The new Sercos®/EtherCAT-Bridge (S3EC) from CANNON-Automata brings together two leaders in Ethernet-based digital interface standards for superior control, flexibility, and real-time communication.

Directing entire systems of control components for complex machines such as cutting tools, materials handling, robotics, metal forming and other equipment requires interfaces capable of precise coordination.

Both Sercos® (serial real-time communication system) and EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) standards have long been recognized as high-performance choices for communicating between industrial controls, motion devices (drives) and input output (I/O) devices.

The Sercos/EtherCAT-Bridge from CANNON-Automata connects Sercos and EtherCAT masters to exchange data in two directions in real-time within heterogeneous real-time Ethernet communication structures.

The Sercos/EtherCAT bridge offers

• Sercos FSP-IO & EtherCAT DS-402 IO Profile
• Adjustable length of real-time data: 32 - 2048 Byte
• Acyclic communication over Sercos SVC and EtherCAT CoE
• Standard Ethernet communication over Sercos UCC, EtherCAT EoE and 3rd Ethernet port
• Fast reaction to communication state changes or error events
• Compact module for DIN-rail mounting

"This new product really provides users with the best of both standards," said Michael Binroth, president of GH Binroth, North American distributor of the Sercos/EtherCAT-Bridge. "Now we have the option of deploying Sercos and EtherCAT in the same network, and having them work together in real-time. It is very exciting technology!"