HANNOVER, Germany, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with
Hannover Faire, the world's largest industrial trade show, Texas
Instruments (TI) (NYSE: TXN) demonstrates its commitment to the
industrial market and announces it is the first semiconductor
company to license Ethernet for Control Automation Technology
(EtherCAT®) for its ARM®- and DSP+ARM-based embedded processors.
This new, ground-breaking industrial Ethernet technology will
be featured in TI's upcoming Sitara™ ARM microprocessors (MPUs)
planned for the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2011 and in TI's
C6-Integra™ DSP+ARM processors beginning in 2012.
Benefits of EtherCAT technology
- Increases efficiency: EtherCAT technology is based on
the principle of fast processing on the fly. EtherCAT
messages are passed from node to node and processed while they are
passed, which improves speed and efficiency in industrial systems.
Overall industrial application performance is also improved with
shorter reaction times, enabling increased operational
efficiency.
- Ease of use: EtherCAT uses the standard IEEE 802.3
frames and physical layer. No external switches or hubs are
necessary because the EtherCAT slave controllers forward the frames
automatically. Most devices embed two RJ-45 ports, which are
commonly utilized data ports for Ethernet connections.
Auto-configuration of the EtherCAT technology is supported.
No manual address setting is required and no network tuning
is needed.
- Lowers costs: With the use of standard cabling and
no external hubs or switches needed, this lowers the EtherCAT
technology costs. There are also lower configuration costs
with the auto-configuration support.
Benefits of TI embedded ARM-based solutions:
- Integration: System-on-chip solution based on TI's
most advanced silicon technology, integrating the EtherCAT slave
controller. This on-chip integration allows the user to be tightly
coupled to the application processor which provides high
throughput, low latency access, board space savings and lower total
costs.
- Flexibility: The programmable real-time unit (PRU)
allows for flexible implementation that can more easily adapt as
industrial standards evolve over time.
"The EtherCAT Protocol technology sets new standards for the
real-time performance and flexibility that are critical for TI's
embedded ARM-based devices geared toward the industrial market.
With its popularity today in industrial drive and input/output
applications, EtherCAT, a leading industrial communication
protocol, is used to allow master and slave controllers to
communicate with each other without a host computer in high-noise
industrial environments," said Ram Sathappan, industrial automation
manager, TI. "The TI approach to EtherCAT with the
programmable real-time unit (PRU) on TI's Sitara ARM MPUs and
C6-Integra DSP + ARM processors allows for flexible implementation
that can more easily adapt as industrial standards evolve over
time."
"With TI's integration of an EtherCAT interface in several
product lines, this turns EtherCAT into a mainstream technology
beyond the automation world," Martin
Rostan, executive director, EtherCAT Technology Group.
"We are thrilled about this milestone development which will
open entirely new markets for EtherCAT and help EtherCAT to
establish a strong position in a wide range of embedded
applications, further accelerating the adoption of EtherCAT in the
industrial market."
Learn more about EtherCAT at Hannover Fair
To learn more about EtherCAT technology, please visit the
EtherCAT Technology Group at the Hannover Fair, Hall 9, booth
D18.
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 80,000
customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be –
smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our
commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything
we do – from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors,
to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our
communities. This is just the beginning of our story.
Learn more at www.ti.com.
Trademarks
Sitara and C6-Integra are trademarks of Texas Instruments.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to
their respective owners.
SOURCE Texas Instruments