Access and operation of TwinSafe terminals in the ctrlX EtherCAT bus?

[Matthias_Diez]

It is possible to operate the TwinSafe terminals eg. EL6900, EL1918, EL1904, EL2904... in the ctrlX EtherCAT Bus?

If YES, how I access with TwinCAT ( TwinSafe ) the EL6900 for example, to send my TwinSafe project in it.

[AllAutomation]

Hello Matthias,

thank you for your question.

1. Any kind of EtherCAT and FSoE device can be used inside an EtherCAT Network with a ctrlX CORE as Standard EtherCAT-Master and ctrlX SAFETY SAFEX-C.1* as an FSoE-Master. The Engineering in case of ctrlX CORE is done according to the ctrlX I/O Engineering.
2. In case of using a third party Engineering like TwinCAT/TwinSafe the Ethernet-over-EtherCAT (EoE) routing via ctrlX CORE should do the job. Please refer to the EtherCAT Master App Reference Book for more details to connect Engineering PCs to an EtherCAT network.

Please let us know what is the exact topology and application to give you more information about possible solutions or even alternatives using the compact Safety controllers SAFEX-C.1*.

Best regards from your

ctrlX SAFETY Team

[AllAutomation · Accepted solution]

Hello Matthias,

in the meantime I have more information about your case. You tried to add EL6910, EL6930, EL1904, EL2904 to an EtherCAT configuration for ctrlX CORE / ctrlX PLC using ctrlX I/O Engineering.

Our safety controls ctrlX SAFETY SAFEX-C.12 / SAFEX-C.15 already provide numerous inputs / outputs and are able to act as a FSoE-Master and FSoE-Slave. Nevertheless, FSoE Slaves like EL1904, EL2904, .. can be used in combination with them.

Support of EL69xx is currently not planned. Reason: The TwinSafe-Engineering uses non-generic dialogs and a specific communicaton interface to the EL69xx and the efforts are not balanced by the value for our customers, especially due to the availablility of our SAFEX-C.1* compact safety controllers that provide

• most functionality in terms of functional safety and
• connectivity (
  • EtherCAT/FSoE Automation bus and safe cross-communication,
  • Profinet/ProfiSafe Uplink,
  • simple Safe-Master-to-Master-Communication and
  • integration with our ctrlX DRIVEplus via ctrlX SAFETYlink

 ).

In addition they provide further advantages of

• extremely short reaction times and
• an unbeaten low footprint in the cabinet.

We strongly recommend to use ctrlX SAFETY SAFEX-C.12 or SAFEX-C.15 depending on the number of I/Os or Uplink functionality. For larger applications several SAFEX-C controllers can be distributed within a single EtherCAT Network using safe cross-communication between the SAFEX-C controllers.

For further information

• post in the ctrlX SAFETY subforum or
• contact your local Bosch Rexroth representative

Best regards

Your ctrlX AUTOMATION & ctrlX SAFETY Team