Terminology
32
NX-series EtherCAT Coupler Unit User’s Manual (W519)
Terminology
Term
Abbre-
viation
Description
application layer status, AL status --- Status for indicating information on errors that occur in an application on
a slave.
CAN application protocol over Ether-
CAT
CoE A CAN application protocol service implemented on EtherCAT.
CAN in Automation CiA CiA is the international users' and manufacturers' group that develops
and supports higher-layer protocols.
Communications Coupler Units --- The generic name of an interface unit for remote I/O communications on
a network between NX Units and a host network master.
device profile --- A collection of device dependent information and functionality providing
consistency between similar devices of the same device type.
device variable --- A variable in the NJ-series CPU Unit to which process data on an Ether-
CAT slave is allocated. Slave process data is accessed by directly read-
ing and writing device variables from user applications on the NJ-series
CPU Unit.
distributed clock DC Clock distribution mechanism used to synchronize EtherCAT slaves and
the EtherCAT master.
EtherCAT slave controller ESC A controller for EtherCAT slave communications.
EtherCAT slave information ESI An XML file that contains setting information for an EtherCAT slave.
EtherCAT state machine ESM An EtherCAT communications state machine.
EtherCAT Technology Group ETG The ETG is a global organization in which OEM, end users, and technol-
ogy providers join forces to support and promote the further technology
development.
I/O map settings --- Settings that assign variables to I/O ports. Assignment information
between I/O ports and variables.
I/O port --- A logical interface that is used by the CPU Unit to exchange data with an
external device (slave or Unit).
I/O refreshing --- Cyclic data exchange with external devices that is performed with prede-
termined memory addresses.
index --- Address of an object within an application process.
network configuration information --- The EtherCAT network configuration information held by the EtherCAT
master.
NX bus --- The NX-series internal bus.
object --- An abstract representation of a particular component within a device,
which consists of data, parameters, and methods.
object dictionary OD Data structure that contains description of data type objects, communi-
cation objects and application objects.
Operational --- A state in EtherCAT communications where SDO communications and
I/O are possible.
PDO communications --- An acronym for process data communications.
Pre-Operational --- A state in EtherCAT communications where only SDO communications
are possible with the slaves, i.e., no I/O can be performed.
primary periodic task --- The task with the highest priority.
process data --- Collection of application objects designated to be downloaded cyclically
or acyclically for the purpose of measurement and control.
process data communications --- One type of EtherCAT communications in which process data objects
(PDOs) are used to exchange information cyclically and in realtime. This
is also called PDO communications.
process data object PDO A structure that describes the mappings of parameters that have one or
more process data entities.
receive PDO RxPDO A process data object received by an EtherCAT slave.
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