Fall 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to the acontis technologies newsletter. We strive to issue this newsletter a few times each year to keep you informed about our latest updates and developments.
What’s Inside
For our Fall 2026 newsletter, we’re highlighting the latest improvements to our EtherCAT solutions, including enhanced diagnostics, AI-ready documentation, and new cybersecurity initiatives. We’re also sharing exciting results from our lab exploring wireless EtherCAT communication and looking ahead to SPS 2026 in Nuremberg.
In this issue:
Quickly identify EtherCAT cable and connection faults with the new automated Self-Test Scan.
Modernized manuals with improved navigation, search, and formats optimized for AI coding assistants.
Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs)
Now included with EC-Master and EC-Engineer deliveries to support supply chain security.
Updates on our product security initiatives, vulnerability management, and EtherCAT security assessments.
See how we’ve successfully demonstrated native EtherCAT communication over Blitzfunk® wireless links.
Visit our new booth in Nuremberg to explore the latest EtherCAT technologies and meet our experts.
EC-Inspector V4.2: Quickly Find EtherCAT Cable and Connection Faults
Intermittent machine stoppages can be difficult to diagnose, especially when the EtherCAT controller doesn’t report the underlying problem. With the new Self-Test Scan in EC-Inspector 4.2, you can quickly identify faulty cables, connectors, and communication errors that might otherwise go undetected.
Operating independently of the machine’s MainDevice, the fully automated scan analyzes your EtherCAT network without activating outputs or changing process data. Results are displayed directly in the network topology, highlighting problematic connections, logging errors, and providing clear guidance to help locate and resolve faults.
Modernized, AI-Ready Documentation for acontis EtherCAT Products
We’ve significantly improved the documentation for EC-Master, EC-Simulator, and EC-Monitor, introducing a modernized HTML interface with easier navigation, improved search functionality, and a more intuitive reading experience.
Beyond the traditional PDF and HTML formats, our manuals are now also optimized for AI-assisted development. New llms.txt, llms-full.txt, and dedicated Markdown (.md) files provide structured, token-efficient content that coding assistants and large language models (LLMs) can access and process more effectively.
With code examples embedded directly in the documentation, AI coding assistants can more easily find and incorporate relevant examples, helping developers build EtherCAT applications faster.
Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) Now Included with acontis Products
To help customers strengthen supply chain security and streamline compliance efforts, acontis now includes Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) directly with product deliveries, eliminating the need to request them separately.
Starting with EC-Master version 3.3.1, deliveries include an SBOM in the industry-standard SPDX 2.2 format. Our latest software tool releases, including EC-Engineer, also include SBOMs, with support for the remaining acontis software portfolio currently in development.
These machine-readable inventories provide greater transparency into the software components included in our products, helping customers identify potential vulnerabilities, manage supply chain risks, and support their own cybersecurity and compliance processes.
Cybersecurity Updates: Product Security, EU CRA & EtherCAT
At acontis, cybersecurity is an ongoing priority. We continuously strengthen our products and development processes to help customers build secure industrial automation systems and prepare for evolving regulatory requirements, including the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
As part of these efforts, we’re preparing comprehensive security documentation covering our risk analysis, Secure Development Lifecycle, vulnerability management, and coordinated vulnerability disclosure processes. We’ve also launched a centralized Product Security page, providing access to our vulnerability disclosure policy, security advisories, and reporting channels. Behind the scenes, our processes include continuous vulnerability monitoring, assessment, and communication of relevant security updates.
Beyond our own products, EtherCAT’s security architecture has also been independently assessed by TÜV and UL Solutions against IEC 62443-3. According to the EtherCAT Technology Group, these assessments demonstrate that EtherCAT’s architecture supports Security Level 2, with Security Level 3 achievable without hardware modifications.
From the Lab: EtherCAT Goes Wireless
EtherCAT is a wired protocol by design, but what happens when cables become a limitation, such as on rotating machine components?
Using Blitzfunk® wireless technology from German company Fünfeinhalb, we’ve successfully demonstrated native EtherCAT communication over a wireless link. Our EC-Master connects directly to standard EtherCAT SubDevices through the wireless link, with no special gateways, tunneling, or EtherCAT configuration required.
Our testing confirmed reliable EtherCAT communication with stable round-trip times and low frame loss. These results demonstrate the potential for practical wireless EtherCAT applications with cycle times of 10 ms or longer, opening up new possibilities for flexible machine designs and replacing slip rings or other physical connections in suitable applications.
Meet acontis at SPS 2026 in Nuremberg!
Join us at SPS – Smart Production Solutions, November 24–26, 2026, in Nuremberg, Germany!
Visit us at our brand-new booth in Hall 5, Booth 250 to meet our EtherCAT experts, discuss your projects, and experience our latest technologies in action.
We’ll be showcasing EtherCAT and Functional Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) on modern robotics platforms, large-scale EtherCAT network simulation on a single device, and the latest developments in real-time virtualization.
We look forward to seeing you in Nuremberg!