Fast and synchronous measurements 
Fast and synchronous measurements
For high-speed measurement applications exceeding the CAN bus capabilities, CSM's EtherCAT®-based MiniModules provide the optimal solution. EtherCAT® is an established protocol for fast and synchronous measurements with its roots in the test bench measurement technology sector. It has high bandwidth capability, maximum number of measurement channels, and precise synchronization of measurement signals.
As an Ethernet-based data bus, EtherCAT® features short cycle times and low jitter. In addition, the Distributed Clocks functionality ensures accurate synchronization (≤ 1 μs) of all connected modules, regardless of the size of the measurement setup. The network structure supported by EtherCAT® is similar to that of the CAN bus. Ethernet thus enables the setup of extensive measurement networks with many slave devices on one bus, which is ideal for distributed measurement applications.
CSM's EtherCAT®-based MiniModules are ideal on the one hand for multi-channel applications e. g. with more than 1,000 strain gauges / acceleration sensors and for synchronised high-speed measurements with measurement data rates of up to 1 MHz per channel on the other hand. Specially adapted measuring modules are available for IEPE sensors. ECAT MiniModules feature all the advantages of CSM's CAN MiniModules with their compact and robust design, as well as the high accuracy over the entire operating temperature range.
In combination with the XCP-Gateway, CSM connects its ECAT MiniModules with the protocol XCP-on-Ethernet. As a result, the measurement modules are compatible with standard data acquisition systems. The gateway also connects CAN and EtherCAT® measurement data in a common data bus. This simplifies the setup of measurement applications and saves resources because only one measurement chain is needed. The swift configuration of the application is possible with CSMconfig.
CSM’s EtherCAT®-based ECAT STGMM 6 with six time-synchronous strain gauge channels for quarter-, half- and full bridges has been designed for precise and synchronous acquisition of mechanical strain directly at the strain gauge measurement points.
XCP-Gateway is the interface between the data acquisition software (e. g. vMeasure, CANape®, INCA®, Vision® ...) and the EtherCAT® measurement modules from CSM. It includes an EtherCAT® master and an XCP-on-Ethernet slave.
