[Blog] Unlocking Industry 4.0: Integrating EtherCAT and Lattice FPGAs for Advanced Automation

As the Industrial sector moves closer to realizing Industry 4.0, the demand for systems that offer resilient connectivity, low power consumption, high performance, and robust security is increasing.

However, implementing a digital transformation is not always straightforward. Businesses must integrate these advanced systems within legacy environments, contending with siloed software, pre-internet equipment, and deeply ingrained workflows. They need solutions that allow for intentional applications of capable software and hardware within these constraints. The Lattice FPGA ecosystem is now supported by the EtherCAT IP-Core from Beckhoff Automation, the originator of EtherCAT Technology, enabling Lattice technology to support EtherCAT in these advanced industrial applications.

Understanding EtherCAT
EtherCAT—or Ethernet for Control Automation Technology—is an Ethernet-based fieldbus protocol designed to support hard and soft real-time requirements in automation technology. This protocol enables seamless communication between controllers and field devices like sensors and motors in Industrial applications at high data rates and with low cycle times. It achieves this through a controller-target processing architecture, where a controller device sends a standardized Ethernet frame to various nodes that only process and add back data specifically assigned to them by the controller.

EtherCAT supports a “processing on the fly” methodology, where data can be processed and passed to the next node simultaneously rather than in sequence. This increases efficiency and reduces the required processing power for each component, ensuring each only expends as much effort as is required for the data they’re responsible for. Overall, EtherCAT operates at higher speeds with lower latency and less jitter than other Industrial Ethernet protocols, making it a key part of modern distributed industrial ecosystems.

The Role of Lattice FPGAs in Industrial Applications
Lattice Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) provide organizations with the reliable hardware they need to meet today’s Industrial specifications and standards, with inherent adaptability and scalability. This allows developers to program—and re-program—their systems to suit any computing needs, even after deployment. Unlike ASICs, MPUs, MCUs, ASSPs, and other comparable devices, FPGAs are also capable of parallel processing, allowing operations to be carried out simultaneously instead of sequentially.

Lattice FPGAs offer low power consumption, small form factor, low latency, and high I/O capacity, enabling efficient connected Industrial systems. They directly interface with sensors to facilitate use cases like real-time Industrial networking, motor & motion control, machine vision, sensor fusion, and deterministic sense and control, among other critical functions of modern Industrial operations.

Integrating EtherCAT with Lattice FPGAs
The Lattice Secure Connected Motion Control Platform brings together the best of both of these technologies to provide Industrial organizations with high performance, low power, low latency, and secure connectivity capabilities.

This platform leverages MII/RMII MAC interfaces and flexibility for integration into existing industrial networks alongside a Lattice CertusPro™-NX FPGA for closed-loop motor control and a Lattice MachXO3D™ for HRoT (Hardware Root of Trust) security foundation. It also leverages Analog Devices’ Industrial Ethernet connectivity ICs to enable seamless system interconnection and centralized network control.

This platform ensures efficient, precise, and secure motor control for a wide variety of motors, from servos to BLDC and stepper motors.

Accelerating Secure, Connected Platform Development
Developers can leverage the Lattice Golden System Reference Design (GSRD) as a guide for creating a secure, connected platform with Lattice and EtherCAT. Paired with the Golden Hardware Reference Design (GHRD), the GSRD is a thoroughly tested reference for systems using FPGA-based RISC-V soft CPUs. Starting from this baseline, developers can quickly build FPGA-based hardware systems that support the EtherCAT protocol.

The flexibility and efficiency provided by EtherCAT and Lattice FPGAs enables organizations to keep pace with evolving Industrial use cases, including:

• Motion control and robotics. Industrial machinery is becoming increasingly automated, requiring both connectivity and real-time control and coordination to support autonomous robots and other cutting-edge production tools.
• Semiconductor manufacturing. As semiconductors and other chips become increasingly necessary for evolving AI and ML models, their production will need to be optimized for speed, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. Given the complex nature of these devices, their manufacturing requires precision and synchronization, both of which are enabled by the EtherCAT protocol.
• Test and measurement. As organizations integrate increasingly interconnected hardware into their industrial ecosystems, they need to be able to aggregate and analyze real-time data from across sensors, actuators, and other distributed components. This data helps teams effectively monitor, control, and adjust their operations as necessary.

The Future of Industrial Automation with EtherCAT and Lattice FPGAs Industrial organizations need to prioritize secure, efficient, and flexible connectivity to remain competitive in today’s market landscape. By combining the real-time communication capacity of EtherCAT with the adaptable, low power architecture of Lattice FPGAs, teams can continue to pursue evolving solutions and further digitalize their operations. This synergy not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures that systems are scalable and future-proof, ready to adapt to new technological advancements and industry demands.

To learn more about the Lattice Secure Connected Motion Control Platform and how Lattice can help you accelerate your Industrial application development, reach out to our team today.