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IgH EtherCAT Master

This page instructs how to set up IgH EtherCAT master on raspberry PI-3.

Please follow the steps below:

Setup RT-Preempt

Many projects use the YAML format in their configuration files.

Download

  • Release date: 2017-08-16
  • Kernel version: 4.9
  • uname-a: Linux raspberrypi 4.9.41-v7+ #1023 SMP Tue Aug 8 16:00:15 BST 2017 armv7l GNU/Linux
  • uname-a: Linux raspberrypi 4.9.43-rt30-v7+ #1 SMP PREEMPT RT Thu Aug 17 12:23:30 EDT 2017 armv7l GNU/Linux

Patch

Follow these instructions in file "Machinekit-RT-Preempt-RPI.md" at: Get a basic Machinekit / EtherCAT system on the Raspberry PI 3 Model B

  • Patch: patch-4.9.40-rt30.patch.gz

Note: see BundleRoutingTest for an actual implementation.

Prevent freezing

Follow these instructions modify /boot/cmdline.txt: Freezing with RT-patch (Pi 3)

  • Add this: dwc_otg.fiq_fsm_enable=0 dwc_otg.fiq_enable=0 dwc_otg.nak_holdoff=0

It appears that what did the trick has been the order of the fiq disable commands. dwc_otg.fiq_fsm_enable=0 must be set before dwc_otg.fiq_enable=0. The other way around it finds fiq_fsm_enable true with fiq_enable false, and it forces fiq_enable true.

Build EtherCAT

  • sudo apt install autoconf libtool
  • ./configure --enable-generic --disable-8139too

Note: be sure that you keep the /opt/linux folder: --with-linux-dir.

Configuration

Copy folder to: etc/sysconfig/, and edit file ethercat:

  • sudo cp -r /opt/etherlab/etc/sysconfig /etc/
  • MAC address,
  • "generic",
  • run "depmod" (after make modules_install), not modprobe!

Install Machinekit

Install packages: machinekit, machinekit-dev, machinekit-rt-preempt!

  • sudo dpkg -i *.deb
  • sudo apt install gdebi
  • sudo apt --fix-broken install
  • dpkg-repack

Install Linuxcnc-Ethercat

Copy to appropriate folders: lcec.so, lcec_conf, libethercat.so

  • make
  • sudo make install
  • /usr/bin/lcec_conf
  • sudo cp /usr/lib/linuxcnc/posix/lcec.so /usr/lib/linuxcnc/rt-preempt/lcec.so
  • sudo cp /opt/etherlab/include/ecrt.h /usr/include/linuxcnc/
  • sudo cp /opt/etherlab/lib/libethercat.so.1 /usr/lib/linuxcnc/rt-preempt/
  • sudo cp /opt/etherlab/lib/libethercat.so /usr/lib/linuxcnc/rt-preempt/

To run machinekit:

  • machinekit /usr/share/linuxcnc-ethercat/examples/.../*.ini
  • machinekit test.ini

Beaglebone Issue

As stated in video Machinekit + EtherCAT on BeagleBone Black :

Note: The external NIC is used due to the need of preservation of the on board NIC for LAN operation and the fact that the SoC has an integrated switch, wich affected real time capability.

An interesting article is Using the Beaglebone PRU to achieve realtime at low cost

Yocto-SDK Issue

Previous readings