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Driver Software

Driver software is used to connect the controller to the device logic. Interested parties can either develop this themselves or obtain a license from a manufacturer. For self-development, it is possible to draw on various basic drivers which are available as open source software.

The following open source software is available:

  1. Common Sercos Master API (CoSeMa): This master function library contains API routines for initializing, phase sequencing, timing calculation and functions for cyclical and acyclic communication.
  2. Sercos Internet Protocol Services (IPSS): This software contains the information needed to implement various S/IP protocol services which enable data exchange with Sercos devices so that set-up, remote maintenance or diagnostics can be carried out without the need for a Sercos master or a Sercos communication to already be initialized.
  3. Sercos UCC Ethernet network driver: An Ethernet network driver’s sample code connects the UC channel and a TCP/IP stack via the CoSeMa API. This allows any TCP/IP protocol to be transferred in parallel to the Sercos real-time protocol.
  4. The Sercos III SoftMaster is a driver software, which emulates the Sercos III hardware functions, so that FPGAs or ASICs are no longer necessary. Instead, a standard Ethernet controller can be used.
Search for Sercos III SoftMaster Driver Software at Sourceforge.com
Search for Sercos III SoftMaster Driver Software Online

Various manufacturers offer complete driver software to connect master and slave device logics. These drivers are sometimes independent from the secondary hardware controllers; sometimes they are coordinated with and optimized for specific hardware implementations.

In order to develop CIP Safety on Sercos devices simply and quickly, a pre-certified protocol software is available. This software can be used to equip not only Sercos devices but also EtherNet/IP devices with the appropriate safe logic up to SIL3.

The safety protocol software uses the SMP (Sercos Messaging Protocol) which allows CIP data and services to be mapped in configured, cyclic data containers in the Sercos telegram. Due to the modular architecture of the

CIP safety protocol software, unlimited use of EtherNet/ IP devices along with Sercos is possible. This reduces the development costs and investment risks for the device manufacturer to a minimum. In addition to the protocol software for Sercos and EtherNet/IP, the software package offered by IXXAT contains a safety manual and unit tests. As all components for the ANSI-C code are available, a transfer to customer specific safety platforms is possible with little effort. The included unit tests make the re-certification of the CIP safety protocol software which is necessary after a transfer to a safe platform considerably easier.

IXXAT offers services involving the CIP safety software, including initial advice, introduction to code and integration workshops, support for customer-specific hardware and software integration of the safety software, and device certification.