With the EtherCAT sync units, several slaves are configured into groups and subdivided into smaller units. For each group, the working counter can be monitored for an granular input data validation. As soon as a slave is missing in a sync unit group, the input data of all other slaves in the same group becomes invalid.
Detection occurs immediately in the next bus cycle, as the working counter is continuously checked. Unaffected groups remain operable without any interference.
Right click on the “Application” node and press “Create configuration data”.
Automation Builder creates a set of global variables defining the working counter state of a “SyncUnit” command.
The variables use the following naming scheme:
"SLOT_" + "CouplerSlot_ " + "SyncUnitName" + "_CMD_" + "LogicalAccess" + "_FRAME_" + "FrameID CouplerSlot".
CouplerSlot
The communication module slot is the ID of the slot where the communication module is plugged in.
SyncUnitName
The sync unit name is as defined in the “Sync Unit Assignment” tab.
LogicalAccess
The logical access defines the command List of logical access commands:
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Read = 10;
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Write = 11
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Read/Write = 12
FrameID
The frame ID starts with 1 and increments if the cyclic exchanged data is larger than the maximum Ethernet frame boundary.
Values
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FALSE : Working counter is as expected (data from slaves is valid)
-
TRUE : Working counter is different to expected value (data from slaves is invalid)
The variables can be used by conditional consumption of slave data in the application:
