Configurable Mapping of EtherCAT field-level devices to OPC UA

Abstract

Digital transformation in an industrial sector enables new possibilities towards economical, highly flexible and resource-saving production. Significantly involved in this transformation are standardized software interfaces to enable read and write access to the data provided by automation devices from different manufacturers. Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is a widely used industrial communication middleware and ensures interoperability between the devices. Companion specifications in OPC UA offer a possibility to map domain-specific data models to OPC UA information models. However, these specifications usually define a static mapping and often enable complete access to various field-level properties. Therefore, a configurable mapping of field-level properties to OPC UA is desirable. This paper focuses on the development and investigation of a configurable information model for mapping the EtherCAT communication standard to OPC UA. The feasibility of the configurable information model has been validated by an experimental setup composed of an embedded Personal Computer (PC) and several EtherCAT field-level devices.