EtherCAT and its importance in industrial automation
EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is a high-speed industrial protocol designed for real-time systems. It provides minimal latency in data transmission, wide topology capabilities and a high level of reliability, which makes it indispensable in industrial automation, robotics and control systems. Modern industrial enterprises strive for flexibility, scalability and fault tolerance. That is why EtherCAT devices such as the EJS-08 and EJS-08-T play a key role in building efficient and reliable control networks. MOXA's product range also includes devices with 4 EtherCAT ports: EJS-04 and EJS-04-T
What is EtherCAT junction?
EtherCAT junction is a specialized switching device that allows you to split or combine EtherCAT lines, creating different topologies: Star, Tree, Ring and Linear Chain. This increases the flexibility of network construction and allows you to adapt it to the requirements of a specific project.
Main applications
- Integrating EtherCAT devices on production lines
- Collecting data from sensors and actuators
- Building modular control systems
- Industrial applications with mission-critical fault tolerance
Key features of the EJS-08
Number and type of ports: the hub has 8 RJ45 100BaseT(X) ports supporting full duplex mode. One port is used as an input (IN), the rest are used as outputs (OUT), allowing you to connect up to 7 devices.
Supported topologies:
- Line
- Star
- Tree
- Ring (including path reservation)
Hot Connect support
Thanks to the Hot Connect function and mechanical ID selector (HEX encoding up to 4095), the device can be dynamically connected and disconnected from the network without interrupting communication, which is convenient for modular replacement of equipment.
LED indicators and diagnostics
PWR1, PWR2, RUN and 100M indicators for each port provide visual indication of device and connection status, and simplify diagnostics and maintenance.
Power supply and electrical safety
- Supports wide power supply range: 9.6–60 VDC;
- Two independent power supply circuits, overload and reverse polarity protection provide high fault tolerance;
- Certified according to EN 61000-6-2/-6-4 and other international EMC standards, which ensures stable operation even under strong interference.
Reliability and fault tolerance in industrial conditions
- Durable metal housing with IP30 protection against dust and electromagnetic interference;
- Temperature range in the standard EJS-08 model from -10 to 60 ° C, in the EJS-08-T from -40 to 75 ° C;
- Complies with IEC 60068-2-6 and IEC 60068-2-27 standards, which allows the device to be used in mobile and vibration-loaded installations.
- Each port automatically detects connection parameters (Auto MDI / MDI-X, duplex, speed);
- The latency of one port is only 1 microsecond, which is critical for synchronous real-time operations.
The EJS-08 is perfect for integration into production lines where stable communication between PLCs, drives and sensors is required. Thanks to the support of various topologies, the network can be optimally organized in large and complex objects. An EtherCAT network built with the EJS-08 allows for low latency and high transmission speed, which is necessary for tasks where response time is critical.
