CAN/SERCOS/Ethercat - digital solutions?

Hi

I did not find an FAQ about this:
How about any of the modern digital interfaces like SERCOS/CAN/Devicenet/EtherCAT etc. for modern automation components.
Do you know of any body who tries to make such cards working I/O for emc2/hal?
Maybe there is some working solution you can point me to?
Thanks!
/ulda

wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Con...EtherCAT_Digital_I_O

thanks acemi, that's a start!

in a similar way, is it possible to send set points through a standard PC interface, like USB? I'd like to do it in a similar way as in SERCOS or EtherCAT, I send Packets containing drive address and set points for each address (e.g. set position and set speed) and receive packets with the actual values (e.g. actual speet and actual speed) of each address (or each axis - motor), but I'd like to send and receive the packets via USB, cz it is found in all PCs. so EMC prepares the send packets at each IPO time, and recieve the return packets each IPO time and use them for display or diagnosis, but the control is carried out inside the individual motor drivers.
is this possible?

A small update: I read abit in the topic and found out that there are many "ethernet-based" protocols out there.
Most of them need specialized hardware to get real time support.
But - there is a EtherNet/IP (TM) interface wich has no propritary extensions to the ethernet protocol and adds a level of real time by using open protocols for timing syncronization.
I found some devices e.g. Rexroth IndraDrive CS, programmable and controllable by standart ethernet.
ulda

Following this one closely....can the EMC2 be used with ethercat drives?....

CNC Zone reference ethercat, EMC2 and I/O

www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62377&page=4

There is a possibility
A german Company has build a gpl library for doing an EtherCat master on linux and there are example files on how to read EtherCat io pins from a Beckhoff system int hal. All you need is a pc with a supported network card (some intel and rtl ones)
Look at www.etherlab.org
I will be exporing this further.
/ulda

I open again this discussion for a fresh notice from these link:

osdal-sercos-2009

Then I find these nice videos for makinekit.. but I think is quieùte simple to implement it on linuxcnc ...

linuxcnc-sercos3

in these mounth I search for new fully open sources fiesld bus ...

possible candidates: cc-link ie, powerlink-ie, ethercat (obviusly just tested) and now finally sercos III.

The ethercat is not fully open but quite open ... sercos3 now it seems fully open. Note sercos3 and ethercat have similar max response-time. powerlink-ie is fully open but unfortunately with poor commercial success .... cc-link ie seems the best one for capacity of transmission ... but it is not so open sources as it would be like to present it.

All these field bus is have deterministic capacity. CC-link ie & powerlink ie not require special hardware at all, sercos3 and ethercat require special chip on slave side.
I need to know better if sercos3 with this new dress completely opensources has by chance abandoned the special slave side chip ....

regards
giorgio

github.com/synapticon/sc_sncn_ethercat_drive

Runs only on their proprietary board: www.synapticon.com/product/ethercat-development-kit