EIP over Eithercat bridge NX1P2-9000

[professor_jonny]

As I understand support for EIP over Eithercat framing is not supported yet has anyone attempted an emulation bridge using PLC code?

I'm interested in programming a Danfoss drive over Eithercat using the plc as a bridge from Eithernet IP.

ruRning the network on EIP is an option on smaller networks but as soon as the device count goes up the network seems to drag.

 

 

 

[BE]

When you say 'programming a Danfoss drive', do you mean controlling it (ie with the control word) or do you mean actually programming it (ie changing drive parameters)? My understanding of Danfoss VSD's (at least the ones I have used) is that they can be programmed (ie. change parameters) over EIP, but cannot be programmed over EtherCAT. That said, I have never programmed them over EIP, as I only have the basic version of MCT10, and my setups have always been EtherCAT, so it was USB based programming for me.

[j.brophy@corkillsystems]

I'm wanting to use the Danfoss mct10 software to directly program the drives via Eithercat.

Ethercat over MCT10 is possible but it is not like in Ethernet IP, where the MCT10 connection runs in parallel to the bus with multicast packets. In Ethercat the information is implemented in the bus telegrams and It seems omron does not suport EoE messaging.

I would have to capture multicast packets convert them and send them over Eithercat as telegrams in honesty i dont know if this is a thing I have access to with omron.

The Danfoss option card (MCA123) when fitted to a FC automation drive supports EIP to Eithercat (EoE messaging) by bridging multicast packets using the plc as a gateway problem is omron does not support it yet and I don't know if it is in their plans.

You can see a video here of it in operation with a Bechoff plc using a EL6601 terminal as a bridge:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/27csm7z3m1861hr/MCT10_TC3_Ethercat.mp4?dl=0

Yes I can use EIP to program the drives but there is a lot of advantages in using Eithercat with a large network but doing it directly with the plc results in scaling issues number formats hex codes bla bla... so much nicer to do it with native danfoss tools because of this.

ON a side note the danfoss software codes are free if you talk to Danfoss rep just they won't give you feature unlocker codes such as firmware flashing/ editing and oss creator tooling unless you are oem or partner like us.

The feature unlocker codes require you signing some documents as you can create drives firmware exceeding 500hz that would class them as dual/ military use and if ended up in a country making enriched uranium you likely would get in big trouble so there is some security measures they ask you to implement.

I was involved in some of the features in firmware with the software developers in Estonia when the FC series drives come out and also with the wifi based LCP's and to some extent the fc280 but more with feedback and bugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BE]

Based on your response, you have far more experience with this then I do. I don't have any ideas that would help to be honest.

That said, if you do find a way to make it work, please let us know. If they can be programmed over EtherCAT that would be something I would be interested in.

Edited July 3, 2023 by BE