IgH EtherCAT Master on ARM Industrial Controller: Microsecond Real-Time Response & Nanosecond Synchronization

Before installing the IGH EtherCAT master, ensure that the system meets the following requirements:

Software

• Operating System:
• Linux-RT (PREEMPT_RT) kernel
• ⚠️ Standard Linux kernels are not supported for real-time IGH EtherCAT master operation

Hardware

• At least one dedicated Ethernet interface
• Gigabit Ethernet is recommended
• The selected Ethernet port should be exclusively used for EtherCAT communication

IGH EtherCAT Master Installation Procedure

1️⃣ Verify the Linux Kernel Version

Run the following command to confirm that the system is using a real-time kernel:

cat /proc/version

If the output contains PREEMPT_RT, the system meets the requirements.

2️⃣ Extract the IGH EtherCAT Master Package

Copy the IGH EtherCAT master package provided by Beilai to the device filesystem and extract it:

tar -xvf _install.tar.gz

After extraction, the _install directory will be generated, containing the following subdirectories:

3️⃣ Obtain the Ethernet Interface MAC Address

Run:

ifconfig

Record the MAC address of the Ethernet interface that will be used as the EtherCAT master (Gigabit Ethernet is recommended).

4️⃣ Load the EtherCAT Master Kernel Module

Enable kernel log output for debugging:

echo 8 > /proc/sys/kernel/printk

Load the EtherCAT master driver (replace the MAC address with the actual one):

insmod -f /root/_install/modules/ec_master.ko main_devices=8a:8b:bd:9f:6d:50

5️⃣ Install EtherCAT Configuration Files

Execute the following command to copy the relevant files of the EtherCAT master station to the device file system.

mkdir /etc/sysconfig 
cp install/etc/sysconfig/ethercat /etc/sysconfig 
mkdir -p /lib/modules/$(uname -r)
cp install/modules/ec_master.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r) 
depmod -a

⚠️ Warning messages generated during depmod -a do not affect functionality and can be safely ignored.

6️⃣ Start the EtherCAT Master Service

Execute the following commands to start the EtherCAT master and load the ec_generic.ko driver file.

/root/_install/etc/init.d/ethercat start 
insmod -f _install/modules/ec_generic.ko

7️⃣ Configure the IGH Dynamic Library Path

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/root/_install/lib

After this step, EtherCAT demo programs or user-compiled applications can be executed.

8️⃣ Check EtherCAT Slave Status

Navigate to the bin directory and run:

./ethercat slaves

If slave devices are detected successfully, the EtherCAT master is running correctly.

Servo Motor Control Example

Beilai Tech provides a servo motor control demo based on IGH EtherCAT , which includes the following features:

• Forward and reverse motor rotation control
• Real-time measurement of maximum and minimum EtherCAT cycle times
• Continuous output of timing statistics via serial interface

1️⃣ Running the Demo Program

chmod +x igh_ethercat_dc_motor

• Forward rotation:

./igh_ethercat_dc_motor -d 0

• Reverse rotation:

./igh_ethercat_dc_motor -d 1

• View relevant parameter information:

./igh_ethercat_dc_motor --help

2️⃣ EtherCAT Cycle Time Parameters

The demo program is configured with a 1 ms EtherCAT communication cycle by default. Parameter descriptions are as follows:

Typical Application Scenarios

This IGH EtherCAT solution is suitable for:

• Energy Storage EMS / PCS control systems
• Multi-axis servo and motion control
• Industrial robots and AMRs
• High real-time industrial automation equipment
• AI-powered EtherCAT edge controllers

Summary

The IGH EtherCAT master running on a Linux-RT kernel provides ARM industrial controllers with:

• Microsecond-level real-time communication
• Low jitter and deterministic EtherCAT control
• Stable operation in harsh industrial environments

When combined with Beilai ARM Industrial Controllers (such as BL440 / BL450), it enables the construction of a high-performance, low-power, and scalable EtherCAT control platform.