1 Summary PLC controllers and remote I/O are increasingly communicating in current production environments. In some sites, controllers and remote I/O stations use a unified communication protocol, while in others, remote I/O stations may use different protocols, primarily due to product limitations from various manufacturers. 1.1 Solution In a certain site in Henan, the controller uses a Siemens S7-1500 series PLC, and the modules for the remote I/O stations are all from Inovance AM600 medium-sized series PLCs. All I/O modules are connected to an AM600-RTU-ECAT coupler. The Inovance coupler module supports the EtherCAT protocol when operating normally, functioning as an EtherCAT slave. The monitoring system, a Siemens S7-1500 series PLC, supports the PROFINET protocol. The protocol inconsistency prevents direct communication for data exchange. A third-party protocol conversion module is required to enable data exchange between different protocols. In this case, our self-developed EtherCAT Master to PROFINET Slave gateway module ET300 is used to achieve comprehensive data interaction between the PLC and remote I/O. 1.2 Keywords EtherCAT Master to PROFINET Slave S7-1500 Inovance EtherCAT Coupler ET300 2 Application Project Configuration Example 2.1 Automation Task Overview The figure below provides an overview of the automation task, where the ET300 gateway module connects the Siemens S7-1500 PLC (PROFINET) and the Inovance EtherCAT coupler for communication.

Figure 2.1 Automation Task Overview 2.2 Usage Environment This example is created based on the following usage environment.

EtherCAT Bus EtherCAT bus remote I/O, stepper servo development board based on XMC4800, XMC4300, ASIX AX58100, and LAN9252, supporting FoE. Supports I/O customization for quick start and product development.

Features

Fast cyclic I/O data replication between the two networks (10-15 ms)
Verified and tested with all PLC manufacturers
Supports up to 512 bytes of input and output data in each direction
Ability to build web pages to display and control factory floor processes using data from other connected devices
Quick and dynamic transfer of fieldbus data to Microsoft Windows-based SCADA/HMI/enterprise-level systems via the included Anybus OPC server
Optional control and status information added to I/O data for diagnostic purposes
Robust standalone housing for harsh industrial environments

Technical Specifications

Dimensions (L•W•H)

114 x 44 x 127mm or 4.49 x 1.73 x 5.00"

Weight

400g or 0.880 lbs

Operating Temperature

-25 to +65 °C or -13 to +149 °F

Storage Temperature

-40 to +85 °C or -40 to +185 °F

Power Supply

24 VDC +/- 20% via 2-pole 5.08 mm Phoenix pluggable screw connector

Current Consumption

Max 400mA (typical 200mA)

Housing Material

Aluminum alloy and plastic

Mounting Method and Position

Vertical/horizontal*

Electrical Isolation

Yes, supported on both bus/Ethernet sides

Mechanical Rating

IP20, NEMA rating 1

Installation

DIN rail mounting (EN 50022 standard)

I/O Configuration

Via USB port, using Anybus Configuration Manager software

Certifications

CE, CULUS, ATEX/Haz.Loc, RoHS