To access this window: In the EtherCAT Editor, in the EtherCAT Explorer pane, click a device in the list, then click the Distributed Clocks tab.
Use the Distributed Clocks tab of the EtherCAT Editor to set SubDevices to use DC synchronization. Not all SubDevices support DC synchronization. If the SubDevice does support DC synchronization, it is usually important to set it to use it.
MainDevice
On the Distributed Clocks tab of the MainDevice, the Reference Clock box offers the option to specify which SubDevice will be used as the reference clock. This defaults to auto-select, which means it will use the first SubDevice in the network that supports DC synchronization. There is typically no need to change this setting.
The SubDevices with Active DC lists all the SubDevices in the network that have been configured to use DC synchronization.
SubDevice
Operation Mode
On the Distributed Clocks tab of the SubDevice, use the Operation Mode box to set the SubDevice to use DC synchronization.
The terminology in the Operation Mode box varies between manufacturers. The table below lists terms that do or do not indicate DC Synchronization:
|
Terms that indicate DC Synchronization |
Terms that do NOT indicate DC Synchronization |
|---|---|
|
DC for synchronization
|
Free run
|
Note: ‘Sync Manager’, also abbreviated ‘SM’, is NOT DC Synchronization.
Sync Unit Cycle
The Sync Unit Cycle defines the basic cycle of the SubDevice. The RMC200 automatically sets this to the same as the RMC’s loop time.
Overwrite Mode
Overwrite Mode allows configuring the Sync Unit 0 and Sync Unit 1 settings. Do not choose Overwrite Mode, or unexpected behavior may occur.
See Also
Distributed Clock Synchronization | EtherCAT Editor
Copyright © 2025 Delta Computer Systems, Inc. dba Delta Motion