This project is a real-time control software system for high-precision industrial servomotors using the EtherCAT protocol. It was developed as part of embedded systems research, focusing on next-generation industrial automation applications.
Author: Lucas Sales Duarte
Development Period: January–February 2025
Precise control of industrial motors is critical for applications requiring ultra-high reliability and performance, such as advanced robotics, industrial automation, and medical equipment. The EtherCAT protocol excels in real-time communication with minimal latency, but its software-level implementation presents significant technical challenges.
Industrial motor control systems often face:
- Integration difficulties between protocols and user interfaces
- Lack of flexibility in control modes
- Role-based to different user's access
- Diagnostics to error logging
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Communication Layer (C):
- EtherCAT master via SOEM
- 4ms cyclic data updates
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Control Layer (C++):
- Settable Manual Jog
- Automated operation of turning the servo
- 23-bit encoder data processing
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Interface Layer (Qt):
- Real-time monitoring dashboard
- Role-based access control
- Intuitive layout
Figure 1: Details of the mainpage
- Real-time motor control
- Multi-threaded architecture
- Secure user management
- Comprehensive logging