Ethercat and non-intel ethernet card

[roh]

Hello,
Is anybody know how configure a non-intel PC ethernet card with Ethercat and Twincat?

 

[TOMC]

If your PC is non-Intel it will not work. Twincat only works on a Intel based computer. If your PC is Intel processor it does not matter what ethernet card you use as long as it works in windows it will work with twincat.

 

[LadderLogic]

Is that correct?

I thought EtherCAT requires a network card with an Intel chipset - but really does not care about the make of the processor.

 

[TOMC]

The way I understand it ethercat has more to do with how the hardware nodes recieve the packets and the protocol and not the ethernet card in the computer. I could be wrong though I will look into it more.

Tom

 

[TOMC]

I just checked the Bechoff site and you do not need a special network card for ethercat. Stand NICs are all you need hardware wise.

 

[Weo]

I just checked the Bechoff site and you do not need a special network card for ethercat. Stand NICs are all you need hardware wise.

Still all NICs are not working properly, that´s my experience. I took part in project were they had to replace the NIC to another type that was recommended by Beckhoff, I do not remember for what reason but for sure there was a problem with that card, and that project wasn´t first time.
I think that´s about two years ago, maybe they solved "problem" with uncompatible NICs now.

 

[LadderLogic]

I just checked the Bechoff site and you do not need a special network card for ethercat. Stand NICs are all you need hardware wise.

In theory,yes. However, somewhere in the depths of Beckhoff documentation there is a mentioning that the proper real-time communications are guaranteed only with certain types of network cards. It could be any standard brand, what matters is the chipset used.

Intel's is for sure; I think one of the Realtek chipsets is also supported. When you open TwinCAT System Manager and try to configure an EtherCAT system, you will have to choose a network card for communications. A list of all the network cards available on the PC will be presented and they will be split into "Compatible" and "Incompatible". You can enable EtherCAT on a compatible card and get true real-time comms; the system will allow you to use an "incompatible" card, but real-time capability will be limited.

It is always a good idea to run ECAT off a separate network card, network cards are cheap these days (you don't need a Gb card, ECAT at this time is 10/100 Mb only). Just look for a card with Intel chipset so you don't have to worry in the future.