10 I/O Refreshing
10 - 6
NX-series EtherCAT Coupler Unit User’s Manual (W519)
10-3 I/O Refreshing for EtherCAT Slave Ter-
minals
This section describes I/O refreshing between the built-in EtherCAT port on the NJ-series CPU Unit and
EtherCAT Slave Terminals.
The EtherCAT Coupler Unit is an EtherCAT slave that supports DC synchronization.
The I/O refreshing between the built-in EtherCAT port on the NJ-series CPU Unit and the EtherCAT
Coupler Unit is the same as the operation of DC Mode that is described in 10-2 I/O Refreshing for
EtherCAT Slaves on page 10-4.
There is more than one I/O refreshing method that you can use between the EtherCAT Coupler Unit
and the NX Units. The I/O refreshing methods that you can use between the EtherCAT Coupler Unit
and the NX Units are listed below.
Because the EtherCAT Coupler Unit can perform all I/O refreshing methods at the same time, NX Units
with different I/O refreshing methods can be used together in the EtherCAT Slave Terminals.
Refer to the manuals for the specific NX Units for details on the operation for each I/O refreshing
method.
The I/O refreshing method between the EtherCAT Coupler Unit and each NX Unit depends on whether
the DC is enabled in the EtherCAT Coupler Unit.
10-3-1 I/O Refreshing Methods
I/O Refreshing between the Built-in EtherCAT Port and the EtherCAT
Coupler Unit
I/O Refreshing between the EtherCAT Coupler Unit and NX Units
I/O refreshing method name Outline of operation
Free-Run refreshing With this I/O refreshing method, the refresh cycle of the NX bus and the I/O
refresh cycles of the NX Units are asynchronous.
Synchronous I/O refreshing With this I/O refresh method, the timing to read inputs or to refresh outputs is syn-
chronized on a fixed interval between more than one NX Unit on more than one
Slave Terminal.
10-3-2 Setting the I/O Refreshing Methods
DC enable setting in the Ether-
CAT Coupler Unit
NX Units that support only
Free-Run refreshing
NX Units that support both
Free-Run refreshing and syn-
chronous I/O refreshing
Enabled (DC Mode) Free-Run refreshing Synchronous I/O refreshing
Disabled (Free-Run Mode) Free-Run refreshing Free-Run refreshing