The rapid growth of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) continues at full speed – and since the 1000 member mark was passed, it accelerates even further. To-date, there are now 1195 ETG member companies from 48 countries – equivalent to an increase of 314 members per year.
Most ETG members are located in Germany, where EtherCAT originated, followed by the United States, Japan and China/Taiwan. A large percentage of the members actively invest in EtherCAT technology: altogether more than 900 implementation kits have been sold. The large variety of EtherCAT controllers, drives, I/O and sensors is mirrored at the ETG booth in hall 6 of the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, Germany: over 200 different devices are being shown there. Among the exhibits is a multi vendor demo with 30 drives from 20 different manufacturers, which are all operated synchronously within a single EtherCAT network – a potential world record. Control systems from 17 different vendors are shown in another demo application at the show.
All in all, more than 50 vendors are either already shipping EtherCAT servo drives or have announced such products in public. Over 70 vendors offer EtherCAT master devices such as PLCs, PC-based controls, CNC and embedded controllers, using more than 15 different real-time operating systems to implement them. With I/O devices, there is also a large selection: more than 30 vendors have EtherCAT devices in their I/O portfolio.
EtherCAT sets new standards for real-time performance and topology flexibility, while meeting or undercutting traditional fieldbus cost levels. EtherCAT features include high precision device synchronization, cable redundancy options, and a functional safety protocol (SIL3). EtherCAT is an international standard (IEC, ISO and SEMI).
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) is an organization in which key user companies from various industries and leading automation suppliers join forces to support, promote and advance EtherCAT technology. With over 1100 members from 47 countries, the EtherCAT Technology Group has become the largest organization in the world that is exclusively focused on Industrial Ethernet technologies. Founded in November 2003, it is also currently the fastest growing fieldbus organization.
For further information please also see ETHERCAT. |
