EtherCAT reaches new dimensions in network performance. The update time for 1000 distributed I/Os is only 30 µs. Up to 1486 bytes of process data can be exchanged with a single Ethernet frame - this is equivalent to almost 12,000 digital inputs and outputs. The transfer of this data quantity only takes 300 µs.

EtherCAT communication with 100 servo axes only takes 100 µs. During this time, all axes are provided with set values and control data and report their actual position and status. The distributed clock technique enables the axes to be synchronised with a deviation of significantly less than 1 microsecond.

The extremely high performance of EtherCAT technology enables control concepts that could not be achieved with traditional fieldbus systems. For example, an Ethernet system can now not only deal with velocity control, but also with the current control of distributed drives. The tremendous bandwidth enables status information to be transferred with each data item. With EtherCAT, a communication technology is available that matches the superior computing capacity of modern Industrial PCs. The bus system is no longer the "bottleneck" of the control concept. Distributed I/Os are recorded faster than is possible with most local I/O interfaces.

Topology Line, tree or star: EtherCAT supports almost any cabling topology. The bus or line structure known from the fieldbuses also becomes available for Ethernet. Particularly useful for system wiring is the combination of line and branches or stubs: The required interfaces exist on the couplers; no additional switches are required. Of course, the classic switch-based Ethernet star topology can also be used.

Wiring flexibility is further maximized through the choice of different cables. Flexible and inexpensive standard Ethernet patch cables transfer the signals optionally in Ethernet mode (100Base-TX) or in E-bus (LVDS) signal representation. Plastic fiber optics (PFO) can be used in special applications. The complete bandwidth of the Ethernet network - such as different fiber optic and copper cables - can be used in combination with switches or media converters.

Fast Ethernet or E-bus can be selected based on distance requirements. The Fast Ethernet physics enables a cable length of 100 m between devices while the E-bus line is intended for distances of up to 10m. The size of the network is almost unlimited since up to 65,535 devices can be connected.

Openness The EtherCAT technology is fully Ethernet-compatible and is truly open. The protocol tolerates other Ethernet-based services and protocols on the same physical network - usually even with minimum loss of performance. There is no restriction on the type of Ethernet device that can be connected within the EtherCAT segment via a hub terminal. Devices with fieldbus interface are integrated via EtherCAT fieldbus master terminals. The UDP protocol variant can be implemented on each socket interface.