed in the domain settings panel.
For each domain, set the fieldbus_task_time using the Frequency divider (default = 1). This setting only affects the EtherCAT devices within the selected domain.

Domain Simulation Settings:

If the system is running in Production mode, complete Step 6 to simulate a domain and its devices.

Each domain can operate in either Production or Simulation mode. Enable the Simulation flag to configure the domain for simulation. All devices in the domain will be simulated, and a Simulation Mode notification will appear to indicate this status.
By pressing the Checkbox you can include or exclude the domain from the EtherCAT message, this means that the domain will excluded from the EtherCAT Configuration.