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CPUs link Simatic and EtherCat worlds
Published:  06 January, 2014

Vipa, the German controls company owned by Yaskawa, has developed a pair of EtherCat master controllers which also have built-in Profibus masters, thus allowing them to link the Siemens Simatic world to EtherCat networks and technologies.

Vipa says that this bridge will open up new possibilities for PLC users. For example, it points out that there are many more EtherCat products currently available than Profinet. The combination of Profibus and EtherCat will allow users to run their drives via EtherCat, for example, with the rest of their system connected via Profibus.

PLC functions can be configured using the S7 language, with Simatic Manager acting as the programming base. The EtherCat network is then configured using Vipa’s Speed7 EtherCat Manager.

Vipa’s 315SN/EC and 317SN/EC EtherCat master CPUs incorporate RJ-45 Ethernet ports. The latter model can also connect to Vipa’s Speed-Bus network for high-speed data communications.