EtherCAT node integrated onto MCU platform

EtherCAT brings numerous advantages to networked automation and control, such as accurate synchronisation, built-in diagnostics, and support for functional safety. Typical CPU loads are also lower compared with other bus systems.

In the XMC4800 this frees resources like the 144MHz Cortex-M4 core, which has DSP extensions and floating-point acceleration, to fulfil complex application-processing demands in equipment such as manufacturing machinery, smart-building controllers, medical devices, construction machinery, solar/wind farms and many others.

The device has plentiful code and data storage, with up to 2MB of on-chip Flash and up to 352KB RAM.

Other on-chip resources include six CAN nodes with 256 message objects, high-performance ADCs, DACs and sigma-delta modulators, and dedicated functions for industrial control such as capture/compare units for motor-control and general-purpose use, servo-motor positioning interfaces (POSIF), Window Watchdog Timer (WWDT) for safety-sensitive applications, and System Control Unit (SCU). An Ethernet MAC, USB Host Full-Speed OTG peripheral, LED and touch-sense controller, SDIO/MMC interface, and six universal serial interface channels are also integrated.

Pin and software compatibility with Infineon’s XMC4000 series provides a convenient upgrade path for existing microcontroller-based designs. The new free DAVE example code and an integrated Beckhoff slave stack tool are also available.

18 XMC4800 variants are now available, giving designers a choice of LPQFP100, LPQFP144 or LFBGA196 package options and -40°C to 85°C or -40°C to 125°C temperature grades for use in harsh environments.