SKA AB

EtherCat problems after power cycling

6 posts in this topic

hi, at my current customer, they have a machine that shows ethercat problems after power cycling the machine/plc.

When the PLC re-connects, or tries to, to the NX-ECC203 nodes, it can stop at a random node and refuse to connects to it and the rest downstream.
One solution we have found, is to power cycle the last working node before the one that refuses to connect, then the EtherCat seems to work all the way, unless it stops at another later node.
The PLC has 23 ethercat nodes, Most are NX-EVV203, 5 robots.

Where the EtherCat connection stops at, seems little random, but the power cycling of the last working in that daisy chain, seems to work where the problem lies.

 

Any suggestions what could be done to fix this problem?

Between the PLC and the EtherCat nodes, sits a GX-JC06 EtherCat switch, all EtherCat-cables to and from it, plus the module it self has been exchanged for new items, the problems persists.

 

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Once the system is operating, does the EtherCAT ever drop out, or is it only a problem on startup?

Any chance that the JC06 can be removed entirely, even just for testing? I have had one of these fail before, and it caused all sorts of weirdness (I understand that this has already been exchanged)

Does this happen every time the machine is power cycled?

Are the EtherCAT cables prefabricated?

Any chance of posting a network topology to show how things are connected? (ie. are the robots all on one port of the JC06 etc)

Is the problem occuring on only one string from the JC06 or different strings?

 

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On 11/20/2022 at 0:21 AM, BE said:

Once the system is operating, does the EtherCAT ever drop out, or is it only a problem on startup?

Any chance that the JC06 can be removed entirely, even just for testing? I have had one of these fail before, and it caused all sorts of weirdness (I understand that this has already been exchanged)

Does this happen every time the machine is power cycled?

Are the EtherCAT cables prefabricated?

Any chance of posting a network topology to show how things are connected? (ie. are the robots all on one port of the JC06 etc)

Is the problem occuring on only one string from the JC06 or different strings?

 

Hello Be.

Before the cables and the JC06 was exchanged, it did happen that the communication could die during operation. But after all the ethercat cables was exchanged and the switch exchanged for a new, the communication only fails during power cycle of the whole machine.

All the ethercat cables are prefab's.

According to people memory, it seems to happen on any random port/chain, but last week, i only saw it on port 2 happen.

 

Here is the hardware config of the Ethercat nodes.

ethercat.thumb.png.0dd9f4384f036b6c1b6f3

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I have had a similar situation in the past, the setting for Total cable length on the master was set too low, it might be related? 

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3 hours ago, hecateh said:

I have had a similar situation in the past, the setting for Total cable length on the master was set too low, it might be related? 

In the project its set to 1000 meters on the Master Ethercat node.

 

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20 hours ago, SKA AB said:

communication only fails during power cycle of the whole machine.

Does it fail every time the machine power cycles?

 

20 hours ago, SKA AB said:

i only saw it on port 2 happen

Port 2 looks like it has all the robots on it, all the ECC203's appear to be on other ports. Is that correct?

Roughly how long are the EtherCAT cables? are we talking 2-3m (ie. between nodes in a panel) or more like 20+ (ie. connecting nodes in separate panels?

Are the cables shielded? Silly question I know, but got to ask :-)

Judging by the screenshot, I would assume you have multiple EtherCAT cables from various locations running back to a single point. I assume it isn't possible to eliminate the JC06 for testing?

 

Most of my EtherCAT experience is with ECC203's and VSD's in motor control centers, I haven't really used it outside of the confines of a switchboard. That said, I would imagine it would require the same type of installation conditions as regular CAT6 cabling (ie. seperate from power cables etc.) to avoid interference. Would it be safe to say the cables are seperated from power cabling (particularly VSD driven motor cables)? 

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