Linuxcnc + Ethercat + Step/Dir

Hello and good day,

I have a question about the principle.
I have a CNC mill and I want to control it with Linuxcnc via Ethercat.
My drives are for X and Y axis:

www.omc-stepperonline.com/de/ye-serie-1-...eiber-1-cl57y-23he30

and for the Z-axis 

www.rocketronics.de/shop/de/schrittmotor...Ig9uGiAaAiUMEALw_wcB

and a NEM23 motor.

My question is: Can I control these drivers (Step/Dir) with Linuxcnc via Ethercat and if yes, where can I find help ? 

Many thanks in advance 

Kind regards

Rainer Steinkuhl

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

No, you need to purchase an ethercat specific stepper drive. Something like this (with a matching motor):
www.aliexpress.com/item/4000696520979.ht...000006077158333%21sh

Thanks for the answer,
I thought that I could connect the Step/Dir ports directly on the Ethercat output card. Then it makes more sense to buy a MESA card.

Kind regards

Rainer Steinkuhl

Ethercat also adds more complexity because of the additional layer it adds to the system.
I would not recommend unless you have some experience anyway.
I use those drives ...

Rod,
There is the EL2521 terminal that is pulse train and is supported in the code...    I mainly use the EL4132's with Analog out, but I do have a few Omron drives that use the EL2521.



Rainer Steinkuhl,
Rod is totally correct... if you do not already have a firm grasp on LinuxCNC and how to build from source code, then EtherCAT is not the way to go.  There is a lot to learn in just LCNC, then the EtherCAT is a whole different deal.  I already had been using EMC back at the early 2000's.  Jumped on EtherCAT in 2014, just a couple of years after Sasha put the code out.  It took me 3 years to get a working system as back then it was complex with no help... freaking tons of reading.  Had to re-join the forum in 2017 to get help with the EL5151 problem I was having as we HAD to get one of our machines working.
BUT I love EtherCAT.  I will never forget getting the first fully working sim to fire up... I jumped up arms in the air and yelled so loud it scared the family LOL.    that was an awesome day.  The second best day was just getting EMC to even work, that mess was hard.  Jon Elson was the man back then that helped me.




 

I helped Rod learn how do do a few things in Linuxcnc when he was first starting, out. I'm still too chicken to try out EtherCAT. The hardware is too expensive to for me to justify trying to see if I can make it work. There is cheaper hardware that is easier to set up and proven to work.

Todd,

You may not remember but you helped me also on problems I was having in the past.

I am sure you could do EtherCAT, you have been doing LCNC for a very long time.

Yeah, your right about hardware cost, plus yeah other hardware is way easier to setup.   I wouldn't have gone this route if I had to buy the terminals new as they are expensive.  I got lucky to acquire what I have at decent prices.  You could always get a EK1100 and maybe a EL1004 or 1008 to try out.  You would communicate with the EK and see the EL as a slave, then tie a few pins to the EL and you would have it figured out.  I know you could do it; I am sure of it, as I am sure you know more about LCNC than i do.

Todd wrote:

I helped Rod learn how do do a few things in Linuxcnc when he was first starting, out. I'm still too chicken to try out EtherCAT. The hardware is too expensive to for me to justify trying to see if I can make it work. There is cheaper hardware that is easier to set up and proven to work.

Yes you did help and I have not forgotten it either! You knowledge of hal is right up there with the best!
Thanks again.

I started with Ethercat to help set up another user so I decided to use it for a machine I was buiding to get to know it..
Trouble is I have not really got the time to dive deep in and build ethercat hoimg routines.... Which would be nice.
I have not used any Beckhoff devices either...