The technical committee of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) has accepted EtherCAT P as an addition to EtherCAT concordantly. Moving forward, EtherCAT P, which combines the benefits of EtherCAT with power supply on the same cable, will be supported and promoted by the ETG.
Introduced at the 2015 SPS IPC Drives trade show, EtherCAT P was developed by Beckhoff Automation as an extension of the company’s EtherCAT product range. Currently, the ETG is busy working out the EtherCAT P technology specification.
The key highlight of EtherCAT P is the combination of EtherCAT communication with system and peripheral voltage in a single Ethernet cable. Additionally, EtherCAT P supports power forwarding through the participants. Users will still enjoy the high-performance characteristics of EtherCAT, along with the flexible topology and many other beneficial features of EtherCAT systems. EtherCAT P presents the ideal solution for sensor, actuator and measurement technology; material and assembly costs are reduced, as are the space requirements for drag chains, control cabinets and the overall machine footprint.
EtherCAT Technology Group
www.ethercat.org
Filed Under: Actuators, Cables + cable management, Ethernet — cables • hubs • switches
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