At the last technology evening, Kenneth McPherson, managing director of Beckhoff Automation South Africa, presented on the topic ‘EtherCAT as an Enabler for Smart Technologies’. EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is an open, real-time industrial Ethernet technology, invented by Beckhoff Automation. The protocol is standardised in IEC 61158 and is suitable for both hard and soft real-time computing requirements in automation technology.
Generally, a bus system is one of the core components of the control system architecture. It helps define the system performance, determines the choice of suppliers/components and subsequently the overall cost of the control system amongst others. The three main performance challenges of any real-time communication are bandwidth utilisation, stack delays and switch delays. With EtherCAT’s technology performance breakthrough, these problems are resolved.
Ann de Beer (left) presents Kenneth McPherson with the SAIMC certificate.
Topics covered by Kenneth included:
• Why is the Fieldbus so important?
• Ethernet for real-time communication.
• The game changer: a unique functional principle.
• Stable technology in a fast changing world.
• Time sensitive networking.
• EtherCAT and TSN: best of both worlds.
• EtherCAT enabled Industry 4.0: a practical example, ‘Enabling Machine Builders with EtherCAT’.
EtherCAT provides competitive advantages in areas such as precision manufacturing, throughput, efficiency, truly open architecture and reliability. The EtherCAT Technology Group is the largest of the industrial Ethernet organisations and currently has 4835 members worldwide.
The branch thanks Kenneth for this informative presentation.
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