5 Setting Up EtherCAT Communications with the Sysmac Studio
5-6
NJ/NX-series CPU Unit Built-in EtherCAT Port User’s Manual (W505)
5-3 Setting EtherCAT Slave Variables and
Axes
Device variables are used to read and write process data for EtherCAT slaves. Axis variables are used
to manipulate slaves to which axes are assigned from the Motion Control Function Module. This section
describes how to register device variables and set the axes.
You use the I/O Map Tab Page in the Sysmac Studio to assign device variables to the I/O ports. The
device variables that you create are registered in the global variable table.
Use one of the following three methods.
• Selecting variables that were previously registered in a variable table
• Inputting new device variable names
• Automatically creating device variable names
You can select variables that are already registered on the menu on the I/O Map Tab Page. For exam-
ple, this method can be used to register device variables in the following cases.
• To write the program before the slave configuration information is created.
• To reuse programming from another project.
Use the following procedure.
1
Register the variables in advance in the global variable table or the local variable table of one of
the POUs.
2
Program using those variables.
3
Create the slave configuration information.
4
Double-click I/O Map under Configurations and Setup on the Multiview Explorer. Or, right-
click I/O Map under Configurations and Setup and select Edit.
5-3-1 Registering Device Variables for All EtherCAT Slaves
Selecting Variables That Were Previously Registered in a Variable Table